Five Ways to Learn More from Webinars – Remarkable TV

As leaders and learners, we're blessed with no shortage of webinars and virtual events to expand our skills. But with this abundance of options comes potential downsides. Just registering and showing up doesn't guarantee you'll get value. To really optimize webinars for professional growth, strategy matters.

After hosting hundreds of webinars myself, I've picked up some best practices for making the most of them. I want to share my top 5 tips with you today so you can get way more from every webinar you attend going forward.

Choose Wisely 

With webinars exploding in popularity across every industry, you can probably find multiple options on any skill you want to build. This shotgun approach won't serve you well. Be selective and purposeful in picking titles and presenters who will deliver the most relevant value for you right now.

Maybe you need to shore up a weakness in delegation. Find a webinar on that. Or maybe you want to learn a new technique for giving feedback. Search for specific help in those areas. With focused choices, you're priming yourself for better learning before you even register.

Attend Live When Possible 

Sure, the magic of webinars is that you can attend from anywhere at flexible times. But try to join live when you can. Here's why: when you make time and space for a live webinar, you're making it a priority. You block off that timeslot, show up ready to engage, and the learning has your full attention.

Meanwhile, watching a recording brings a couple risks. First, it's easy to keep pushing it back as other priorities pop up. Second, without the energy of a live event, you may passively listen without really absorbing the concepts.

So attending live is ideal. But if you do watch later, be disciplined in setting time for focused learning just as you would live.

Participate Fully 

This next tip is huge. During a live webinar, don't just spectate...participate! Good webinar leaders will provide multiple chances to engage.

Ask questions through chat or verbally. Answer polls and prompts. Share reflections in discussion segments. Take an active role mentally and physically.

Engaging keeps you attentive, fuels deeper thinking, and cements the new concepts. So speak up! Don't let shyness hold you back from getting the most from your learning time.

Stop Multitasking 

Let's be honest--it's incredibly tempting to multitask during webinars. You might glance at emails, text friends, or even take that client call you pushed back. Don't do it!

To learn effectively, you need focused attention. Avoid distractions and be fully mentally present. Remember, you chose this webinar because the content benefits you. Give it the energy it deserves.

Take Action Notes 

Now, you know I love taking notes. But during webinars, write down more than just recap points. Capture action items, ideas for application, and personal reflections.

Turn key insights into future actions. Jot down ways you'll think or work differently. Note how concepts connect to projects or challenges you're tackling. Webinar learning only translates to growth through application, so point yourself in that direction.

Next time you sign up for a webinar, keep these tips top of mind. When you choose well, show up ready to actively learn, and turn concepts into actions, you'll multiply your development.

Webinars make growth efficient and accessible. With the right approach, they can catapult your leadership capabilities to new levels. Now get out there and start learning!

I'd love to hear your biggest webinar takeaways or tactics that have worked for you. Share your thoughts in the comments!

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