From: Sally Cocco, Director

To: All Staff?

Subject: Trainer’s Feedback?

Hi everyone:?

I hope you all enjoyed the virtual first aid training last week. First aid training is usually done face-toface, so we were lucky that the training organization agreed to deliver this session in an online platform. The trainer was quite impressed by your success rate as 90% of you passed this two-day training with high scores. She was also pleased that everybody was engaged and gave input. However, she had some concerns about the lack of meeting etiquette, and she wants me to share her feedback with you so in the future we can all make the best out of our virtual training sessions.?

One of her concerns was that some participants conducted themselves in a way that caused the training to go less smoothly. For example, a couple of participants had last-minute inquiries and talked on and on, causing the session to go over-time and become dull. The trainer was also upset by the fact that not everybody came back from their coffee-break on time, unless she scheduled an important quiz right after the break to force them to be on time. Because of that, the late participants missed out on parts of the training and had to rely on other participants to help them catch up. Also, despite the trainer requesting that the participants turn off their mics, some forgot to do so. So, due to the background noise, some dutiful participants failed to catch some vital information and requested that the trainer repeat the information.?

I just want to emphasize that in this era of technology, online meetings are inevitable and following proper meeting etiquette ensures that everyone can benefit from them. In response to the feedback I received from your trainer, I am going to arrange for all of you to attend a workshop on Proper Meeting Rules. This workshop is hosted by Innovative Solutions, one of our community partners. It’ll be a great opportunity for all of you to brainstorm, learn from each other’s experiences, and understand the do's and don’ts of virtual meetings. It will be a great networking opportunity as well since you’ll meet the staff of Innovative Solutions in person.?

One more time, congratulations on the successful completion of the training. Please remember that we are a growing company and the majority of you are recent university graduates with little experience in workplace meetings, so don’t feel embarrassed about the trainer’s comments. Most of us dread receiving negative feedback, but trainers rarely provide this type of feedback, so take this as an opportunity to learn new job skills and become more efficient meeting participants.?

At the end, for those of you who did not pass the training, you’ll be given one more chance to complete the training in two months. Remember that successful completion of the first aid training is mandatory for your employment here, so, like it or not, you will have to pass it. In the next two months, review the online resources the trainer provided for you to refresh your memory of important details. There is a copy of the first aid training booklet in my office; feel free to come borrow it in case you need to study it. Your coworkers are a great source of support to you and many will be happy to assist you in case you have questions. And you can always email me any questions you have, or drop by my office if you’d prefer. My door is always open.?

I didn’t intend for this email to be this long, but our next staff meeting is in two weeks, and I wanted to share my input with you earlier than that.?

Thank you all,?

Sally Cocc