You make it look so easy...

[The Captain]

I recently held a webinar based training session on a fairly complex topic.  Group-wide there were about 40-50 people in attendance.  This was the first time I ever was the host/presenter on one of these.

Afterward I got some pretty good feedback (yea!).  This was done out of sheer necessity as the topic had to be taught in detail in order to meet industry reporting deadlines.  I knew from questions that came in from the field that the e-mail guidance was not cutting it.

I've now been asked to assist another group in doing one of these.  I tried to inform them of the work involved and was told I made it look easy, it couldn't be that hard, correct?

I spent:

20 hours researching the subject matter
20 hours developing the content/slides/templates/documentation
4-6 hours learining how to use the web hosting software
2 hours developing the polling questions, uploading them, and setting up the polls
6 hours running through the 1.5 hour presentation until I  got it down smooth and working correctly with the questions/slides/etc. (Did a demo three different times on three different volunteers/victims - this was on the weekends)
plus extra time sending out invitations, tracking attendees, etc. 

It was a lot of hard fricking work (I am NOT an I/T person).  But easy, no.  Why does someone have to say you make it look so easy before asking you to help them do the same?  How do you tell them it was actually pretty difficult without sounding like you don't want to help them?

[Chocolate Lover]

Honestly, it sounds like you outline what you just did here and say I don't have that much time to devote right now but good luck

[The Captain]

Pretty good response, I'll give it a try!

[Deleted]

As soon as someone says "it can't be that hard" I agree with them and tell them they can get it done in no time. Then say something to the effect of "I'd love to help buy I'm swamped with my own deadlines and I just can't spare the time right now. But you'll do great cause it's not that hard."

It's one of my "things". If I don't get repect and recognition for my expertise I don't share it with you. Been there done that and I'm not letting someone else take my credit again.

[thyme4change]

Years ago when we first went to SAP (Y2K!) we had a week long session of training, given by several of the IT staff.  One gal was great, the others were "okay."  I talked to them afterwards and the gal was totally terrified and had spent weeks planning her material.  The others were confident in their abilities and threw together their presentation at the last minute.  Her preparation really showed.  It was a lesson I have taken with me.  If I want people to think I'm good, spend a lot of time preparing and thinking it through.  If I wing it, people will notice.

[justme]

Give them your hourly consulting fee.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Sell them your training demo!