Clear communications

The first time learners use Bodyswaps, an onboarding sequence familiarises them with the features of the app, takes them through an avatar selection and embodiment activity, and prepares them for the experience to come. 

In the onboarding, learners will: 

• Find out how this training is different from the rest
• Select their avatar
• Discover their virtual journal
• Learn how to navigate and use the tools and settings

The module opens with an introduction to Daniel, who’s behind schedule on a big project. He wants Sonya to grant him an extension, but is having some trouble stating his case clearly and convincingly. It’s up to the learner to figure out where Daniel’s going wrong, then take over the negotiation and use their own words to convince Sonya to help.

Before moving on, the learner is invited to complete a series of three Likert-type survey questions gauging their confidence about using appropriate words and phrases, making their message clear and concise, and speaking with confidence and conviction. These survey questions will be repeated in the debrief at the end to assess how the learner’s confidence levels have changed.

Note: If you wish to receive data about how the learner’s confidence levels have changed as a consequence of the training, it’s important that they complete this introduction and the debrief at the end.

The scene moves to the breakout room, where Daniel is trying to explain to Sonya that the project he’s working on has been massively delayed and he needs a one-week extension to finish it. However, his nerves and lack of preparation mean his message is somewhat confused, and Sonya isn’t sure why the project is delayed or what he’s asking for.

In this observation activity, the learner watches their conversation and clicks or taps to identify examples of bad communication. To encourage thoughtful observation rather than mindless clicking, learners are given 10 clicks to identify the eight examples. Visual feedback is provided in real time to indicate whether the learner has correctly identified each one.

As the conversation progresses, the learner witnesses how Daniel’s lack of clarity, defensive attitude and rambling structure render Sonya increasingly frustrated and impatient. Eventually, she abandons the conversation altogether and turns to the learner for clarification instead.

Summary feedback is supplied at the end, with buttons indicating which events were identified. Clicking each one allows the learner to rewind through the conversation and rewatch Daniel’s poor communication practices from Sonya’s point of view, and see an explanation of how they hinder his case.

The learner is now invited to pick up where Daniel left off and explain the situation to Sonya themself. In this scaffolded conversation, they choose how to speak to Sonya in a sequence of four multiple-choice exchanges. 

After the learner chooses an option from the list of three, Sonya responds, and then a more detailed feedback popup is shown to explain the benefits or drawbacks of the selected answer. If the learner gets it wrong, they try again until they find the right answer, so that they’ll always see firsthand the positive impact of clear communication on the conversation.

In each exchange, the learner needs to select clear, concise explanatory statements that respect Sonya’s time and avoid defensive posturing. Good answers move the conversation forward towards a solution, while bad answers leave Sonya confused and frustrated.

At the end of the conversation, Sonya agrees to hear the learner explain exactly what went wrong with the project, preparing them for the next topic.

With Sonya convinced to hear them out one last time, the learner is tasked with convincing her to give them and Daniel the extension they need. In this freeform interaction, the learner speaks in their own words, while behind the scenes, analytics tools track how concisely and simply they speak, their use of jargon, and the clarity with which they express what they need from Sonya, as well as more fundamental communication metrics like eye contact, body language and the use of Sonya’s name.

Once the learner has said their piece, they swap bodies with Sonya to see how their speech looked from her point of view. After that, they receive the feedback from the analytics tools, at which point they can either try again to refine their performance or move on to the debriefing.

The module concludes with a brief reminder of the benefits of clear communication: people understand you better and respond more favourably.

After a final congratulation, the Likert-type survey questions from the start of the course are repeated to gauge the change in the learner’s confidence after playing through the module.

Note: With soft skills training, it is not unusual to find that learners’ confidence levels actually fall upon completion. This is because people are often overconfident in their ability to communicate or empathise before the training begins. As the experience raises self-awareness, confidence levels may fall in response.

Before the learner leaves the module, they are asked to complete a short survey about their experience. 

This survey is not compulsory, but the data helps us to assess the effectiveness of our product and identify any areas that need improvement. Clients also find it beneficial when assessing ROI. 

They are asked to mark whether they agree or disagree with the following statements, on a 10 point scale: 

• I would recommend this experience to colleagues.
• The experience helped me identify elements I could improve upon.
• I now have a better understanding of clear communication best practices.