By Kassy LaBorie, Keynote Speaker, Author, and Virtual Training Pioneer
I've spent more than 25 years helping organizations create engaging virtual learning experiences, and during that time I've watched countless new features arrive with the promise of making learning more engaging. Breakout rooms. Polls. Webcams. Whiteboards. Reactions. AI.
I love the tools. I always have.
But over time, I've learned that engagement isn't built into the platform. It's built into the experience.
That's why I teach a framework called YOU.
Your invitation matters. Own the tools. Unleash your presence.
The framework is simple, but powerful.
Your Invitation Matters because engagement starts with the opportunities we create for people to participate.
Own the Tools because tools don't create engagement by themselves. Facilitators create engagement by using tools intentionally.
Unleash Your Presence because people connect with people. Your energy, curiosity, attentiveness, and willingness to be human shape the experience more than any feature ever could.
When facilitators focus on YOU, something interesting happens. They create the conditions for five experience moments that make engagement possible: Invitation, Recognition, Contribution, Curiosity, and Meaning.
During the webinar, I demonstrated this with a simple poll. I asked participants what they typically do when a facilitator says, "Any questions?"
The answers were funny. Some people admitted they stare silently at the screen. Others hope someone else will go first. A few pretend their microphone is broken.
The poll generated laughter, but it also accomplished something important. It created an invitation to participate. Participants saw themselves in the responses and in one another. Curiosity appeared naturally as people wondered how others would answer.
The tool supported the moment.
The experience created the engagement.
The five experience moments
As the webinar continued, we explored the Five Experience Moments more directly.
Invitation is the moment people feel welcomed into the experience. I often ask myself: what did I just say or do that I could have let them say or do? An invitation signals that participants are not simply here to consume information. They're here to help create the experience.
Recognition is the moment people feel seen. Using someone's name, acknowledging their contribution, or showing genuine interest in their perspective tells them they matter. In virtual environments especially, recognition creates belonging.
Contribution is the moment people help shape the experience. One of my favorite examples comes from a webinar I delivered for ATD. Instead of following my planned agenda, I asked participants to rank the topics they most wanted to discuss and then reorganized the session around their answers. The room immediately felt different because people had a hand in creating what happened next.
Curiosity is the moment people lean forward and think, "I've never considered that before." Curiosity transforms content from something people receive into something they actively explore.
Meaning is the moment everything connects. It's when participants stop thinking about the activity and start thinking about themselves, their work, and what they'll do differently because of the experience.
Near the end of the webinar, I asked participants which of the Five Experience Moments was most missing from their current sessions.
At first glance, it looked like a simple poll.
But it was doing much more than collecting data.
Participants were reflecting on their own practice. They were comparing perspectives. They were identifying opportunities for improvement. They were making meaning.
Once again, the tool supported the moment.
The experience created the value.
Tech is cool. People are cooler.
That's the lesson I've learned after more than two decades in virtual learning.
The tools matter. I use them every day. I love exploring new features and new possibilities.
But tools don't create Invitation, Recognition, Contribution, Curiosity, or Meaning.
Facilitators do.
Technology creates possibilities. People create experiences.
Tech is cool. People are cooler.
About Kassy LaBorie
Kassy LaBorie is a virtual training pioneer, keynote speaker, author, and creator of the YOU Framework for Engagement. For more than 25 years, she has helped organizations create engaging, human-centered learning experiences in virtual, hybrid, and in-person environments.
She is the author of Interact and Engage! and Producing Virtual Training, Meetings, and Webinars, and recipient of ATD's Outstanding Professional Award.
Organizations partner with Kassy for keynote presentations, facilitator development programs, and workshops that help leaders, trainers, and presenters create experiences that inspire participation, connection, and action.
Learn more at KassyLaBorie.com or connect with Kassy on LinkedIn.
