Sidekick Soliloquy

Think of a really good sidekick. Do you have one in mind? If you think about iconic sidekicks, you start to realize that the names of the main character and the sidekick are practically inseparable. I’ll prove it to you. Fill in the blank:??

Batman and _________?

Frodo and ________?

Sherlock Holmes and _________

I bet most of you were able to do it, right? But here’s the thing. I gave you the names of the main characters. The ones who usually get the spotlight. I want to refocus the light and shine it on our?sidekicks today.??

Have you ever considered the role of a sidekick? When our team started to consider this question, we saw how necessary our favorite sidekicks were to every story. They not only add comedic relief, and move the story along, but they are often more relatable. Think about it, without the sidekick, the main character is too far away from the audience. Sidekicks are the bridge between you and the protagonist. When we see the main character through their sidekick’s eyes we find a reason to root for them. While they aren’t in the main spotlight, they are pivotal in helping the protagonist accomplish their goals. As Frodo put it himself, “Frodo wouldn’t have got far without Sam.”??

Without sidekicks, the main character can become isolated. Here’s the thing, we aren’t supposed to live in isolation. The supporting characters are essential in each of our lives. For example, even when extreme circumstances dictate absolute isolation, a main character will turn a volleyball into a companion, and the audience’s hearts ache at its loss.??

Our question then becomes, why is so much of the work we do in isolation? We see this all the time in online training spaces. Companies try to?“cut cost” by forcing their facilitators to go it alone or assigning another employee to act as tech support, pulling them from their actual job. But what they don’t realize is this undercuts the power of both employees and the training itself. You’ve robbed your facilitators of an actual sidekick, a partner?whose whole job?is?to ensure learning continues and?the facilitator is supported. ?

Think about it from the participant’s perspective as well. Have you ever been in a webinar where you felt invisible? Your main character has so many things to juggle, they can't focus on you despite their best efforts. Now everyone feels isolated. You sit in silence, unable to communicate or connect with the facilitator, your fellow participants, or sometimes even the content. However, if you put in a real sidekick (or as we like to call them a Virtual Crown Producer), they can change the feeling of the whole training. We have seen it happen time and time again. Even before you get into a session, our producers meet with you to discover your preferences, follow your processes, and fully prepare to go on this journey with you for the full life cycle of the training. Virtual Crown Producers kick off with energy, become an active part of the chat, and help?participants feel seen and heard. Engagement goes up. Energy goes up. Stress levels go down. The training is so much better for it.??

We at Virtual Crown, are always ready to help you out with the best producers (i.e. trained sidekicks) on the market.?Do yourself a favor and contact?us today! ?

By Laura White from Virtual Crown?