Quick announcement before we start: I am opening five spots for 1:1 Accelerator Live Session Coaching in June. If you are feeling frustrated by low engagement in your online sessions – or just want fresh ideas that will level up your design and sharpen your delivery for upcoming courses and workshops, these sessions are for you! Book a zero commitment Discovery Call here. Next Accelerator Coaching spots will be open again for September.
Now let’s dive in…
Do live online sessions really need to be 60 or 90 minutes?
I used to assume the answer was yes.
Then last week I led a 10-minute micro-session for the Fit for Facilitation community that made me rethink everything.
I didn’t think it was possible to teach something really useful in 10 minutes.
I’ve led plenty of short online activities and presentations before. I’m guessing you have too.
But a full interactive learning experience in 10 minutes?
That felt completely different.
Despite my objections I gave it a go.
True confession: I was sweating bullets before we started. Because I genuinely didn’t know if it was going to work or not.
And honestly, I was surprised by what happened.
The session didn’t feel like a watered-down version of a longer workshop.
It felt more like an espresso shot: small, concentrated, and surprisingly energizing. ☕️
Most people assume (like I did) that we need a lot of time (and content) to teach something useful.
A 60-minute webinar.
A 90 Minute workshop.
A half day training with breakouts, discussion, and practice.
And yes, some topics need that kind of spaciousness.
But this 10-minute session made me ask a different question:
What if some sessions work better when they are smaller, sharper, and easier to act on?
This opens up a whole new format for live online sessions.
Was it perfect? No.
Would I do it again. Absolutely!
Especially online, where cognitive overload, screen fatigue, distractions, and scheduling challenges are very real.
That’s what makes microlearning so exciting.
Because it gives you one more option — instead of asking people to absorb everything, you help them focus on one small, useful shift they can actually use.
And it got me thinking that a micro-session could become:
✨ a bonus training
✨ a conference activity
✨ an onboarding moment
✨ a quick community event
✨ a short live participant-led lesson inside an online course
But here’s the thing.
I learned that you can’t just cram a regular workshop into 10 minutes. You have to design these micro-learning experiences differently.
Here are 6 “micro-design tips” that I’d use again👇
1/ Choose one specific topic
One bite-sized tool, tactic, or idea.
For me, that was Ask Then Tell — a simple way to turn quiet listeners into active contributors.
It was small enough to teach, discuss, and apply quickly.
2/ Design for one clear shift
Ask yourself: What do I want people to be able to do differently by the end?
In 10 minutes, you need a tiny transformation.
3/ Follow a simple structure
I used:
→ What it is
→ Why it works
→ When to use it
→ How to try it
That was enough.
4/ Make it interactive
Even in 10 minutes, you can create opportunities for people to contribute.
I used the chat, reactions, and “give me a wave if…” so participants could share ideas, react to each other, and build on what was already in the room.
5/ Use metaphors, mantras, stories and key points
Use a phrase, metaphor, or mantra people can remember.
My metaphor: Ask Then Tell is like warming the pan before cooking. 🍳
Simple. Visual. And easy to remember.
(H/T to Mirna Schmit for that tip from her 10-minute Brain Based Learning workshop:)
6/ Share a PDF or guide
You won’t have time to say everything. You don’t have to!
Create a one page “cheat sheet” or workbook with a recap, examples and resources that people can take away and apply right away.
I shared my slides:
7/ Draw on the experience of the group.
Participant contributions made the session richer than anything I could have delivered alone in 10 minutes.
When I asked how people might use Ask Then Tell, the group generated 5 or 6 fresh examples I hadn’t thought of.
🙌 Huge thanks to the Fit for Facilitation community for inviting me to experiment with this format.
Over to you 🎤
👉 So here’s a challenge for you:
How could you use a micro-session in your live sessions? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear what you try.
💌 Thanks for reading The Quest
I always love hearing your feedback and suggestions. Just hit reply to share your thoughts and ideas.
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Creatively yours,
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