We give a lot of webinars, and we watch a lot, too!  It can be so tempting to do other things while the webinar ‘plays in the background’ — but, then you pop your head up and realize you missed one of the more valuable tidbits.  You also realize that you’re neither attending the presentation nor really doing a great job on your other work.  A bit of a lose-lose, as opposed to the multi-tasking you were aiming for.

One of the best things about the internet is that so many great people are sharing their knowledge with the world — often for free or at a fraction of the cost of a conference.  But, the information loses its value if you don’t fully engage with the material.

Today’s Harvard Business Review tip discusses this very problem — with a few great tips to get more out of any webinar.  Really, it all comes down to taking it seriously — just as you would any presentation you weren’t able to watch while writing emails or wearing your pajamas.

By the way, the HBR tips focus on turning a webinar into an event — inviting colleagues, distributing notes, etc.  But, if you’re not able to do that, we have another tip for you:  Watch the recorded version of webinars that contain really important data — either on a weekend or after the workday (i.e., at a time when you can put other things aside).

Here’s the link to the HBR tip.