"I can't get sick right now!" – Everyone who works independently knows this thought. If you are a trainer, coach, or speaker and are not present and fit, you face major problems. What to do? Cancel and possibly upset clients – or work despite being sick? We present you with a third option!
Getting sick is human
Self-employment is for many a professional fulfillment: As a trainer, coach, or speaker, you pass on your expertise, build a happy client base that relies on you, and for whom you are a reliable contact.
Being self-employed is not called "self" and "constant" for no reason: You take care of your planning and your clients yourself, and you are constantly preparing or on the go. However, this dream also has a downside: What happens if you suddenly get sick? Without a "Plan B," this thought quickly turns into a horror scenario.
No matter if it’s the flu or a broken leg: Getting sick is human and can happen to anyone! There are various reasons why you should better take it easy at home rather than work at full speed. The situation is particularly severe when fixed appointments are pending: Seminars, training sessions, or personal coaching sessions must be canceled. Income falls away, projects get delayed, and in the worst-case scenario, your reputation suffers.
So what can you do if you're too sick to work?
3 options for illness
How you handle illness depends on various factors – such as the type and severity of the condition. Basically, you face the following options:
1. Solution for illness: Presenteeism
Over 70% of all employees go to work despite being sick. The term "presenteeism" has developed for this. Being present is for many the highest priority in their job – particularly as a self-employed individual. After all, everything depends on you alone. "I can push through!" is generally a good attitude, as it shows willpower and reliability, even when things get difficult.
The downside: Someone who is sick is not fully capable of performing. Imagine you are giving an important presentation, but your voice is hoarse. Or you are conducting an intense coaching session, but you can hardly concentrate. Your clients and participants notice that you cannot deliver the performance for which you are being paid. Therefore, this is not always the best solution. You need to weigh carefully whether your performance meets your own standards.
Moreover, your body often knows exactly when it needs a break and recovery. If you do not recover with fever and the like, you often only worsen your condition and may even risk chronic illnesses.
Therefore, a permanent obligation to be present not only harms your performance in the short term. Your body and mind can suffer long-term damage if you don’t allow yourself any rest: Presenteeism and constant stress are common causes of burnout.
2. Solution for illness: Cancellations
If being present simply isn’t possible or your performance would suffer too much, you can certainly cancel your appointments and plans and first focus on recovering to give 100% at a new appointment. As mentioned: Getting sick is human!
The downside: Even if a cancellation or postponement is sometimes more reasonable or the only solution, a cancellation can weigh quite heavily. Not only do you quickly lose a part of your income due to illness. With fixed appointments, it can often be hard to find a substitute date that works for everyone involved. With face-to-face events, it can also be challenging to inform all participants in time without appearing unreliable—especially in the case of a sudden illness.
A cancellation is particularly difficult if you have scheduled a training with several dates that build on each other: If the time between learning units or exercises is too long, it ultimately affects the learning progress of your participants or disrupts a client’s schedule. Again, you must weigh whether a cancellation is the best approach in this situation.
3. Solution for illness: Plan B
Having a backup plan gives you the confidence to be prepared for emergencies. Imagine you have the option to
quickly and directly reach your participants,
easily send a personal message to everyone
and continue your training by directly giving your participants small learning units or tasks to prepare for the next appointment.
And all that, even though you can’t be present yourself. Many trainers and coaches are already achieving this with the E-Learning method. Create content for your online course in advance and let the platform work for you—it won’t get sick! If you need to reschedule, you can easily leave a quick video message for your participants from home. This way, you inform everyone quickly, while remaining close and approachable. And: Your participants can do additional online tasks if you are not personally available.
If you combine E-Learning with face-to-face events, you create blended learning: As described above, in this case, you offer both (perhaps fewer) seminars or live coaching sessions—along with online support. And exactly what you can prepare for serious cases!
Advantages of blended learning in case of illness
In the case of illness, blended learning unfolds a special potential and provides you and your participants with unique solutions for the problems that a cancellation brings:
If you accompany your training online, you have already gathered all participants on your platform. Thus, you can reach all participants directly and personally, even from home. A short video message feels more personable and evokes more understanding than a text-based email.
Even if you merely need to inform a client of your cancellation, who will then relay the information, directly addressing the participants is simply more personal and gives a good feeling that you care about each individual.
Blended learning also offers you brand new ways to utilize media. A short personal video from you can be filmed and uploaded within minutes from home with your smartphone. This way, you show presence and can explain to your participants what is going on. With a little humor, for example, a video with a broken leg or a runny nose can foster understanding and a good atmosphere—despite the cancellation!
Moreover, by combining face-to-face and online learning, you have the opportunity to supplement online impulses for your training. So take the opportunity that you can’t be there in person to provide your participants with impulses or exercises online, which you have ideally already prepared for a case of illness. A small exercise, an exciting video on the training topic, or a PDF with in-depth information keeps your participants engaged and serves as good preparation for the next seminar.
Tip: Record a few simple videos in advance with content that you would convey during face-to-face appointments. Think about which content from your seminar or coaching is suitable for this purpose, and capture it with your smartphone. Short presentations, introductory remarks on a specific topic, or everyday situations work very well. This way, you will be well-prepared in an emergency!
Do you have concerns that the quality of self-shot videos is not good enough? Why you shouldn't worry about that is explained in this article: High video quality and simple production? Yes, it’s possible!
The perfect online Plan B
Getting sick always comes at an inconvenient time. Preparing for such a case is a must for the self-employed and is very easy with blended learning. Therefore, the key is: Make timely preparations and set up a plan before it becomes urgent. Gather impulses, exercises, and maybe one or two videos for your online support that you can quickly provide in case of illness.
If you offer online support, blended learning is not only a flexible method for digitally supplementing your training, but also your perfect backup plan in an emergency.
Preparation is everything! Take a few minutes to jot down points for your next training: What content could you offer online? What would be suitable for a short video? Our guide for trainers will help you with that!
