Planning and operations tasks in complex environments place high information processing demands on decision makers. Within these environments, decision makers must simultaneously execute an operational plan, developed and enacted under pre-existing contextual information, whilst directing tasks and responding to real-time events. Receiving tasking and updated scenario information, in situ, can place significant cognitive load on decision makers. In the research presented here, we consider the intersection between information delivery modalities and realtime cognitive load. Three information delivery conditions, namely a control condition containing only text and image-based media (see Figure 1:Right), a virtual human condition, using the Defence Science & Technology Group Virtual Human Storytelling system, combining multiple forms of visual prompts (virtual human avatar, as well as images) as well as audio cues (see Figure 1:Left), and an audio condition combining both image and audio cues only were considered. The results are promising for use of the Virtual Human Storytelling system. Across navigation, map annotation and resource allocation tasks, participants with instruction via the virtual human avatar tended to have higher performance scores. These participants also demonstrated better cognitive load profiles when compared to participants who had text or audio-based instruction. The research provides novel and interesting insights into the potential benefits of task instruction delivery for enhanced human performance in complex operating environments.