It is easy to designate someone a trainer. Some take the job by choice, others based upon departmental need. Some even “fall into it” (a term I heard from a trainer I was coaching) because there was “nowhere else to stick him.” I shook my head at that one; such an explanation is hardly a harbinger of greatness.
Training and talent development are value-based pursuits. Excellent programs deliver tangible benefits, which are real and measurable, and intangible benefits (perceived or assumed). They also incur two types of cost, direct and indirect. The net difference between those two — what you get minus what you spent — creates the value the training provides. Hopefully this is a positive number. Sometimes it is not.
Like any position of influence within an organization, trainers need coaching and development in order to maximize their impact on others and return to the company. There are six umbrella reasons why:
1. Plug the leaks in the dyke.
People thrust into training positions typically suffer from multiple instructional shortcomings which include:
a. Credibility. Has he or she earned the right to be there? One of the first thing the audience sizes up is whether or not the instructor is credible. If he or she is, the audience will tune in — at least for awhile — but if not, they tune out. Lost forever in a sea of wandering minds anywhere but there.
b, Presence & command. Do the instructor’s non-verbals and verbals (voice, tone, command of the language, and delivery trigger respect? If so, the audience will engage. If not, the audience will slack off.
c. Creation of high-impact supportive collaterals. There can’t be a gap between whomever creates the curriculum and the man or woman chartered with delivery. The instructor must be “unconsciously competent” with the contents. The contents, of course, must be “real world” and relevant. If a person does not understand how to construct high-impact curriculum, when it comes to delivery he or she will struggle to advance past the middle of the mediocrity bell curve.
d. Classroom generalship (command of the audience). It’s nice to be liked but it’s far more important to be respected. Having control of the behavioral dynamics of a classroom of eight mixed personality types is part art, part science. None of it is luck. Things like seating dynamics, breaks, lunches, private sidebars, and various others all contribute to running a tight ship.
e, Deft clock management. Much like a superb motion picture, a great learning experience has time marks its director (the trainer) must hit. Too many meetings and sessions get hijacked by minutiae or boredom and too many suffer from pontificating instructors. Managing the clock is a learnable process. Far too many do not realize such a thing even exists.
f. Situational effectiveness & flexibility. Stuff like the “5 Ds” happens in a classroom: delays, distractions, derailments, discussions, and disagreements. Once derailed, far too many trainers get flustered, lost, or lose control. Once the audience finds a weakness, the audience seizes on that weakness and classroom dynamics shift from teacher-led to student-commandeered.
g. True impact. In the end, what sticks and what bounces? Did the trainers change lives, careers, market performance, or none of the above. This is the eternal question of training at every level of budgeting: What exactly is it — an investment or expense — and why does it really matter? If the answers to these questions are not evident due to the effectiveness of the programs and trainers, then the programs and trainers are not generating a great enough return.
2. “Stick Rate” effectiveness. “Stick rates” are what stays with the students and is utilized on a go-forward basis. There are ways to maximize this and great trainers know how.
3. Behavioral understanding. Training is a people influence business. If you know a lot about behavior, you are a leg up on those who do not. What is essential to know can be taught and mastered, which automatically elevates the effectiveness of the front-of-the-room professional.
4. Time choice decision-making. Minutes in a classroom pass by exactly the same as they do in real life: they are wasted, spent, invested, or cherished. Great trainers treat time choice decision-making with powderer-keg respect. Zero minutes are wasted.
5. Effective classroom management. ‘Effective’ is a vague word that covers a lot of sins, but suffice it to say that whomever is in charge is the troop leader for the session’s field trip. If he or she knows where they are going, how to get there, what to see and watch out for along the way, and when to return safely, it will be a good outing. It also helps to be able to juggle logistics, egos, personality types, and engagement ranges. When a trainer can do all those things effectively, he or she is a pro’s pro.
6. Value maximization. What’s the ROTI? ‘ROTI’ stands for “Return On Time Invested.” Trainers need to justify their existence. If they don’t, they are not professional trainers, they are budget item overhead. Trainers must deliver human and financial value.
- Human value. Does the trainer improve lives, happiness, confidence, and self-belief? If so retention, loyalty, and engagement all improve.
- Financial value. Are the sessions relevant, succinct, helpful, valuable, doable, and important? Do these things enablebetter business results?
The Big Finish:
We close today with a fun comedic short I wrote about training trainers. I hope you enjoy it.
Best regards,
