Photo by: xijian via Canva
Every four years we are graced with the gift of being able to witness the “best of the best” athletes in the summer Olympics. I am always amazed, riveted, and spellbound by their abilities, whether they win the gold medal or not. Their performances are the result of years of planning, preparation, and practice. The process for developing our skills as trainers is similar in many ways.
I was inspired to draw some parallels to reinforce the idea that when trainers are as prepared as Olympians, the course leaders, learners, and the organization are headed toward a gold standard performance—a win-win scenario for everyone!
- As trainers, our courses must incorporate solid instructional design principles, we must prepare for each session with a lesson plan, and we must practice our instructional techniques before we deliver a training session. Like Olympians, we must have the capacity to perform at our best, the desire and confidence to succeed, and the discipline to follow through with what we’ve trained for.
- We also know that not every Olympic athlete can win a medal, which means they must also be resilient when things don’t go as planned. We know as trainers there will always be things we can predict and plan for, as well as unpredictable situations where we must make some quick adjustments.
- Just as in the Olympics, mistakes will occur and there will be disappointments. Yet, with dedication and a willingness to persevere in the face of obstacles, every course we deliver can be a learning experience and lead us toward future wins.
If you want a gold standard performance in your organization, develop a winning attitude and go for the gold in training! Begin your gold medal training by checking out our Instructional Design for New Designers workshop!