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We’re often asked by participants, “How can we better support our peers who are new to the training role?” If, in fact, they are new to training and lack the knowledge and skill, our response is always to set them up for success by providing some training.
Unfortunately, some people make the assumption that “anyone can train.” Not so! And, if you happen to be a subject-matter expert (SME), some think being a trainer should be a “piece of cake.”
Professional trainers know there’s tremendous skill required to do what we do. We’ve encountered many SMEs who’ve acknowledged their fear of speaking in front of a group and others who believe training is simply giving a PowerPoint presentation. These are just two examples of why we must invest in our trainers.
We’d like to share five tips to support our trainers and set them up for success:
Training
Invest in your trainers. Enroll them in a train-the-trainer course so they can start filling their training toolbox. Many participants have walked away from our programs with the confidence that they now have the skills needed to train with excellence.
Preparation
Excellence doesn’t happen overnight. Many times, we’ve seen participants who were completely traumatized. They were new to training, their company made the investment and sent them to one of our courses, but they were expected to learn a course over the weekend and deliver it on Monday. These learners were not SMEs, and the content was new. No wonder they were stressed!
Ideally, we recommend a 5:1 ratio for learning a course. Five days should be given to learn a one-day course. For some organizations, this may not be seen as ideal. But, what’s the alternative? A trainer who isn’t successful will almost certainly lead to a course and participants that aren’t successful. It’s simple, really. Trainers need time to learn the content and prepare their delivery.
Coaching
Assign a coach to the trainee. Select someone who has experience teaching the course. This will allow for tremendous support throughout the process. A coach can add valuable insight and assist when confronting the “hot spots” in the course content.
Experiential Opportunities
Schedule an opportunity to have the trainee participate in the course as a learner, and perhaps later as an observer. These steps encourage learning from different perspectives, which will provide a richer experience as the trainer.
Detailed Lesson Plan
Learners have shared that often they’re working with just an outline. We recommend equipping trainers with a detailed lesson plan to learn the course, but also allow them the flexibility to adapt it to their training style.
When applied, these tips will certainly support any instructor who is new to the training role. We know that training is about setting our learners up for success. To make this work, we must set our trainers up for success as well. Trainers need training too!
Wondering where to start? For instructors who deliver training in a traditional classroom setting: Instructional Techniques for New Instructors. For instructors who deliver training in a virtual classroom environment: The Virtual Trainer. Hope to see you in a workshop soon!
2 Responses to “Trainers Need Training Too!”
Maia, you’re a great walking testimony! When I started with Langevin, almost 23 years ago, I attended one of your workshops as part of the onboarding process and learned so much. You do, indeed, practice what you preach! Thanks for weighing in!
Thanks for this excellent article—every one of those steps is how I learned to master 16 different Langevin courses in my 2 years as a Langevin trainer. The skills I developed on my way to earning my Master Trainer diploma still serve me today, 20 years after I left to return to my private practice.