By Sherif Attar
In a world of ever-changing ambiguity and uncertainty, executives have to face two challenges: excellent performance and people development. Where many managers think those endeavours are “competing”, this author believes they are “completing”. GET DOWN TO BUSINESS argues.
Adapted from Trainer Bubble
A motivated and competent trainer can mean the difference between success and failure of organisations. A good trainer communicates effectively, manages the participants and ensures they are clear on both the objectives of the training and what they can expect to get out of it.
With the constant growth of technology and the changes made as a consequence of the pandemic, a lot of learning is carried out in virtual classrooms via tools such as Zoom or MS Teams. The success of a training course rests on a variety of factors, and one of, if not the most important factor, is the trainer themself. Without an effective trainer, the quality of the materials can pale into insignificance. The skills of the trainer and their ability to adapt leave a lasting impression.
Here is a list of qualities required from an effective trainer.
1- Communication skills. A trainer must be engaging and able to interact well, for which successful interpersonal skills are crucial. In order to accommodate different learning needs, listen and respond effectively to questions and concerns, while being clear on the training objective.
2- Subject expertise. Learners may have unpredictable questions and it is the responsibility of the trainer to be able to respond to these questions with their knowledge and understanding of the subject at hand. Where they are unsure of something, they should be clear of this and promise to research and inform later.
3- Confidence. Confidence in your own abilities presents itself in your delivery, and learners will likely disengage with an unassured trainer. Confidence comes from being prepared and while a few nerves is usually a good thing and shows you care; you can calm a lot of those nerves by being completely clear on what you are delivering.
4- Versatility. Different environments and different groups of learners will require different approaches. An effective trainer must be able to read the room and adjust . If you are not getting results with one method of delivery, try and alter your approach to include things that do work.
5- Adaptability. This means ability to make changes or adjustments last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, and still be able to deliver the same standard of training. Sometimes technology fails us, or certain resources needed for the course may be unavailable, it is the responsibility of the trainer to adapt . You can prepare for different eventualities.
6- Time management. Poor time management implies poor professionalism and can impact how you are perceived. Keeping to time slots for breaks and lunch is important for the sake of learner engagement. The trainer should always be the most punctual and organised person in the room.
7- Patience. Every group of learners will be different. We all learn in different ways and speeds. Being able to accommodate all learners is very important to being an effective trainer. You will encounter challenging learners, those that struggle with the topic, or participants that seem intent on trying to ‘catch you out’. By remaining calm and composed, you’ll ensure that participants know you are fully in control of the course delivery.
8- Passionate about educating. Those around us feed off our energy and a positive and passionate approach will usually be mirrored by your learners. If you are passionate about what you’re training, hurdles become easier to overcome. If the topic is something you find hard to be passionate about, be passionate about the learners and helping them to understand a topic that some find uninteresting.
9- Evaluation practices. A good trainer has methods in place to evaluate their performance as a trainer. This could be asking for feedback, or if the training is internal, identifying KPIs can be a useful way to measure employee progress towards an objective. Know what your goals are and set your lasers to achieving them.
For questions or suggestions, please send your comments.
Sherif Attar, an independent management consultant/trainer and organisation development authority, delivers seminars in the US, Europe, Middle East and the Far East.
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