Don’t be another brick on the wall

Trainers, you are FACILITATORS! Please don’t be another brick on the wall.

We don't need no education We don't need no thought control No dark sarcasm in the classroom Teachers leave them kids alone Hey! teacher! leave us kids alone! All in all you're just a another brick in the wall.
 

This was on my head the whole day, if not, atleast I would say most of the time yesterday. Straight from my flight from Cebu, I headed to our office in Ortigas Center to prepare for the scheduled training/seminr/workshop from one of the world’s best training and consultancy outfit. I have no problem with the outfit, never had, I doubt if I will have any in the future.

So there I was the whole time, wanting to jump out of the window unless someone gag the facilitator/trainer with something and throw her out of the door. A prayer that was not going to happen on that day. Partly my fault, I should have met the facilitator in advance. That’s one thing I missed to do, being new to the organization and inheriting this leadership development program, which I was never part of from its inception, I became too dependent to the training outfit coordinator and lack of ownership from my end resulted to missing important areas of a leadership program. I should have known better being a trainer and a facilitator myself, I should have done what should be done in running a learning development program. What done is done, so I might as well enjoy Pink Floyd in the background while I try to survive the choking grip of death of Ms. Tapia, a fictitious teacher in School Bukol tv sitcom of the 80s in the Philippines. I am not as old as you think I may be, but I happen to spend my growing up years with adults and less kids. I guess I know most 80’s songs and tube series than anyone else my age.

Taking off from this experience with Ms. Tapia, here are BASIC things that we, as inspiring trainers and are already trainers alike should keep in mind;

1. Learning Session is not the same as teaching or training. So wear the hat of a facilitator, if you happen to be a teacher by profession and have a teaching job, by all means necessary, wear the hat of a facilitator when “teaching” in the workplace. Let me differentiate the two in a simpler form, Teacher = teach, Facilitator = facilitates. Training is when you teach someone learning a new skill or a process aligned to the business or to core function of your participants, hence you are training and you are teaching. Facilitating is when you guide the participants manifest their understanding on a topic being discussed and allow them to realize the potential the topic has on their personal development. As a facilitator, you are there to connect personal agenda to business objectives and ensure alignment of the two concepts to help participants succeed and to make the learning program a success. I am sure that made sense with all pun intended.
2. Never compare. It is a basic requirement for any facilitators not to mention their past companies unless there is relevance to the topic being discussed. But this rarely happens, because training outfit, they don’t bring – in facilitators from the same industry of the participants to strengthen learning facilitation and for facilitators to be able to focus on the module. Else, it will turn out to be another poker game where the facilitator share cards to the participants. So what do we do when we point out experience in relation to the topic? We use “in my past life”, that is if you are referring to the most recent experience, or “in one of my previous lives” that is if you are referring to your most previous work experience. And client – companies employ the services of a training – outfit for one reason only, they are in dire need to improve their organizational culture. If they are perfect or even near perfection, then they won’t need training – outfit anymore. So it is actually pointless to the perception of the participants to be compared to another company, better or not, other than the fact that it is insulting, it is a grain of salt to an open wound.
3. Learning is “Education”, it is a workplace – learning. I like how Francis Kong tried to differentiate training from education in one of his talks, he said that it’s like discussing the topic of sex to your minor kids, would you rather have them attend sex training or sex education? That question defined education totally different from training. Learning is an on – going process that trainers need to facilitate, we as trainers facilitate these learning through the use of materials we call training modules aligned to the direction the company perceives. Whatever perception that may be, is all together a separate discussion. The journey, the participants takes on as they learn is what we call education. The most current buzz that we use now in the industry, to also avoid confusion since education is a jargon in the academe, is now “workplace learning”. So whenever you facilitate a learning session, try to consider the learning journey of your participants. After all, if indeed training others become better leaders is your passion, then try to facilitate learning. Don’t train, facilitate.
4. It’s okay to be personal. Citing examples of personal experiences is okay, but try not to outshadow the experiences of your participants. They are there to learn from the module that you have, and your experiences may come in handy just to connect the topics being discussed to a reality – based examples. The participants are not there to be awed by achievements that you may have had in the past, it will only question your credibility as a facilitator. Your credentials are best mentioned by the coordinator of the consultancy outfit of the learning program or by the HR Head of the client company, but to hoot your own horn infront while facilitating is not helpful at all. In fact, it will only redirect the discussion off from its original content. Then you will fail as facilitator. To be more specific, try to avoid commendations that you have received from your boss that got you promoted, awards that you have gained for doing a good job, and training programs that you are capable of doing other that the program that you are facilitating. There is always a time to market, to sell, and to present your CV. But definitely not during the learning session, it just leaves a bad taste even to those participants who are just there for the venue and food. After all, this is not your job interview, this is a training that you are facilitating.

Trainers, keep in mind always that you are a FACILITATOR. By definition and principle, you are there to facilitate learning and not to teach. If teaching is what you want to do, then school classroom will be a good choice for you, but not a workplace classroom. In a work – place learning, you are there to guide the participants to their learning journey, using the modules that you have with you, you are there to guide them learn and facilitate the outcome to align to the core program. But definitely not to TEACH. Teaching is different; it may have similar meaning as facilitation but definitely not the same entirely.

Apparently, most of the trainers came from a certification program and are former HR professionals and only a handful are full time to the training/consultancy outfit. As a result of their certification, publicly offered or not, it now have a number of certified professional trainers that can run their signature programs. I have no problem with that, I never had any, I doubt if it will be ever a problem with me in the future. I even personally look forward to be certified to run their signature programs, I believe in those programs and I find their modules relevant to business needs. Most businesses to say the least. But the thing about not having a full time facilitator is that branding is often compromised because of every trainer's personal paradigm. You see, if you have someone with you full time, they breathe, dress, and talk exactly what the company is. They become the living symbol of the organization. So having someone onboard part time will only get you a part time brand ambassador as well.

As a trainer – facilitator, you definitely don’t want to be another brick on the wall. You can be another Moby Dick but don’t be a BRICK!