Recipe for Making a Good Trainer

Recipe for Making a Good Trainer 

Going with the spirit of ROI, any HR Training must focus on business through improved competencies hence performance, reduction in costs and a congenial working environment. How to become a trainer to ensure this!

Very often, we talk about training ROI. It may not be very easy to calculate since training is not a mechanical process. However, going with the spirit of ROI, it is very clear that any HR training must focus on business through improved competencies hence performance, reduction in costs and a congenial working environment.

To deliver the above, a trainer must have certain qualities:

 Designer 

An effective trainer must be able to go in-depth and design a training program that “works”. He should be able to use a step-by-step approach to help trainees grasp the knowledge or skill, he is expected to transfer. Just appearing on the scene and emptying your knowledge bucket does not help anyone.

 Organizer 

A trainer must lead by example. He should promote discipline and punctuality by exhibiting the same. While he needs to make and convey detailed plans in advance (with built-in flexibility), being prepared for any eventualities or mishaps, helps him to remain on track with

 Presenter 

The role of the trainer as a presenter is very critical when there is a lot of information to be delivered over a short time-frame. It is not necessary that someone with very good functional knowledge will be a good trainer as well. These are two entirely different competencies. As a presenter, a trainer maintains the focus of the training session by not only providing information on a specific subject; but clarifying concepts through examples. Engaging the audience is a very crucial aspect of an effective training program.

 Facilitator 

A good trainer must believe in two-way communication and should be a good listener. A trainer not only makes sure that participants express their thoughts; he encourages the less active ones to ensure that they too are heard and recognized. A trainer reconciles differences and occasionally checks how participants are feeling and responding to the training.

 Coach 

The coaching angle is often quite useful for an on-the-job trainer. As a coach, a trainer needs to make sure that participants actually practice the concepts and skills they learn.

 Assessor 

Assessment is an essential element of an effective training program. It covers pre-training assessment, post-training assessment as well as during-training assessment. The during-training assessment helps an assessor to make on-the-spot amends to enhance training effectiveness as also add to his learning for future trainings.

Armed with the above traits, not only a trainer will be able to improve his effectiveness on the job, he is bound to emerge as an enthusiastic trainer, who loves his job and his trainees love him. Won’t you like to be one?