Transitioning from Trainer to Partner: Unlocking Your Full Potential in the Modern Workplace

If your in learning and development, you’ll likely have faced many situations where an internal customer has contacted you with specific requests for training, leaving you feeling like an order taker - sound familiar? It’s time to realise that simply delivering training is no longer enough to be seen as a valuable contributor to an organisation's success. To stay relevant and fireproof your career, you need to reposition yourself as a Learning & Performance Partner (Partner).

If this resonates with you, explore some of the key skills and attributes required to make this transition.

A Partner's No.1 Priority

"Organisations today are less interested in the activities you perform and more concerned about the outcomes you can achieve"

To be an effective Partner, your primary focus should be on delivering tangible results rather than simply delivering training programs. Organisations today are less interested in the activities you perform and more concerned about the outcomes you can achieve. Read that last sentence again. As a Partner, your role is to identify gaps and develop targeted solutions that align with the organisation's goals, driving real business impact.

Understanding Human Interaction

Successful Partners understand the intricacies of human interactions within the workplace. I wouldn't go as far to say an pre-requisite of organisational psychology is required, but it does encompasses the ability to recognising different personalities, learning styles, and communication preferences. By honing your understanding of human behavior, you can build strong relationships with your internal (or external) customers, grasp their needs and priorities, and communicate effectively with them.

Analysing the Competent Partner

"Those who don't invest in their development and core skills will become obsolete against those leading change, delivering improvements and driving results"

The Capability Map from the Learning & Performance Institute highlights the key groups of skills that competent L&D professionals should possess, which includes;

1. Design and Develop Solutions
2. Strategy & Operations
3. Support Learning
4. Facilitate Learning
5. Performance & Impact

By cultivating the key skills outlined within the capability map, you can ensure your effectiveness in driving performance improvement initiatives within your organisation - and at a time when there is a re-focus and alignment on what the modern L&D function looks like, those who don't invest in their development and core skills will become obsolete against those leading change, delivering improvements and driving results.

Identifying and Developing Key Skills

To transition successfully, you must focus on developing specific skills that align with the competencies mentioned above. These include:

Data Analysis | Enhancing your ability to gather, interpret, and leverage data to inform decision-making and measure the impact of learning interventions. This can be from the business itself (KPI's, GM, EBITDA) or L&D centric metrics from your LMS, Onboarding software or other people systems.

Stakeholder Management | Building strong relationships with key stakeholders, understanding their needs, and effectively collaborating with them throughout the process and on a regular basis. If you don't understand the businesses you work with, you are much less likely to deliver the correct solution(s) and you're certainly not partnering.

Strategic Thinking | Developing a holistic perspective to identify long-term needs, align suggested initiatives with organisational goals, and proactively anticipate future challenges.

Technology Proficiency | Embracing digital tools and platforms to deliver innovative and impactful learning experiences, such as e-learning, virtual classrooms, and learning management systems.

Communication and Influence | Enhancing your communication skills to effectively articulate the value of learning initiatives, gain buy-in from stakeholders, and influence behavior change.

Using the PPT Framework to Excel

The key elements for a organisation to be successful in transformation are people, process, and technology. I often refer to this as a 'System of Work'. When a Partner is looking to enable their 'customer' to achieve optimal organisational results, it requires finding the right balance among these three components when designing a solution.

The PPT framework, originally introduced in the 1960s by Harold Leavitt, a renowned business management expert, revolutionised the concept of organisational change. Leavitt outlined his model for effecting change within organisations in a seminal paper titled "Applied Organization Change in Industry."

Whilst it's not the most obvious L&D adjacent model for professionals to know and understand, as a Partner, you can leverage the People, Process, and Technology framework within your role in the following ways:

Needs Assessment:

• People | Conduct a learning needs analysis to identify the specific training and development needs of employees, considering their current competencies and skills and desired future state.
• Process | Assess existing learning and development processes, including onboarding, training delivery, and performance management, to identify areas for improvement or streamlining. If the process that needs reviewing sits outside of L&D, bring in an SME to support.
• Technology | Evaluate the effectiveness of existing learning technologies and tools, such as learning management systems or virtual training platforms, and determine if upgrades or new solutions are needed. If the technology deficit sits outside of L&D, again bring in an SME from that area.

Solution Design and Delivery:

• People | Design and deliver programs that cater to the identified skill gaps, ensuring they align with the organisation's strategic goals and individual learner needs. Again the solution/programme might not be training, it could be coaching, mentoring or a number of broader solutions that either sit inside or outside of L&D influence.
• Process | Review and optimise the processes to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and customer engagement, integrating feedback mechanisms for continuous improvement.
• Technology | Identify and recommend appropriate technologies and tools that enhance the experiences, such as e-learning modules and AI training videos.

Performance Support:

• People | Develop performance support resources, job aids, or knowledge repositories (i.e. company intranet) that enable others to access relevant information and guidance at their point of need.
• Process | Collaborate with managers and stakeholders to establish performance management processes that align with learning and development initiatives, providing ongoing coaching and feedback. The role of a Partner isn't to do it all, but facilitate the solution with the relevant SME's.
• Technology | Integrate technology solutions, such as performance support systems or company intranet, to provide immediate access to job-related information and resources.

Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

• People | Implement feedback mechanisms, surveys, or assessments to gather insights on the effectiveness of training programs and identify areas for improvement in employee performance.
• Process | Monitor and evaluate the impact of learning and development initiatives on organisational outcomes, continuously refining processes to maximise results.
• Technology | Leverage data analytics and reporting tools to measure the effectiveness of learning interventions, track learner progress, and identify trends or patterns for future enhancements.

By utilising the above framework, a Partner can ensure a holistic approach to learning and development, considering the interplay between people, process, and technology to drive organisational growth and performance improvement.

Tools for Problem Identification

Effective Partnering relies on various 'tools' and techniques for accurate problem identification. These tools may include interviews, surveys, observations, and data analysis, in addition to the learning needs analysis mentioned earlier. By employing these methods, you can gather valuable insights, identify trends, and validate findings, enabling data-driven decision-making.

Developing a Client Solution Matrix

Once performance gaps and needs are identified, a 'solution matrix' becomes instrumental in presenting potential solutions to customers. This matrix provides customers with a range of options, highlighting the benefits and potential impact of each solution, which should then be linked to a KPI(s) for tracking. The Solution Matrix empowers you to engage your customers in decision-making and ensure solutions align with organisational goals.

Project & Change Planning

Developing a project/change plan is paramount after a customer has chosen a solution. This plan encompasses setting clear goals, establishing timelines, allocating resources, and creating a comprehensive communication strategy. Effective planning ensures smooth execution and stakeholder engagement throughout the process, whilst keeping others within and outside the L&D function honest to delivery timeframes.

Presenting a Successful Case Study

To be a successful Partner, the ability to present a persuasive post solution case study is essential. This involves effectively articulating the benefits of your solution, showcasing potential return on investment (ROI), and other tangible advantages. A well-structured and compelling case study can help secure the necessary support and resources for your learning and performance initiatives in the future.

Transitioning from Trainer to Partner

Transitioning from a trainer to a Partner involves a deliberate and strategic process. It includes:

1. Self-Assessment | Reflecting on your current skills and identifying areas for development to align with the competencies of a Partner.
2. Continuous Learning | Engaging in professional development opportunities, such as workshops, conferences, and online courses, to enhance your knowledge and skills in those areas outlined in the capability map.
3. Building Relationships | Actively seeking opportunities to collaborate with stakeholders across the organisation, fostering trust and understanding their strategic priorities (monthly business reviews, team meetings, etc.).
4. Showcasing Value | Demonstrating the impact of your learning interventions through robust evaluation and measurement strategies, tying the outcomes to business objectives.
5. Driving Organisational Change | Proactively identifying opportunities to integrate learning initiatives into broader change management efforts, supporting organisational change, transformation and growth.

Ok, Where Next?

"You can position yourself as an indispensable asset in driving performance and fostering a culture of continuous learning and development"

Transitioning from a traditional trainer role to becoming a modern Learning & Performance Partner is a strategic move that empowers you to contribute more significantly to your organisation's success. By developing the necessary skills, aligning with key competencies, and embracing a strategic mindset, you can position yourself as an indispensable asset in driving performance and fostering a culture of continuous learning and development. Embrace this transition and unlock your potential as a catalyst for growth in the organisations you work with.