Why we shouldn't be putting ourselves centre stage

We live in a celebrity culture where success is too often measured not by the difference we make to others or the world we live in, but by how much we get noticed. Where success is measured in followers and likes.

Where the thing we celebrate above all else is celebrity itself.

This isn’t limited to the world of show-business; we see it in every walk of life, in business, in politics and yes, even in Learning and Development.

We put people on a stage, and we’re regaled by stories of all they’ve accomplished, beguiled by humorous anecdotes and witty rapport, and sometimes astonished by the obstacles they’ve overcome.

And of course, other people’s stories can be inspiring. They can shine a light on situations we’ve never faced, or hold a mirror up for us to reflect on our own experiences. Stories are important and I’ve often written about why they should be used in training.

But what happens when training becomes too much about the trainer? When participants stop being participants and instead become an audience? Where the trainer seems to have all the answers, or is expected to?

For one thing, parachuting in someone else’s solution is not always the right solution for the learner. They are not that trainer with their unique set of personality characteristics and experiences (and might not want to be), their organisation might be different, their professional aspirations might be different, they might face different situations or the landscape that was familiar to the trainer might have changed with time.

But more importantly, if learners are simply an audience, where is the opportunity then for problem solving, discussion and self-discovery? What happens when the learning is trainer-led rather than learner-led? Who owns the ideas and the changes that are made? Who’s responsible if those solutions don’t work as well as they should?

At Trainers’ Library, we’re passionate about creating training materials that facilitate learner-led learning. We work hard to design learning experiences that enable people to find and own their own solutions and to learn from that process of discovery. And a learning space which, inspired by their discoveries, leaves people motivated to make changes to improve their own working lives and the working lives of others.

If you’re a trainer, the idea of being centre stage can be enticing. And, let’s be honest, there are some of us who quite like performing. That’s great, but from time to time we must remind ourselves that Learning and Development isn’t about us – it’s about enabling others. And the best way to do that, in every step of design and delivery, is to put the learner and their specific needs centre stage.

If you want to find out more about our approach to training design, take a look at these short videos:

?? What’s the Point of Training?

?? Retention, Inspiration Action.

?? And/or, download our samples here.

Until next time...