Shortly after I joined my new job as a Quality Control supervisor, I found myself in the unflattering and precarious position of having to Train the person (lets call him C) who had been a Trainer for the last 3 years. Until then C ruled the department with absolute totalitarianism and he always had the last word. It so happened that my boss who hired me thought I had a better eye for detail and placed me in charge of making decisions that once was C’s to make. The interesting chain of command in the department also created a situation where C, who was in charge of production, was now subject to my discretionary judgment as the head of quality control! Moreover I had to train the trainer on how to run production to meet my standards. Needless to say this did not go well with him!
Sometimes as a trainer one can come to the conclusion that his or her skills are good enough that it qualifies them to pass on their accumulated wisdom to the next in line being trained. But the key component here is not so much the actuality of the fact but the attitude of the heart. Does the word ‘expert’ imply that you know everything about that subject? Is continuous learning not applicable to an expert? Is their accumulated skill so superior that they cannot humble themselves to accumulate some more? Being a trainer requires first the attitude of a perpetual student – always seeking to know more, learn more, improve and excel. It entails, at the outset, the need to constantly refine, hone and sharpen one’s skills, constantly looking to adapt and minimize flaws.
Companies around the world have used Train the Trainer programs in order to use the accomplished employees to download their acquired knowledge to newer employees. These experts are good at their work but often are not impactful trainers. By training them to be trainers, these employees can increase engagement of the audience and impact of their training.
For more information on how companies do this refer to this article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2014/02/04/the-recovery-arrives-corporate-training-spend-skyrockets/
