The Trainer as a Leader

[Image from : http://imo.thejakartapost.com/suzieicus/files/2012/05/leadership.jpg]

In order to be a successful trainer, leadership qualities are essential. The trainer needs to direct the learning experience of the trainees to achieve the desired learning outcomes, without letting the class slip into chaos. Also, the trainer needs to infuse energy into the class so as to create a learning transformation. Learning is a change process. Any change requires energy. In training, this energy (almost always) comes from the trainer. Thus a trainer has to provide energy and direction. This is exactly what a leader must do in order to get his team achieve the required goals.

In addition to providing energy and direction, a common requirement for both teachers and leaders is strong communication skills. Just as a trainer must know how to deliver his/her subject matter in a manner that is clear to the audience, a leader should be capable of articulating his/her vision and delivering the message.

So it is not surprising that several famous leaders and celebrities were teachers. The former President of the USA, Lyndon Johnson was a teacher, as was Benito Mussolini – former Italian dictator (bad example probably, but you get the idea!). And it is also unsurprising that many great leaders chose to spend their post-leadership years in teaching.

A couple of interesting articles in this line of thought:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201006/are-teachers-really-leaders-in-disguise

http://www.leadquietly.com/2011/02/act-like-teacher-lead-to-objective.html

Handling difficult trainees: The latecomer

On the first day of my first job, I reported promptly to work and was greeted by a HR representative. She gave me a bunch of forms and applications to fill up. Once I was done, she took me on a tour of the office and introduced me to personnel from various teams like finance, IT, facilities etc. All this took about two hours and finally I was taken to my cubicle. I learnt that my manager was not in town, so I asked the HR representative what to do for the rest of the day. She said there was an in-house training class going on and suggested I spend the rest of the day attending it.

So I grabbed a notebook and pen and went to the designated room. I opened the door and stepped in hesitantly. The trainer gave me a quizzical look and asked how he might help me. I introduced myself as a new hire and told him that I was going to attend the training for the rest of the day. Politely but firmly, the trainer told me that the course had started full steam, and I would not be able to get anything out of it by joining in the middle. If anything, I would be a little confused and overwhelmed. As if to soften the hurt, the trainer added diplomatically that I was welcome to join the next course to be offered a month later. I returned to my cube, rather irritated. Years passed, and I became a trainer myself. I could now empathise with trainers who have to put up with latecomers.

Latecomers pose several problems to a training class including the following:

• Disrupting the flow of the trainer’s delivery by stepping into the classroom. In some training rooms the entrance is conveniently located such that a trainee can slip in/out discreetly. However, even in such cases, the trainer’s attention is diverted.

• Coming late can be interpreted as a sign that the trainee does not take the training class seriously. This can irritate the trainer.

• In some training sessions, the content may be such that each succeeding part of the content builds on the earlier part(s). So the latecomer could be completely lost in understanding the content. If the latecomer asks a lot of questions to catch up, it might distract/delay the rest of the trainees.

• The trainer may have to spend some time to settle the latecomer into the class – like handing out manuals, stationery, etc. and this can result in a waste of time for the others.

My thoughts on handling latecomers:

• I try to set apart the first 30 minutes of class for an activity like knowledge review, quizzes, introduction etc. This acts a buffer to accommodate latecomers. 

• As far as possible, try to make the content modular –with each module being self-contained. This way, a trainee who misses one or more modules can still get something from the sessions that he/she attends. Having said that, however, I need to concede that not all training sessions can be designed this way.

• If you feel that a latecomer is so late that he/she is not going to get anything by attending only a part of the training, don’t hesitate to point this out to the latecomer. Tell him/her that attending the rest of the sessions might simply be a waste of time for everyone.

• If a trainee is so late that his/her learning is seriously compromised, and if the latecomer insists on sitting through the rest of the training, keep a note of the latecomer’s name and the time of entry. Make sure it is on record. Notify the latecomer’s manager by email if needed. This way, the trainer is covered in case the latecomer makes any complaints about the effectiveness of training.

• Sometimes, there could be a case of a sincere trainee showing late for genuine reasons. In such cases, try to help the trainee as far as possible without wasting the time of the rest of the class.

In summary, trainees could be late for a variety of reasons – personal and professional. Trainers should orient themselves mentally to accept this as part of their work and not take it as a personal affront. Getting irritated by latecomers does not help anyone. Latecomers have to be managed professionally. 

Wastage of time in training sessions

I love this quote from Henry Ford - "Time waste differs from material waste in that there can be no salvage.  The easiest of all wastes and the hardest to correct is the waste of time, because wasted time does not litter the floor like wasted material."

In my experience, the top time wasters in training sessions are:

-          Setup time – for projector, accessories, etc.

-          Trainees show up without completing prerequisites. Need to allow them time to catch up.

-          Training discussions hijacked by ramblers – leading the discussion astray.

-          One student who is exceptionally slow in understanding.

        -      Internet connection issues – for remote/web-based classes. 

The importance of continuous learning

One of my most favourite magazine articles is “You never stop learning”, by James Michener, which appeared in the December 1962 issue of Reader’s Digest. A truly inspiring article on the importance of continuing to learn and grow one’s mind.

Let me quote a part of this article:

“Specialization is not enough. For the big jobs – historically, culturally, morally – what the world needs is well-rounded human beings.

I remember a day in 1942 when the U.S Navy was hungry for talent. Four of us would-be officers were shivering in our shorts in a small room. A grim-faced selection committee asked “What can you do?” and the first man replied, “I am buyer for Macy’s and I have trained myself to judge very quickly between markets and prices and trends.” The board replied, “Can’t you do anything practical?”, and shunted him off to one side.

The next man was a lawyer. He had to confess;” I can weigh evidence and organize information.” He was rejected.

I was third and when I answered, “I know language and a good deal of history”, the board groaned and I went shivering away.

Then the fourth man said boldly, “I am a college trained engineer and I can overhaul diesel engines.” The committee practically embraced him and made him an officer on the spot.

But this is not the end of the story. When the war was over, the Macy’s buyer was assistant to the Secretary of the Navy, in charge of many complex responsibilities requiring instant good judgment. He had given himself courses in Naval management and government procedures and had become a top expert. The lawyer wound up as assistant to Admiral Halsey and in a crucial battle deduced logically from intelligence reports just where the Japanese fleet had to be. He came out covered with medals. I got the job of Naval Secretary to several Congressional committees who were determining the future of America in the South Pacific.

What was the engineer doing at the end of the war ? He was still overhauling diesel engines.”

Now let’s not get into debates on whether this article is biased against engineers. [I am an engineer myself] The point is that, in order to grow, it is vital to keep learning and applying the knowledge. This article really inspires me.

Handling difficult trainees – the inexperienced trainee who wants to know everything

In one of my training classes, I had a trainee who was a new grad straight out of college. She was very diligent and sincere, and anxious to learn everything on the manual- and more. While her sincerity of purpose was completely commendable, the depth to which she wanted to understand the material was out of place for that particular class. For example, if I made a passing mention of a standard optical component used in my company’s technical tools, she wanted to understand how the component worked, where and how the component was manufactured, why that component should be used, what was the basic physics of light involved, etc etc etc. In simple words, she wanted to know everything about everything. Being inexperienced, such trainees find it hard to recognize the level of understanding that is needed in different situations. They tend to over-learn or under-learn.

When one trainee wants to know things at a level of detail far beyond what a class is supposed to cover, it can really slow down the progress of the class and also frustrate the other learners who are not so inquisitive. It also puts the trainer in an awkward position. If the trainer tells the student not to focus at such a level of detail, it might sound as if the trainer is trying to avoid answering the questions or even worse, hide his/her ignorance.

So how to handle this ? My thoughts:

- Establish expectations clearly at the outset. Outline the objectives clearly. When a question deviates from the course objectives, gently but firmly remind your trainees. Explain that the course objectives may not be met within the course duration if the level of depth is too much. Set expectations about what the course will cover, and importantly, what it will not cover.

- If a trainee is very inquisitive and wants to learn at a level of detail beyond what is covered in the course, tell him/her that you will be happy to help them – after the course objectives are met. If possible, spend some extra time with them during breaks or after class hours. Direct him/her to resources (people/courses/books/websites etc.) that will help them learn more.

Handling difficult trainees: The shy trainee

(Image from: http://www.selfhypnosistherapy.com/overcoming-shyness.html)

In one of my earlier posts, I had written about handling nervous trainees. You might wonder what the difference is between a shy trainee and nervous trainee. A shy trainee and a nervous trainee are both difficult for an instructor – but for different reasons.

A shy trainee refuses to open up to conversation and discussion. He/She simply clams up and the instructor has no way of knowing what’s on the trainee’s mind, whether the content has sunk in, whether the trainee is comfortable or not, etc etc. Most of the time, a shy trainee is hesitant about expressing him/herself because of a fear of making a fool of him/herself in public. Shy persons are usually very concerned about what other people might think of them.

On the other hand, a nervous trainee is worried about learning it right. The instructor can usually find out if a trainee is nervous or not – body language and speech give it away. A nervous trainee is generally worried about whether they can learn and apply the skills correctly, and fear what might happen otherwise.

Shyness and nervousness in trainees are individually troublesome for instructors. A combination of shyness and nervousness is a perfect nightmare! It means a lot of work and patience is required from the instructor.

My thoughts on handling shy trainees:

• Identify the reason for their shyness. Is their shyness due to cultural barriers/language barriers/lack of confidence/learning anxiety ?

• Talk to them in private. Strike up a conversation and gently probe into what’s making them clam up.

• Compliment them on their work – without sounding patronizing.

• Never ever make them the target of your humour – even if you don’t mean to hurt them.

• Explain to them that overcoming shyness can actually increase the effectiveness of their training and enable them to perform better on their job. This is a very sensible reason for not being shy.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat….

Personally, I think one of the most important principles of effective teaching/presentation is repetition. Sadly, this is also the most forgotten principle. Presenters are in such a rush to pack more and more content into their presentation that they do not allow time for repetition. The net result is that they “cover” a lot of material, but very little actually percolates into the listeners’ minds. Most of the material simply remains in the Powerpoint slides or handouts.

My own style is to reduce the amount of content in my presentation to make room for repetition of key points through various means. I would much rather present ten key ideas/concepts and have seven of them sink into my listeners, than present twenty key concepts in the same time and have none of them sink in.

Ultimately, what matters is what the listeners take home with them in their minds, not how much the presenter has "covered".