Debra Smith offers her views on how to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to identifying the genuine article from the cowboys.
I think the actual terminology of 'trainer' conjures such a mixture of expectations that rarely do people know what they actually want, let alone what they get and as a consequence, the industry (for want of a better word) is fraught with misunderstanding, poor representation and a raft of people who call themselves trainers.
There is clearly a need for people who present detailed information such as legislation where there is almost no scope or opportunity for 'risk taking' but this certainly doesn't discount (or shouldn't) the prospect of the presenter being individualistic in style OR using material creatively, however, I guess the point I am attempting to make is that everyone has a perception and opinion on what is a trainer.
Some of the people I have met over the many years do not in my personal opinion own the role or qualify to call themselves trainers.
They own information and have been pretty smug about sharing it and crashed through the delivery of it. It was as painful as watching Big Brother.
I have had some insight into observing others, who were clearly focused on the learning, engaged with the group and picked up on every opportunity to use discussions and feedback to explore and carry the learning forward and they did it without a script, thank god, and skilfully.
Personally, I doubt if the trainer in this instance was uppermost in anyone's mind other than they steered, facilitated, and engaged the group. The trainer read the delegates, and introduced humour where necessary and challenged where appropriate - leaving the group with a great deal to go away and think about. They didn’t need to be brash, liked or disliked but they clearly did a damn good job. The risk taking for me was in just what were those delegates going to take away and do with that new found food for thought.
My answer to this all this is intertwined in the 'perception and expectation of the organisation' but personally I don’t want to see any more comics, boring, stumbling, bumbling people who would be better suited to another profession like 'stamp licker' and I don’t want anyone to use its delegates as a verbal bunch bag to drive the point forward.
View the original posting:
Trainer’s Diary: Playing Safe?
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