1. Trainers are Strategic Thinkers and Partners
A trainer is a strategic thinker. A strategic thinker possesses strong business acumen and has a good grasp of how the training process directly affects the business. Strategic thinking is not only restricted to being a part of training manager skills but is also one of the attributes of a good trainer as well.
An understanding of revenue, cost, margins, ROI (return on investment), and staffing would definitely give a trainer better insight on how his or her role affects the organization. In addition, another one of the qualities of a good trainer is that he or she is a strategic partner.
There is a strong need for a trainer to develop networking skills. Do take note that a trainer doesn’t only work with learners. A trainer also has to “cross borders” by strategically partnering with counterparts from Operations, HR, and Marketing – just to name a few departments a trainer has to work with.
Looking at how the training process fits in the bigger picture and how to strategically partner with the rest of the business are great attributes of a trainer. On the contrary, taking on a silo mentality is, and will always be, the cause of a trainer’s undoing.
2. Trainers are well-versed in Instructional Design
One of the best qualities of a good trainer is that they are well-versed in the instructional design process. Aside from being included in the list of skills of a training manager, instructional design (or ID) is also a big part of a trainer’s repertoire of competencies.
So, what are training skills needed for ID, exactly? Working knowledge of Training Needs Analysis (or TNA) and the application of the inductive learning process through different adult learning methodologies are required.
Training Needs Analysis, in a nutshell, is the use of data to determine needs in an organization that can be addressed by learning interventions.
Adult learning methodologies, on the other hand, are approaches that translate these interventions into effective learning experiences for adult learners.
In short, TNA determines what needs will be addressed, while adult learning approaches determine how they will be addressed. Besides being fluent in these two frameworks, having both analytical and design thinking is also considered as one of the important qualities of a good trainer.
3. Trainers are Project Managers
Once the instructional design and all its intricacies have been accomplished, the time has come to implement the learning program! Doing so requires a bit of project management, because the trainer, most of the time, not only has to teach the course but also has to plan the program’s implementation and organize the required resources.
Being able to manage projects is also one of the outstanding qualities of a good trainer. This then points back to key point #1. Involving key stakeholders and getting everyone’s support for the initiative demands dependable strategic partnering skills.
4. Trainers are Facilitators of Change and Learning
As mentioned above, a trainer’s main duty is to facilitate classes; but contrary to common belief, this just takes advantage of about twenty percent of a trainer’s skillset.
While it is always a given that classroom facilitation is, in itself, part of the qualities of a good trainer, what’s more, important though is that a trainer is expected to be a facilitator of change – or even better, an advocate of change.
With today’s adaptive global workforce and a dynamic business environment, changes are constant. Processes and knowledge that were the standards a few days ago can become obsolete and defunct in the blink of an eye. What is considered as the guiding principles and industry standards today, might be different tomorrow.
A trainer is always expected to be at the forefront of change. New processes and recent knowledge would always demand some type of learning intervention. Moreover, with constant changes, competency and performance gaps are always bound to ensue; and the trainer, in turn, can evaluate and recommend viable and sustainable solutions.
5. Trainers are Evaluators
This is probably one of the most overlooked qualities of a good trainer. The skills required for trainers regarding evaluations include, but are not limited to: conducting surveys, creating effective tests, and assessing learners through observable behavioral changes. Source:efrontlearning.com/blog/2017/06/top-qualities-good-trainer.html
