Unit-10

Choosing and Training the

trainers
How the Tesla Model S is Made | Tesla Motors

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_lfxPI5ObM
How To Choose A Good Trainer That Best Fit Your Employees'
Learning Needs?

• "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish
and you feed him for a lifetime." - Lao Tzu
What should be a trainer able to do?
• He or she should set the stage and create an environment conducive for learning so
that is non-threatening.
• The trainer should provide clear focus and clear objectives before the start of the
workshop.
• He or she should be able to draw out the best and trigger enthusiasm in the
participants. Sometimes trainers that have a back of metaphors, stories, acronyms,
quotes, ice breakers and energisers would keep the engagement and audience
involvement. The trainer should also relate with the participants using real and
practical experiences and examples.
• There should be a two-way communication that allows a dialogue session and
stimulates an interactive community. He should be accountable and be able to engage
participative learning and taking into consideration the relevance to their needs.
Why is it important to pick a good reliable
trainer?
• The benefit of rendering the services of a good reliable trainer would
be closing up the gap in achieving the desired outcome of the
organisation.
• One of the biggest advantages is how much closer to the productivity
target the organisation would be.
• After just a few weeks of applying the trainer's ideas and strategies,
you should find your organisation transforming into a "masterpiece of
muscular dimensions".
Types of trainers you should look out for
and stay away from
• There are many types of trainers ranging from old, young,
experienced, inexperienced, serious, funny, generalist and the
specialist.
• One of crucial factors a good trainer should have is the ability to build
rapport with the audience and not trigger a hostile or aggressive
environment.
• However, some trainers make the mistake of having a lack of
knowledge of the participants' needs, including any special
requirements.
• Other ineffective qualities of trainers include being power hungry and very
authoritative. Trainers should not force or obligate participants to
participate in the activities such as group presentation or threaten to
penalize them or make them incompetent in their exams should they fail
to contribute ideas in the class discussions. The trainer should not use his
power to control the audience, where there is only a one-way instruction
and no questions are allowed.
• Beware of trainers who deal with the training in a highly theoretical
approach. Training has to be fun and it is important to draw out the
learning objectives for participants. A trainer who has a habit of utilising
the word "I" instead of "We" might seem very individualistic versus the
more collective approach.
Train the trainer: Model
 70-20-10 model of training
• The 70-20-10 model is a commonly used formula within the training profession to describe
the optimal sources of learning.
• It holds that individuals obtain 70 percent of their knowledge from job-related experiences,
20 percent from interactions with others, and 10 percent from formal educational events.
• The model highlights that the majority of learning occurs informally on the job, either
through job experiences or interactions with others.
• As such, employees should be encouraged to take greater responsibility for their own
development, and managers should help employees structure learning experiences outside
of the formal classroom.
• Although only 10 percent of learning occurs as a result of formal courses, this does not
mean the formal training is unimportant.
• Formal courses are a useful starting point for informal learning, and they help to
disseminate content that may be difficult for individuals to acquire in an unstructured
environment.
 What is Train-the-Trainer Model?
• Train-the-Trainer is a framework for training potential instructors or
subject matter experts to enable them to train other people in their
organisations.
• A group of employees receive a compact training program that focuses
both on specific training content and on how to teach this training
content to others.
• For example, a subject matter expert trainer trains a select group of
employees on meeting facilitation skills and simultaneously teaches
them how to train other colleagues on how to run effective meetings.
• The expected outcome is that attendees learn the new knowledge or
skill, and they will instruct further batches of people in the
organisation.
• This approach was first applied in NGOs and non-profit organizations
and since then enterprises picked it up and applied it to their learning
and development programs.
Examples
• The model is well-suited for disseminating specific information
quickly.
• One Train the Trainer program cited in a Forbes article is a one-day
course that teaches individuals with no previous military background
how to understand and speak the language of the military when
selling to Department of Defense customers.
• Other Train the Trainer models teach leadership skills to employees
preparing to enter management.
 Building a train-the-trainer program
• Clarify the purpose of the program: What are the main goals you want
to achieve? Passing on technical skills from experienced to younger
members? Build up an internal pool of trainers who can be relied on for
a wide range of skill development training? Have internal change agents
in the organisation? The answers you give for these questions will
determine which area you need to focus on your training curriculum.
• Design measurement and assessment process: You will need to set
measurable objectives for the program and figure out how to measure
course outcomes. Tracking progress of both trainers and trainee
indicates the effectiveness of the program, and it is essential to be able
to evaluate and improve your train-the-trainer program over time.
• Design the training curriculum: As the train-the-trainer model is based
on both teaching subject matter knowledge and training delivery skills,
your curriculum will need to reflect on both. At first, you need to define
course-by-course, what is the focus content that you want your trainers
to train and disseminate in the organisation. Secondly, you need to
allocate time to teach about group facilitation and training delivery. (Plus,
if your trainees will have any flexibility in designing their own training
sessions, it is essential to know about adult learning and training design
principles.)
• Create training materials: In order to maintain a consistent rollout and
delivery of your training curriculum, you should design and provide all
the materials that you trainees will need when they deliver the training
content to their colleagues. This may range from detailed training
facilitation plans to slideshows and participant handouts.
 How to Choose the Right Participants?
The selection process can be easier by considering these parameters:
• The selected soon-to-be-trainers should be well respected, ideally, a role model and a person
employees look up to as well as go to for help. Choose an employee that leads by walking the
talk and follows the company’s processes and principles.
• A trainer must possess good communication skills and able to lead discussions as well as listen
to their colleagues. Being a good public speaker and presenter is also a big advantage.
• It is important to be reflective and being open to receive feedback.
• Generally a positive attitude and willingness to help colleagues to help to bring the training
instruction to real-life application during and beyond the training sessions.
• Some degree of experience and expertise in the given field or subject is a must, since the train-
the-trainer model actively builds on the expertise and knowledge of its trainers. Not to mention,
in order to be a credible trainer, one needs to be competent in the field she teaches. This is
particularly important in subjects relating to technical know-how.
• Flexibility in time and general availability for delivering training should also be considered.
Being a trainer requires time away from one’s regular job while training others in the
organisation. It is a practical idea to ask the applicants’ managers for support and confirmation
that their job permits them to take part in the program.
Master Potential Student
Trainer trainer
 Benefits of the train-the-trainer model

• Cost-effectiveness: It is much less costly to send one expert trainer to train internal subject
matter experts, than hiring a large unit of external trainers to deliver every single training
session within the organisation
• Consistency in delivering a training curriculum: The default mode of operation for train-the-
trainer programs is that trainers receive the exact same materials they were trained on, and
therefore they disseminate the same learning through the organisation. This makes the model
ideal for large organisations where continuity of training is important. Additionally, the
standardized format allows to measure and compare the performance of each training group.
• Acceptance of internal trainers: In most organisations, people tend to seek advice more from
their colleagues who they are already familiar with, than from outside specialists.
• It fits well in situations where fast dissemination of information is needed. After the initial
train-the-trainer course is completed, the freshly minted internal trainers can deliver their
courses simultaneously to their colleagues. This is particularly useful when rolling out change
initiatives for a whole organisation.
• Tailored learning: Internal trainers have the advantage of knowing the
environment and culture of the organization as well as the products and
services offered and client needs, allowing them to tailor the training content
to the specific needs of the training participants.
• Trainers’ growing subject-matter mastery: Teaching someone else is the
best way to learn. As trainers keep delivering training sessions to their
colleagues, they will be exposed to handling new situations, meeting new
questions and perspectives. As they find their way to answer these
challenges, their subject matter expertise will inevitably leap to new heights.
• Developing a competent internal training team: Once people attend a train-
the-trainer program and they start teaching their own colleagues, their
competence as instructors will keep growing. Next time, when your
organisation needs internal trainers for another subject, you already have a
group of employees in the organisation who are skilled in training delivery.
• Better training follow-up: Since trainers are in-house experts, they
stay around and can easily follow through until the new skills and
knowledge become part of their colleagues’ routines.
• Train-the-Trainer has a ripple effect making the enterprise an
appealing employer and progressive workplace for attracting talents.
A company that provides growth opportunities for their employees
and training through innovative techniques is attractive to potential
employees.