By Daniel Bobinski
The ability to stand up and talk does not a trainer make. I know that sounds like I’m quoting from Yoda in “The Empire Strikes Back,” but some of the most high-tech companies in the world deliver some of the worst training I’ve ever seen. One problem can be when a trainer’s desire to be seen as an expert supersedes a desire – and an ability – to help others learn.
That’s because trainers need to show empathy, and empathy consists of caring about and striving to understand someone else’s point of view. Longtime readers of this column know that empathy is a key component in emotional intelligence (EQ).
A number of years ago I was brought into a Fortune 50 company to help subject matter experts become better trainers. Not long after my arrival, I observed a trainer walking back in forth in front of his class for an hour, reciting stories and offering platitudes. As I looked around the room, it was obvious the learners were bored. My observations were affirmed when one of the company’s senior managers turned to me and said, “This is horrible. This is nothing but a ‘sage on the stage.’ Nobody is learning.”
She was right. That’s because learning is the transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes, and a fundamental starting point for trainers is caring about the students’ perspective. Why are they there? What do they hope to gain from attending the training? What needs to happen so the students in attendance feel like their time was invested wisely?
Think about it. In the workplace, when adults are placed in learning situations, many feel vulnerable. This is especially true in professional fields, because when someone doesn’t possess a particular body of knowledge, that person can be perceived as “less than.” Therefore, it is incumbent upon the trainer to create what I call an emotionally safe atmosphere.
Adults do not want to be talked down to nor made to feel inferior, especially without any hint of how to apply what’s being presented.
This is why emotional intelligence is so important for trainers. Training involves watching for audience cues to track whether learners are connecting. Also, since learners often have questions, people with high EQ are better able to adapt and engage, answering in a way so as to establish positive relationships.
The definition of EQ is a vital foundation: perceive and assess one’s own and other’s emotions, desires, and tendencies, then make decisions which lead to the best result for all concerned.
Training others goes way beyond talking. It means being quick to ascertain learners’ emotions, desires, and tendencies so that good decisions can be made in ways that facilitate a transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Oftentimes a learner asks a question due to feeling insecure or doubtful about how to apply the material. How a trainer answers can make or break that learner’s confidence. Determining a learner’s motive for asking without embarrassing that learner shows strong emotional intelligence. Acting like the repository of all knowledge – being the sage on the stage – does not.
