The only way to grow and make progress in your career is to challenge yourself and work on your weaknesses. While growth and change might seem daunting, there is nothing worse than reaching stagnation.
That is exactly why training and development programs are so crucial in workplaces. These programs give employees the scope to widen their skill set and knowledge and work on overcoming their weaknesses. Not only is this beneficial for the employee, it also ensures consistency and improved performance in the company as a whole.
Being a Training manager is no easy feat. They carry a huge responsibility on their shoulders, including assessing training needs, designing effective training modules, and implementing the program to take employees one step closer to their goals.
So if you are planning to make a career in training and development, here are six attributes that take a Training manager from good to great:
1. In-Depth Knowledge
Before you train anyone else, you need to ensure you possess in-depth knowledge about the domain or industry you will be teaching. Whether it’s product knowledge, sales training, or soft skills training such as leadership, teamwork or communication skills, you have to be well-versed in it yourself.
Make sure you do thorough research and spend a good amount of time preparing for your training session. In spite of that, if you are met with questions you don’t have answers to, don’t get defensive—accept it and tell learners you will get back to them later.
2. Strong Communication
In order to deliver your point, you need to be clear in your communication. Clear communication boils down to the ability to explain difficult concepts in simple terms. The only way you can keep your listeners hooked and motivated is if they are able to understand you well.
What makes a strong communicator? Someone who knows what they are talking about and can convey their message accurately. Communication is a lot more than just language. Factors such as eye contact, hand gestures, and postures also say a lot about a person’s communication skills.
3. Ability to Assess Training Needs
Can you assess gaps in the business? Do you know what your employees are lacking? Are you aware of the types of assessments required to identify training needs in the company?
As a Training manager, you need to constantly be on the lookout for existing gaps in the business and think of ways to bridge them. Training needs can range from industry knowledge to on-the-job, practical training and soft skills training.
In this ever-changing world, your goal should be to ensure your company is updated with the latest tools and methods for them to succeed. Assessment methods can include employee surveys, focus groups, individual assessments, and even performance-related trainings.
4. Creative Thinking
Many Training managers focus on having industry knowledge and underestimate the importance of being creative and innovative in their thinking. Why is it important, you ask?
Picture this: You are conducting a training and from the corner of your eye, you notice yawns and people doodling or busy on their phones. This doesn’t speak highly of you or the program you designed. Your training module might be loaded with valuable information, but if your presentation tactics are not appealing enough, your program is deemed ineffective.
So for people to sit up and listen to what you have to say, you need to get creative and embrace innovative methods. Use rich media such as videos, case studies, live examples, GIFs, and infographics to deliver your point. It is also a good idea to include games to demonstrate a point instead of sticking to the monotonous PowerPoint presentation.
5. Active Listening
Apart from being a strong communicator, you also need to practice active listening to make people feel valued and cared for. Listening does not mean just hearing your employees out; effective listening comes from a place of empathy and compassion.
When people have something to say or ask, be fully invested in that conversation. Ask questions if need be and don’t rush to give your point of view or interrupt without entirely understanding the other person.
Be a patient listener to create a conducive environment and make employees feel comfortable.
6. Passion to Learn
There can never be an end to learning. As a corporate Training manager, you need to remain relevant and keep yourself updated with the latest happenings in your domain or industry. Maintain a reading list, sign up for training newsletters, and attend networking events to meet experts so you can proactively acquire the necessary knowledge.
Embracing a continuous learning culture will improve your skills, expand your knowledge, and enhance your training programs. Learning new concepts will add to your confidence and leave you with a sense of accomplishment, making you better at your job.
Adela Belin is the head of Digital Marketing at Writers Per Hour. She creates content surrounding marketing with a focus on social media and digital marketing. Contact her on LinkedIn.
