The world outside the classroom walls can benefit from a trainer’s expertise. It’s easy, amid the challenges of day-to-day survival in the corporate training world, to shrug off global and economic issues as being beyond the influence of the average person.
What we accomplish in our classrooms is important— and demanding. But there are needs outside our classroom walls that we have the skills and resources to meet.. .if we are willing to stretch a little.
LOCAL CHALLENGE/GLOBAL IMPACT
A few years ago, I participated in the first meeting of the World Consortium for Research on Training. Our initial meeting was structured as part of the World Congress of Junior Chamber International (JCI), an organization of more than 400,000 members in 86 countries that addresses how business leaders can better prepare for the future. We spent a day-and-a-half putting together a vision, a mission, and plans and strategies for developing leadership training to help businesses and government agencies in developing nations continue to emerge and evolve.
We also announced three initiatives that we consider to be of prime importance:
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To help countries (through JCI) to know the strength that comes from economic development
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To protect our world’s environment
- To help nations protect, nurture, and develop our most precious asset—our children
Lofty goals? You bet. But those goals helped many people realize how even one trainer can begin to make a global impact by taking on a local challenge. There are executives of social service agencies and nonprofit organizations, for instance, who could benefit from training in strategic planning or problem-solving skills. There are dozens of United Way-types of organizations in every community that could better themselves through training on interviewing skills or performance appraisals. A trainer willing to help might end up designing and developing a customized course as a volunteer or, more simply, inviting these agencies to fill empty seats in courses already being offered.
For more than a dozen years, I’ve been leading training programs around the world for a faithbased ministry called Lead Like Jesus. Faith-based organizations would welcome the professional expertise a trainer can provide.
SOMETHING SPECIAL TO OFFER
All of these organizations need this sort of professional training just as much as any organization in the world, but they often cannot afford it. There are many groups in our communities that can’t survive without volunteers; you already may be helping out because your children are involved, or because your church group is involved. Our individual goals don’t have to be as lofty as those of the World Consortium for Research on Training, but as trainers, we have something special to offer when it comes to making a difference in our world. Let’s make time to do that.
Until next time—add value and continue to make a difference!
Bob Pike, CSP CPLP FELLOW, CPAE-Speakers Hall of Fame, is known as the “trainer’s trainer.” He is the author of more than 30 books, including “Creative Training Techniques Handbook” and his newest book, “The Master Trainer’s Handbook.” You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook using bobpikectt.