Learning how to play and enjoy any sport follows similar processes as learning how to become and enjoy being a professional trainer and talent development leader. I have learned through trial and error how to practice both, and I realized that many of the lessons I now am learning for tennis can be applied to learning how to becoming a better corporate trainer.
Both learning tennis and learning to become a corporate trainer requires a commitment to become the best practitioner of the craft possible. Both necessitate a structured approach, dedication, and a continuous effort to achieve success. The processes involved in both scenarios emphasize the importance of setting clear objectives, practicing regularly, receiving guidance, and continuously seeking improvement.
Lessons Learned
Here are some tips I learned along the way:
- Know your learning style and that of your students. Recognizing your personal learning style is an evolving process that many cannot consciously identify. I have observed that some tennis students learn by being told what to do; others must be shown how to how to hit the ball; and others need to do both and then record the proper style to be reviewed multiple times.
As a visual learner, I fall into the latter group. For example, after I pulled a hamstring muscle, my trainer showed me a technique to stretch my hamstring. It required that I bend toward the injured leg, which was straight in front of me. I tried multiple times to feel the stretch, with no luck. Then my trainer told me that before I bend, I should pretend to close a car door with my glutes and then bend. I tried this and immediately felt the stretch. I needed to visualize what I was supposed to do.
When we train, some participants can listen and apply what they learn almost immediately. Others need to be told and shown what to do, while others need to be told and shown what to do and then demonstrate what they have learned with guidance from their instructor.
- Pace and speed make a big difference in learning. The objective in tennis is not just to hit the ball hard and fast but to control your pace while keeping your eye on the ball. Controlling your pace can result in hitting the ball in the “sweet spot” and placing the ball where you want it to go.
In training, the goal is to learn and retain. If a trainer’s style is to rush through the materials to be sure they complete everything in the lesson, there will be less learning by many learners. If the trainer can slow down, provide examples, and have the students review how they will use the new information, they will be much more likely to retain what they are learning. You cannot teach materials that should take six hours in three hours, yet we are always being asked to do this—to everyone’s detriment. If a client asks me to make a presentation or workshop shorter, I ask them what would they like me to take out to meet their requirements.
- Practice, practice, and more practice. In tennis, if you are lucky, you have access to a ball machine to test what you are learning through practice and repetition. How do we replicate this for corporate trainers? Not well. A grammar or high school teacher will be observed multiple times to improve their craft before being certified.
Think about your own professional development experience. How many times have you or your training colleagues been observed with the goal of improving your instructional competence? I learned one of the most important lessons from the head of the AT&T School of Business who observed my first attempt at corporate training. I was told to “make it fun.” I learned and practiced how to incorporate fun into my workshops and applied this to every training course I delivered over the last 47 years and still enthusiastically enjoy making it fun.
A possible professional development solution for corporate trainers is to request to be observed by a fellow trainer, or have your training recorded and viewed by a well-respected trainer. Or request a coach who can provide feedback to enhance your skills. This is rarely done. Perhaps an academy for professional trainers could be established to teach, learn, and share best practices.
- Be adaptable. Tennis players must learn to adapt their game and strategy depending on the opponent, the court’s surface, weather conditions, and more. Trainers also must learn to adapt their training based on the variables in each situation. These can include room setup, equipment, language proficiency, and the make-up of the participants.
If I am in a more hierarchical culture, I adapt my presentation style to be more formal with lectures. If a leader or manager is in the program, I can anticipate that lower-ranked participants will not speak up until the leader has spoken. If I am in a more egalitarian culture, I use group discussions and simulations to make the program more interactive, and I can anticipate contributions from all, regardless of the levels of the participants.
Learning tennis and improving corporate training skills require practice and continuous learning, adaptability, resilience, passion, and dedication. Hopefully we also can make it fun.
Please send any questions, comments, and examples where you applied sports training to your course design and delivery to me at: Neal@NealGoodmanGroup.com
