Why We Train

Have you ever wondered why we train? No, not the Universal We. Of course organizations train because as the meme says, “What happens if WE don’t train them and they STAY?!” I’m not making light of this quote; it accurately describes the risk of not devoting appropriate resources and importance to the training and development of your most important asset.

However, when I say “Why We Train,” I mean a more specific sense of “we.” I‘m referring to those of us who proudly label ourselves a “Trainer.” In my experience, even those who advance to more strategic levels of managing and leading the training function still tend to refer to themselves as Trainers. If you know some of us, you know we find the role beyond fulfilling, and go about it with passion. Why is that?

Every avocation has that moment that practitioners pursue. Professional athletes chase the Ring. Sales people crave Cha Ching. Scientists long for the moment of Eureka! Long distance runners are looking for the “runner’s high.” Project Managers, I assume, love it when a plan comes together.

So what is that moment that Trainers work towards and yearn for? It’s the “Aha Moment.” The Aha Moment is the payoff for any trainer. It’s that moment when you can see that your learner just registered something that they’ll be able to use to do something better than they have before. Sometimes, you see it because they start scribbling furiously in their Participant’s Guide, or underline something five times. Sometimes you see it because they immediately call two people over and tell them, “You’ve got to see this!” The best is when you just see it in their eyes, the dawning realization that they now have a new tool in their tool box and they can’t wait to try it.

Aha Moments can come at any time. It may be in a classroom where you’re delivering a leadership workshop. Often, it’s when a learner approaches you during a class break to ask you a question about a specific situation they are dealing with. And they happen when you're in their work location, and you see them doing something in an inefficient way and offer an alternative. Even better is when you get an opportunity to model better behavior, such as how to deliver great guest service. When you hear the people you’ve worked with echoing your words and getting better results, it’s a moment of Trainer’s bliss.

There are generally two kinds of Ahas. One is when you can show a person a better way to do something that gets them the same or better results with less effort. The other is when you can show them a better way to approach situations in general, to alter their views or assumptions of others, such as teaching one to “assume positive intent." The former leads to less stress in the current job. The latter leads to successes that may enhance a person’s career outlook.

Both these are important to me. While I certainly want to help people grow personally, as a professional trainer, my primary concern is to help them grow professionally. My personal passion, and that of many Trainers, is to help people develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will help them do well in their chosen profession, giving them a better chance of improving their lot in life, all while benefiting the organization that employs them. It’s the ultimate win/win.

There’s another Aha Moment that is especially rewarding. It’s the “Delayed Third Party Aha Moment.” This is the one that comes when you’re talking to a peer about the strong performance of someone in the organization, and they tell you, “She says it’s all because of what she learned from you years ago.” That’s the one that makes me a Trainer for life, no matter what my role or title is. And that’s the key. We can and should all be Trainers, regardless of our official duties. I am an advocate for the first line of every job description for positions with direct reports to read, “Responsible for the training and development of all direct reports.”

Leaders should be responsible for developing their followers?

Aha!