I attended my first 'Train the Trainer' course when my daughter
was only a few years old. 30 something years later I still feel it was
the most important training I've ever been involved in. Why?
Because it taught me to be learner centred rather than trainer centred.
And the key lesson I learned is as important for a supervisor, a manager, a marketer, a salesperson and a policy maker as it is for a trainer. What is this lesson?
I learned how to teach a child to tie their shoe laces. And I also learned how not to teach this skill.
As my daughter was almost at the age to be taught - and in those days most children's shoes still had laces - I chose this as my practical exercise. In preparing I'd done all the analytical stuff. Broken the process into steps and prepared my lesson plan. But I was totally focused on the task. I hadn't thought it through from the learner's point of view.
When I role played the process with a couple of 'trainees' they were confused and it was a complete disaster. Why?
Because being the instructor I positioned the trainees facing me. I am right-handed and so were they. This meant that to them all my instructions were back to front. I should have been beside them, not opposite them.
It's a valuable lesson that I've never forgotten and one that I've been teaching my 10-year old grandson.
As we play chess together, I encourage him to pause before he makes a move; then to take a moment to mentally seat himself at my side of the table. That way he can see things from the other player's point of view. Sometimes, I encourage him to physically come around to look at the chess board from my side of the table. Often when he does this it results in him making a different move to that which he had originally intended.
It's harder to get people to do this in an era where speed appears to be the currency of the day. But it is a lesson well worth remembering and sharing with your team.
Look at things from the other person's point of view. Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine what it is like with their fears, distractions and pressures. When you do, the decisions you make and the information you give will be centred on them... and they will love you for it.
Because it taught me to be learner centred rather than trainer centred.
And the key lesson I learned is as important for a supervisor, a manager, a marketer, a salesperson and a policy maker as it is for a trainer. What is this lesson?
I learned how to teach a child to tie their shoe laces. And I also learned how not to teach this skill.
As my daughter was almost at the age to be taught - and in those days most children's shoes still had laces - I chose this as my practical exercise. In preparing I'd done all the analytical stuff. Broken the process into steps and prepared my lesson plan. But I was totally focused on the task. I hadn't thought it through from the learner's point of view.
When I role played the process with a couple of 'trainees' they were confused and it was a complete disaster. Why?
Because being the instructor I positioned the trainees facing me. I am right-handed and so were they. This meant that to them all my instructions were back to front. I should have been beside them, not opposite them.
It's a valuable lesson that I've never forgotten and one that I've been teaching my 10-year old grandson.
As we play chess together, I encourage him to pause before he makes a move; then to take a moment to mentally seat himself at my side of the table. That way he can see things from the other player's point of view. Sometimes, I encourage him to physically come around to look at the chess board from my side of the table. Often when he does this it results in him making a different move to that which he had originally intended.
It's harder to get people to do this in an era where speed appears to be the currency of the day. But it is a lesson well worth remembering and sharing with your team.
Look at things from the other person's point of view. Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine what it is like with their fears, distractions and pressures. When you do, the decisions you make and the information you give will be centred on them... and they will love you for it.
Jurek Leon is a storyteller, trainer, author and customer
experience designer based in Australia who presents courses and
addresses seminars on word of mouth marketing, motivation, customer
focussed selling and service excellence. Subscribe to Jurek's FREE
monthly 'Terrific Tips' e-newsletter at
