Achieving Performance Excellence: Training the Trainer

During the last decade many organizations have reduced the number of middle level managers and shifted the emphasis in managerial work from the traditional functions of motivating and controlling to the less familiar roles of coach, facilitator, and trainer. What has not been recognized is that not only are mangers unfamiliar with these new roles, they are often unprepared for them. Little in their educational background or work experience has prepared them for the role of facilitator, coach, or trainer. This paper uses the Experiential Learning Model, which provides an overview of how people learn, as a basis for identifying common mistakes managers make in teaching new tasks, and to suggest ways for managers to improve their effectiveness as trainers.