The Trainer
by Brian Chudy
The Life Skills Coach Trainer will, in addition to being a "master" coach, be constantly striving to
become the "intentional person" (Ivey), the "effectively living", the "whole" person
(Carkhuff), and the "self-actualized" person (Maslow). The trainer will be committed to a continual pursuit
of personal growth - knowing that he must develop his ability to act out and role model the desireable behaviors
that he hopes to help others achieve.
Malcolm Knowles (1976) provides the following succinct check list of indicators to help trainers assess to what
extent they are truly professional. It would be helpful for institutions to also ask that their trainers' performance
be based on the same criteria, namely:
The trainer must function consistently at a level higher than the coach
trainees. Otherwise, the latter will suffer by making little or no progress, or, in extreme cases, by actually
regressing to the level of an incompetent trainer.
Gerard Egan (1975) paints a vivid word "portrait" of the ideal Trainer/Helper and also of what is minimally
necessary to function competently in this demanding profession.
Ideally, the trainer will be a "credentialed" and "functional" professional (Carkhuff, 1971).
Credentialed professionals are those who have evidence which indicates that they have successfully completed a
variety of training programs, and upon whom the sponsoring agency, most often auniversity, has conferred a stamp of approval - usually a degree. Functional
professionals, on the other hand, are those who exhibit and use the skills demanded of the profession.
It is conceivable that a qualified trainer might not be adequately "credentialed". Under no circumstances
is it acceptable for a trainer to be less than a "functional" professional.
The "functional" professional will base his performance largely on a coherent and comprehensive theoretical
understanding of "Andragogy" - the art and science of helping adults learn (Knowles, 1970); he will know
how this differs from "pedagogy" - the art and science of teaching others.
· Assumptions that:
- learners are capable of self-directed development;
- training is a process of self-development through collaborative inquiry;
- the role of the trainer is that of a facilitator and resource to self-directed learners.
· Beliefs that:
- adults want to improve themselves;
- learning is enhanced when stimulated by intrinsic motivation.
· Criteria that:
- places great emphasis on establishing a climate conducive to learning (a climate of warmth, mutual respect, caring, trust, informality);
- engage the learners in diagnosing their own needs for learning (assessing the gaps between where they are now, where they want to be, and how to get there);
- engage learners in formulating goals that are meaningful to them;
- develop a sequence of learning experiences that take into account both group similarities and individual differences, with the organizing principle being "learning projects";
- select techniques and materials that engage learners in an active process of self-directed inquiry;
- engage learners in a mutual process of evaluation based on performance criteria.
The minimum role of a trainer is concerned with designing, developing, conducting and evaluating learning experiences. To do this, the trainer must have the ability to:
- organize;
- revise training on the basis of feedback;
- select appropriate instructional methodologies;
- write clearly and concisely;
- interpret feedback results;
- interface with subject matter experts;
- organize cognitive content of training;
- adapt/revise existing lesson plans;
- develop appropriate evaluation plans;
- apply appropriate learning and motivation theories;
- formulate behavioural learning objectives based on identified learning needs;
- select/develop appropriate audio-visual materials and devices;
- conduct classroom training;
- develop performance measures based on behavioural learning objectives;
- sequence behavioural learning objectives.
- apply systematic managerial approaches to problem solving;
What is outlined above will usually suffice in a training organization which can provide the necessary support and consulting services to ensure an effective program. When these services are not available, trainers might have to call up additional skills to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
Therefore, additional trainer role functions might be concerned with arranging, co-ordinating, and maintaining support services; planning, controlling, and directing; consulting and conducting research projects for his own training commitments, for other client groups, and for other staff. To do this, the trainer must also have the ability to:
- co-ordinate routine activities and compile information;
- conduct recruiting and selection procedures for training participants;
- administer staff training and development programs;
- determine, locate, and procure learning materials and equipment;
- write narrative reports and course descriptions;
- establish training schedules and resolve scheduling conflicts;
- select, administer, score, and interpret pertinent tests and apply basic statistical skills and techniques;
- measure indirect results of training based on "back-home" post training performance, to formulate and refine learning objectives;
- conduct interviews, surveys, and evaluate informal and formal feedback from trainees and agencies;
- prepare statistical reports of classroom training for internal and external reporting requirements.
| No model or grouping of roles, skills, and functions such as that portrayed here, will serve as the definitive source of criteria for all purposes. There are too many variables in a real-life situation. What one major established "helping" agency requires of a trainer may be considerably different from the requirements of a remote field agency with few human and material resources. Management, because of budgetary and manpower restraints, might opt for an in-house capability in some of the role functions, and contract for services in others. | The criteria outlined above must therefore be examined and adapted accordingly,
based on the unique needs of the training organization. The Life Skills developmental model is not an abstraction. It is a challenging and growthful human model which serves human beings who use what they have learned. Prospective coach helpers must not only learn the necessary skills to help others effectively but also learn the methodology to train others in these skills. |