Corporate training as a career

In today’s highly competitive corporate world it is not about big beating small; rather it is about fast beating slow. Organisations are seeking for ways to be move from efficiency to effectiveness, from performance to high performance and from planning for future success to wanting success ‘yesterday’. There is a marked trend in moving from being transactional to transformational in order to go to the next level. If organisations do not see this movement they are going to be left behind.

For corporate organisations not to be left behind they need to invest in training and development. To this end the scope for corporate training is on the rise. When I say corporate training I mean, not just skills and competency training; but there is a great need for behavioural training as well.

In order for organisations to achieve consistent high performance then high performance should become part of culture. With skills and competence, you can develop a great strategy to outsmart competition; but just like the saying by Peter Drucker made famous by Mark Fields, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, culture can turn the tide at any time. Culture has a lot to do with how people behave with each other. Hence, in today’s context behavioural training should be more of an emphasis in corporate training. Behavioural corporate trainers are the need of the hour.

Based on my 15 years of being involved with corporate training here are some suggestions on how to become a corporate trainer (apart from the necessary relevant qualifications). You need to have a PACT with yourself:

1.       Passion to be a change agent: This is the foundation. If you do not have a passion to make a difference in people, then you will not make a good trainer. You cannot change an organisation, but you can influence an individual. For that you need passion and a love for what you do.

2.       Articulate in communication: A significant skill a corporate trainer should develop is being able to articulate thoughts, concepts and processes into understandable language. He or she should be able to use the right terminology and be contextual.

3.       Coach: A corporate trainer needs to develop an attitude and skill of being a coach. Interpersonal skills like listening to understand, a positive approachable body language, the art of influencing by asking the right questions and not spoon feeding answers are a few coaching skills that a good transformational corporate trainer should seek to possess.

4.       Teachable: Well this seems to be a paradox. If you are a corporate trainer, then I am supposed to train and not to be taught. However, a good trainer is someone is always looking out to learn. You cannot teach or train if you are not willing to learn. That is why being teachable is a strength and an asset for a trainer. The humility to learn from any one at any time is what being teachable is all about.

Timothy Connors, Program Director, Breakthrough