The 3 Types of Trainers

Joshua submitted this original article about trainers:

"There is always some confusion about what a trainer is, what an instructor does, and what is needed to do the job of a learning professional. There is no doubt this is a broad field drawing from multiple disciplines. To demystify all of this, I present this no-so-scientific tutorial on the three types of trainers you are likely to encounter.

The Administrator

This person is most comfortable dealing with policies, approvals, and processes. He or she will always opt to communicate via email, if possible. Functioning behind the scenes is where this person thrives. The Administrator tends to have a bigger part of themselves in the business side of the house than in the education side.

Pros: It is vital to understand business processes and how they apply to training and development; things would fall apart otherwise.

Cons: The human element and 'art of instruction' can get overlooked here.

The Teacher

This person thrives on the craft of live instruction. The Teacher prefers face-to-face communication and thrives in a live teaching environment. This person tends to see their skill set as a craft or art form.

Pros: The art of teaching is as old as time. A skilled teacher can make learning and development a joy.

Cons: Falling into a 'one man show' mentality is common here. Also, it is often difficult to capture (in an instructor guide, SOP, etc) exactly how a skilled teacher does what he or she does.

 The Designer

Deep down, this person probably should have been a graphic artist. He or she thrives on the little details of building a lesson or presentation. They do not necessarily need (or want) to actually teach what they build. It’s the processes of building that matters.

Pros: This person tends to have a solid grasp of learning theory and technology. Designers will focus on (and sometime obsess over) the minute details of instruction.

Cons: The Designer tends to have no interest in the business side of the house. Also, too much theory without practical execution can be dangerous. All instructors must take their theories to the proving ground from time to time.

In my opinion, you have to be a little of all three if you want to be a 'black belt' in this field."