Why Is A Trainer Like A Sculptor?

How to choose the right content for your training

Here's a question - why is a trainer like a sculptor?

Let's say that a sculptor wants to produce an angel out of marble. He or she starts with a block of marble and starts to cut away anything which is not " angel ". Eventually, much of the marble has been cut away and discarded and all that is left is pure angel.

In order to do this, the sculptor needs a very clear image of what the finished article is going to be. This image leads the sculptor to throw out some pieces of marble and to
keep others.

Similarly, a trainer starts with a large block of potential content - all the possible information which he or she might put into a training session or course. The trainer's job is to start cutting away all the material which is not needed, to discard everything which is not part of the " angel " which he or she is making.

And, like the sculptor, this means starting with a very clear image of what the outcome is going to be.

This is where some people come unstuck. They don't have this clear image. So they just hack away, almost at random, leaving in bits of content in case they might be useful.The end result is a bit like what you would get if a sculptor did that, leaving bits of marble attached in case they might be handy - a rather ugly mess.

A problem with many training sessions is that there is just too much content. People are over-optimistic about how much they can reasonably cover in the time allowed. And the word " reasonably " is important. Often what happens is that they cover all the material they intended to, but to do this they have to rush through it, with little time for the participants to reflect on it, process it or be involved.

As a result, a lot is covered but little is remembered.

This is particularly true where trainers tend to give presentations or lectures rather than making their training interactive and participative. They make the mistake of thinking that the amount they say equals the amount their participants take in and remember. Unfortunately, this just isn't true.

The solution is to cut down the amount you cover but increase the opportunity for people to engage with the material - through activity and discussion. You also need time to recap and repeat key points in some way, maybe through quizzes or games, and give people time for reflection.

You simply cannot do this if you overload the content.

This is why I say that a trainer needs to be like a sculptor. You need to hack away what you don't need.

So how do you decide what content to include?

Very briefly, here are the two things you absolutely need to know:

First, who are you training?

Who are they, why do they need this training, what do they already know? What knowledge or skills are they lacking?

Second, what are the objectives and outcomes for the training? What do you want the participants to think, feel and do at the end of it?

If you are really clear about these, you will know what material MUST be included to meet the objectives of the session and the needs of the participants. That material is part of your " angel " and anything else should be ruthlessly discarded.

www.transformyourtraining.com is the website for trainers who want to be outstanding. It contains information and resources to help you design and deliver training which is engaging, interactive, memorable and effective.