It takes more than being an SME (subject matter expert) to be a great trainer. Having information under control is an important attribute of a good coach, but it is only the beginning. The “advantage” trainers are continually reading the room, engaging participants, managing time, and checking knowledge transfer. Here are three areas to consider when selecting people who have the potential to be great coaches.

** Attributes of great coaches

Carefully describe the criteria for the type of person who will be a great trainer for your environment.

Obviously, the trainer needs to know the cold content. However, as we say in the training business, you only need to be a few steps ahead of the learner. At the same time, training is not about being the smartest person in the room. Training or “facilitating learning” is about engaging people and making content memorable.

Who are the best coaches? It can be tempting to assume that people who don’t enjoy the limelight will not make good coaches. While it is true that being comfortable in front of a group is important, great coaches have all personality types.

What skills or attributes make a great coach? Here’s a quick Check list:

• Have a good report with others
• He is respected by co-workers and colleagues.
• He is credible / knowledgeable in his field.
• Has a positive attitude
• He really wants to help others shine
• You are eager to continually improve your skills as a training facilitator.

** 5 things great coaches do

1. They are focused on the student. The self-focused trainer is likely to “present” rather than train. The most effective coaches don’t try to be the smartest person in the room. Great coaches extract ideas, questions, and conversations from participants.

two. Manage time. It takes practice and experience to balance the content with the time allotted for training. Tangents are the biggest culprits in derailment formation, and trained facilitators learn how to handle various types of derailments.

3. Manage your energy. There is a lot going on inside a facilitator’s head. At any moment, they are delivering a message, reading the room, planning the next interesting activity, and keeping track of the time. It can be exhausting for even the most experienced trainer. Staying high energy for a full session, whether it’s 2 hours or 2 full days, requires conscious effort. It may require new habits, like keeping high-energy snacks on hand or swapping that afternoon coffee for a glass of water.

Four. Practice. The practice helps people who don’t like public speaking to overcome the nerves that appear in the first 5 minutes. Practice also helps the trainer come up with examples and stories that will help make their point of view clearer. Great coaches practice presenting complex ideas in an easy-to-understand way.

5. Knowledge test. (see the next tip)

** Great trainers continually test knowledge

There are three main types of evidence that will convince the facilitator that the audience is ‘getting it’. They are pre, integrated and post tests. Testing knowledge transfer doesn’t have to be complicated. Work with the resources you have, be it tokens or a complex LMS (learning management system).

Previous tests Provide the baseline for the level of knowledge with which people enter training. Reviewing the gaps in the pretest can shape areas of focus for the trainer.

You can choose to produce a simple 3-question survey that is self-reporting, up to a full 360 ° survey involving a dozen respondents.

Integrated testing it happens throughout the workout. It comes in the form of pair actions, group discussions, written questions, or verbal questions for the group. The key to using built-in tests is reading the room to make sure most people ‘get it’. Reading body language and facial expressions is an important skill for a coach.

Post-tests They occur at the end of the training and answer the question, “Did they learn it?” Comparing post-test scores to pre-test scores is a great technique for measuring learning. Again, it doesn’t have to be complicated and it doesn’t require a full LMS to be effective.