Invest in workplace trainers to unlock operational capability

In my experience working in large operational environments, those in formal leadership roles (such as team leaders and supervisors) receive a lot of focus for training and development, and rightly so.
It could be argued, however, that the humble workplace trainer plays an equally critical role. You might be familiar with the type of person I am talking about:

• They do a lot of the “heavy lifting” day to day
• They know the machines back to front – including what impacts safety, reliability and quality
• They are the “go to person” for training up new employees
• They know the history of why things are being done a certain way
• They are the person you talk to about developing work instructions or procedures

Businesses laud their technical expertise but often overlook their broader impact on culture and capability, and as a result underinvest in their development. The standard approach is to send trainers on a generic workplace trainer course but experience has shown it won’t provide the tools to move the needle very far.

So what would make a real difference?

• Create a “Trainer Community” – meet regularly and share best practice
• Develop a “Trainer Charter” to create shared purpose, values, behaviours and ways of working
• Coach and provide ongoing feedback to trainers against a common standard
• Develop trainer communication and people skills – build emotional intelligence
• Turn trainers into IT wizards and support them to embrace technology
• Get trainers involved in innovation projects to tap into their technical expertise
• Provide opportunities for them to mentor others, or be mentored by someone else
• Regularly reward and recognise their efforts

The magic in more capable and engaged trainers is the force multiplier effect they have on the rest of the business. Even a small uplift in overall trainer capability rubs off on the operation in a major way, resulting in improved onboarding, retention, skills, culture and knowledge sharing. Plus, it will only take the pressure off supervisors and team leaders so they can add additional value.

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