Training Director

What do you feel are some necessary qualities of a good Training Director and how can they be cultivated?

I feel that it needs to be someone who has work the positions and can understand what we go threw so that they are better able to train. How can you train someone do a position if you have never work it yourself. There is nothing that I dislike more than for someone who has never work in my feild to come in and tell me how to do things when they themselves have never done it. I think a trainer will have a better response from co-workers if they know what they are doing and have work in the position at some point in there career.

Oh, big picture outlook and efficiency expert. Every time you train, you should also use that opportunity as a way to make things better....as you are teaching, you should "make note of" (don't change it immediately) things that can be done better or more efficiently. It's disappointing when trainers don't mix it up a bit. They spend so much time directly with the people....they should be gathering feedback and being heard further up the chain to make sure that processes are continually made better. Capitalize on that first line contact!

Steve I completly agree with you. That is the type of trainer I would like to become. I think its very important to be able to relate and listen to your traine's also to your bosses to impliment what they want to see happen in there company.

the ability to lead and simultaneously learn... it's always so frustrating to hear "Well, that's a good idea, but... this is how we do it."
It's the training equivalent of saying "Thank you" to someone's post... just shuts it down.

In our business it is critical than a training director has an understanding of all facets of the industry. For example, marketing and software trainers should appreciate the management and financial aspects of a community/portfolio.

To be a good Training Director one must know themselves well FIRST, because training is not about the Trainer! No one can teach another person anything. The students must want to learn. The most effective way to develop people is to enable learning and personal development. It can be as simple as ASKING the staff person. . .What do YOU want to learn, how can I HELP you. Then take that information and come up with a creative way to ‘teach’ it. The Training Director must be willing to learn for her/his students. Be flexible, be fun, be memorable! I think it is also important for a Training Director to spend time on site. . .it can be a crazy, enlightening experience! And it is just as important for the Training Director to spend time with the Corporate staff to find out the direction the company wants to go. Training should be more than skill based teaching. It should be about ‘whole person’ development. A good trainer must also follow up. . .find out what is working, what needs to change and what still needs work

I never really had a training director. The best tool I had was a mentor. My mentor Wanda Brownell from Fort Wayne, IN was why I stayed in the business and successfully managed great communities. To really be a great mentor one must want to help the other person to become successful! No one can teach another person anything! The mentoring person must want to learn. The mentor listens, is memorable, and helps a person grow!The mentor also lets the person make their own mistakes. I think it is also important for a mentor to spend time on site to help know what area of problem could arise. And it is just as important for the mentor to know what Corporate's direction is for the company. A mentor must be seasoned in the position. A good mentor must also follow up by walking the walk with the person they are mentoring. Some companies call this person an ambassador. Another great trainer/mentor who touched me in my career and had a big impact was Wendy Muse. Wendy Muse was a huge inspiration in my career before the company sold my community. I want to give special thanks to Wanda Brownell and Wendy Muse for all their mentoring and kind words. Thank you for reading.

A good trainer has walked the walk....perhaps they have been the caretaker, the maintenance tech, the leasing specialist, the manager, but they must be able to relate to the daily operation of a community. If you do not know what it is like on a property, how can you train someone? I have been a trainer on some level for a long time....I know when my audience relates to a situation that I describe just by their "gesture" response. It is then that they trust what I am training them to do...because I have been where they are now!

Thank you Robbin! Reading your post made my day. I think we all want to help and motivate others. It's so rewarding to know that I can give back and pay it forward. Thank you again for your kinds words! I have been fortunate in my career to have had some amazing mentors and colleagues.

In answer to Jonathan's question about necessary qualities of a good Training Director... I think a good Training Director has to have a
passion for learning and development
patience
love of others (a geniune interest in helping others reach thier true potential)
flexibility

How can they be cultivated? I think the person that wants to be a Training Director will seek out the resources and knowledge they need... and with a mentor, the sky's the limit.

I agree with all the posts about walking the walk - A great Training Director needs to be able to relate and be the "expert." AND be willing to admit when they don't know and then get the answers and follow back up as promised. The Training Professional MUST remember it's not about their needs and style but the trainees. As training professionals, on the days we train and mentor, we have a great job that doesn't feel like work. We are fortunate to get to help individuals get what they need to do their jobs. It's a rewarding profession!

I like this question and I have a lot of thoughts (and have had a lot of feedback) regarding what makes a great training director... so here goes.

1. You have to have credibility. It's imperative that you've lived the stuff you're training... if your objective is to truly make an impact and have people leaving a class you've created and/or facilitated better equipped to do their job, then you just have to be someone who gets that the "perfect" scenario on-site, doesn't exist... and train as such.

2. Being someone your audience can relate to and having stories that will likely mirror some of the experiences the learners have had on-site... has been the #1 thing most commented on when I review the training feedback I receive. It helps them "get" that I "get it"... and then we have dialogue around it. It's powerful stuff.

3. Like we train in leasing and leadership, you have to know your audience. If you're a wacky, off the wall, loud training guru... but have a group that's primarily made up of analytic types, well, then you're probably not going to win anyone over, thus making your training have the impact one gets when watching one of those cheesy old school fair housing videos (seriously, shoulder pads?) I'm not suggesting (nor would I ever suggest) that you change YOU, but you have to be willing to bend, in order to reach the widest audience.

4. Are you a leader? If you're wavering on this... here's a wake up call: EVERYONE WILL WANT TO KNOW YOU AND MANY WILL ASPIRE TO BE YOU! You're officially a role model to a lot of on-site team members. You have to not only be professional; you have to be all knowing, the company "cheerleader" (not in the rah rah sense, necessarily, but you have to be always happy with the company & it's direction and so forth... to the public) and above all... YOU have to set the example. All eyes are on you kid

5. You have to be the kind of person who can build rapport and gain buy in from ALL levels of the organization. Have you heard of managing up? This absolutely applies to Training Directors. Your the L&D expert and if things need to get changed, rolled out, implemented, etc... it's the people "upstairs" who you're going to have to convince. You have to be an "equal" to everyone... so with that said...

6. You have to be WITH people. Not above them, not below them... just right there. In their shoes. Where they are. Where they've been. You cannot be "better than them" since you're a trainer or training director... an elitist attitude will get you no where (or somewhere... unemployment).

7. The trainer or training director... is also the trainee! While many of us feel like we know best, times change really fast! As the training expert, you have to be willing to adjust with the times and not always be resting on your laurels. Tried and true is great, but technology, new generations, etc... have drastically changed the face of multifamily (and it's only going to change more). Being open to feedback and adjusting as necessary... makes you that much smarter and your efforts that much more impactful!

8. You have to be on the forefront of the industry (leading it even)... networking, reading articles (and/or writing them), getting the latest & greatest so you can bring it to the team. Being in the know, and ahead of (or at least with) the curve, is vital!

9. Investing in yourself (or encouraging your company to invest in you) is something us trainers don't always put a lot of stock in... funny enough, a lot of us don't like to "BE TRAINED", but again, you have to keep up with advancements in learning... it will not only make your training sessions more streamlined (with technology advancements) but it will also give your learners the newest information, methodologies, etc... out there. I don't know about you, but I ALWAYS want what's best for my team mates & my company (hey, it benefits me too)!

and finally (and I could go on, but dinner is waiting)

10. You have to want it... there is nothing more basic than just wanting to make your company, your training department, your on-site colleagues, your corporate colleagues and ultimately your residents see that you're in this for them! Remembering why we do what we do, sets apart the ROCKSTARS from the rest!

Tara

- Understand and utilize appropriate learning principles, curriculum design elements and training delivery methodologies to best meet the needs of company-wide learners.
- Establish and maintain appropriate systems for measuring, monitoring and recording necessary aspects of staff training and development.
- Assess relevant training needs for staff individuals, teams and company-wide, in consultation with supervisor, including assessment methods and measurement systems entailed.
- Manage training delivery, measurement and follow-up as necessary.
- Design, compose and update training courses, programs, materials, assessments and job aids as necessary to meet training needs, or manage this activity via external providers.
- Self-yearning for on-going and lifelong learning.

On-site experience is a plus if the TD also has the skills above. Promoting a Leasing Consultant to Training Director primarily because of great leasing/sales skills does not typcially result in the best job fit.

Your thoughts?

Hi Jonathan,
I believe we are neighbors.I find it hard to believe there were no replies on your subject of training director. There seems to be quite a number of talented folks on this
site.Well to answer your question. My company has been training leasing,marketing people for a number of years.

These are the qualities I feel strongly that a good training director should have: empathy,clear articulation,inclusive participation,unique tools to get participants involved borrowed from the theatre and psychodrama.Flexibility is also very important as well as respect for your participants... Having both your prospects and participants in the workshop value customer service in a sincere way. I can think of a lot more qualities but I think the above is quite enough. Hope this answered your question.

Lisa Kassoff

Tara,
I just saw your blog and very much agree with you. I do have some additional comments which I hope you will be able to see. My training is composed of all of the items you
mention so I guess I got 100%.
Lisa Kassoff

Thanks to everyone for their continued contributions. They have been very helpful!

I also see this role as someone who is ready to forefront training in a new direction past current standards by identifying needs though analysis (improvement / efficiencies), connect with Operations (relationship/client management) and can design or work with a design team to intiate new learning. Someone who will "direct" the functionality of learning. This equates similiar to a Director in a movie. They put all the pieces of training together to make it flow intuitively through an organization.