8th April, 2025
8th April, 2025
The best trainers are those who are constantly looking for opportunities to improve their skills. In this article, we will highlight the most important traits that the best trainers possess. Even if you spend months developing an effective learning and development strategy, the success of each trainee’s experience depends on the trainer's skill and the training course curriculum itself.
Fortunately, anyone who is interested in improving themselves can learn how to enhance their training skills. We have identified four essential traits that greatly influence the effectiveness of trainers and their ability to connect with trainees.
The simplest definition of empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of others. Despite this simple definition, understanding and empathizing with others improves the entire training experience.
A 2021 study ranked empathy as the most important leadership skill; 76% of people reported engaging in training sessions because their leaders were empathetic to them, compared to 32% of people whose leaders showed a lower level of empathy. During every training session, the trainer takes on a significant leadership role, and learning and development teams that are constantly focused on trainee engagement find that empathy plays a huge role in this. Here are some ways to increase trainer empathy:
Organization is a great trait to have alongside empathy. Most of us know how frustrating it can be to participate in a training session that is disorganized and difficult to follow. The time required to participate in and complete training is crucial, and trainees need to feel that the training is worth their time.
Review the responses you receive from your post-training surveys, and look for any responses that indicate frustration or confusion from trainees or any indication that they did not benefit from the training. These may be signs that they have undergone unstructured training. Here are some tips for trainers who want to strengthen their organizational skills:
At first glance, data-driven and empathetic may seem at odds, but skilled trainers should be able to balance the two effectively. Data-driven can reassure trainees that their training experience is not based on intuition or feelings alone, but is supported by verifiable data.
Data can provide valuable information for trainers seeking to increase trainee engagement and satisfaction with their experiences. When reviewing survey data and LMS reports, trainers should identify areas for improvement and use methods to obtain additional data that may be useful in the future.
It is therefore, important to choose an effective reporting LMS, otherwis,e trainers will not know what to improve on.
Lifelong learning is a fundamental principle that drives L&D teams forward, so every trainer should embrace this mindset. Coaches need to demonstrate a passion for learning, as coachees know the difference between a coach committed to lifelong learning and one who is not.
Additionally, coaches can rely on this drive to continually learn and grow when faced with setbacks, criticism, or difficulties, and it helps them overcome obstacles. Here are 3 things you can do to develop a lifelong learning mindset:
coaches may not feel completely confident in their abilities, so naturally, they do not acquire the skill overnight, as the best coaches are willing to improve and motivate themselves.
For coaches who want to improve themselves, the four traits we discussed in this article—empathy, organization, data-driven, and developing a lifelong learning mindset—are some of the most influential qualities to focus on. Although these characteristics may take years to master, they are worth the effort.
