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Learning & Training Pros – A Few Words From Bob Pike on Your Personal Development

December 12, 2016
Career Development

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Training pros always strive to refine the art and science of this noble trade. Training as a profession is in many ways still in its infancy throughout the world. For the past 35 years I’ve spent three to eight weeks working outside of the United States, and on every trip I’m reminded that many of the training skills and tactics we routinely understand and apply in the United States fall into the category of new and remarkable elsewhere.

This experience, coupled with the increasing number of foreign visitors who attend the annual conference sponsored by the Association of Talent Development, assure me that American training professionals truly have much to offer the world. But I am also aware, because of my work throughout the United States, that many of us here are neglecting to learn and practice some of the basic “art and science” of training.

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The 7 Greatest Mistakes Trainers Make

I’m not looking to embarrass or intimidate anyone; nor am I looking to applaud anyone for how much they know. My point is there is more for all of us to know than we now know if we’re to be true professionals in our field. We’re all preaching that adults can never stop learning if they want to succeed in the workplace of the future — and that has to include us trainers. We probably all have some gaps in our knowledge base, and it’s important we identify those and deal with them.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Unless we prepare, when opportunity comes it only makes us look like a fool.” Continually developing new knowledge and skills will help us prepare for those unexpected opportunities we know will come. As a trainer, if this resonates with you and reveals some gaps, here’s a short reading list I’d suggest for you. As trainers we sometimes worry that the changes in the workplace somehow mean we will be less needed in the future. I believe we will be more needed than ever, but we have to know our stuff. Until next time, add value and make a difference!

The Master Trainer’s Handbook, Bob Pike
Figuring Things Out, Ron Zemke and Tom Kramlinger
ASTD Handbook, Elaine Biech
Training for Impact, Dana and Jim Robinson
Beyond Transfer of Training, Mary Broad

Career Development

Author

Bob Pike

Bob Pike (1947-2023), CPLP Fellow, CSP, CPAE Speakers Hall of Fame, was known globally as the “trainer’s trainer.” He wrote more than 30 books and created dozens of videos on designing and delivering training. His Master Trainer’s Handbook remains the bestselling train-the-trainer book ever published, with more than 350,000 copies in print in four editions. He designed more than 600 one-plus day training programs in his lifetime and presented at every ATD International Conference & Exposition since 1977. Bob was a regular keynoter at global training and performance conferences over 25 countries during his career and his works have been translated into Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and more. The Bob Pike Group is an industry leading firm providing training resources worldwide.

Recommended Webinar

The 7 Greatest Mistakes Trainers Make

Join training expert Bob Pike as he explores seven mistakes trainers make when designing and delivering training and shows you how to avoid them. We’ll cover mistakes in the following: learning transfer strategies, chunking content, being attentive to the amount of content presented, asking and answering questions, going off schedule, training measurement & evaluation, keeping participants energized, opening and closing the training program, and handout development.