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it is important to bear in mind that external consultants do not always find it easy to tailor
their knowledge and use of examples to fit the business context of a specific company.

HOW TO ASSESS THE EXPERTISE AND ORGANISATIONAL FIT OF A TRAINER

Once the decision has been taken to hire a trainer, regardless of whether internally or
externally, you still have to choose the right person. The following is a list of important
selection criteria of what to look for in a trainer: specialist in the desired training area
(e.g. management training); appropriate educational background (e.g. work experience
and organisational psychologist); management expertise (it lends the trainer credibility in
the eyes of the participants if he/she has gathered experience as a manager); personality
(extroverted, motivating for others, etc.); communication style (e.g., is his/her commu-
nication style suitable for the participants or is the trainer too intellectual, too technical,
too esoteric, etc.). It is always useful to check the way trainers work. It is advisable
to ask for previous training evaluation forms, participant feedback and references from
former clients. You might also consider discussing a trainer’s methods and training style
directly with him/her during the selection process.

DEFINING RESPONSIBILITIES AND GUIDELINES FOR TRAINERS

The next step is to define the responsibilities of both the organisation and the trainer. Is
it important that the trainer works out the training concept, or is he/she only responsible
for running a training course that has already been developed? Is he/she responsible for
the logistical aspects of the course, e.g. organisation, invitations, etc.? Do both agree
about evaluation procedures, e.g. participant feedback after each training module?
The following example illustrates the decision-making process that was used to select
the right trainer for the firm’s introductory-level leadership training programme.

INTRODUCTORY-LEVEL LEADERSHIP TRAINING:
HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT TRAINER

The firm decided on a training concept which emphasised two main areas: the training
of social skills, and the familiarising of managers with important theoretical concepts of
leadership behaviour. It was also considered vital to instruct managers in accordance with
the firm’s own management principles, whereby each managerial decision should dove-tail
with the underlying strategy of the organisation as a whole. With these criteria in mind
the training department sought to engage two trainers who matched the following profiles:
The first, was to be an expert in leadership training, a specialist in the training of social
skills and he/she was also expected to have a strong background in psychology. The second
person was to act as a co-trainer, and the firm specifically wanted an experienced manager
who would be able to share his/her experiences and recipes for successful management
behaviour with the participants and who could help solve concrete problems.
For many managers the co-trainer role was to become an important aspect of their
own management development. They were given the chance to broaden their skills through
the training and development of others and they learned a lot about group dynamics by
assuming an active role in the training process. A train-the-trainer preparation course was
also made available to managers before the start of the training programme.
In this example, the firm’s internal training and development department developed the
training programme in conjunction with newly appointed and more experienced managers.
The organisation wanted to be certain that the content of the programme was in keeping with