In the Training Room

I work for a living. And as part of my job, I train people on how to use the product that we market. And over the past couple of days, training has been sort of an eye opener. The bunch of people attending the training sessions is very jovial and easy to get along with but their energy level is leaving me a bit drained. I can actually feel my brain exercising as I try and keep up with them!!

Usually, I set the agenda for the day and carry on according to that. Here, though I have set the agenda it’s they who carry on according to how they want the information. And, mind you, I am not saying this in a wrong or derogatory manner. What happens is that as soon as I start with the day's topic, I seem to start fielding questions from all corners of the training room. All are relevant, all within the scope of what's been laid out for the day. Some of them are really insightful too and sometimes it seems like they have already come equipped with what I am going to train them on!! But this sort of robs the session of its flow and structure. And I am not sure that is a good thing because, at the end of the day, in spite of having covered everything laid out in the agenda, I am really not sure if they understood everything or at least remember everything.

However there is a bright side to this as well. I have never prepared myself prior to any session like how I am doing these days because I know that any small slip-up on my part is going to be brought glaringly into the spotlight by this bunch. And I don't want to give them that chance. I hope they don't realize that they are indirectly, to borrow a quote from a friend, "training the trainer".

There is one more day left, of standing in front of them and trying to teach them amidst a shower of questions. After which they will start using the product which is when I will know how useful my answers were.