Introduction:
Stepping into the world of corporate training can be both exciting and overwhelming. As a new trainer, you’re expected to educate, engage, and inspire employees, often with little formal preparation. While corporate training is a rewarding career, it comes with its own set of challenges. In this blog post, we will highlight some of the most common obstacles new trainers face and some practical strategies to overcome them.
Lack of Confidence in Delivering Training 😨🎤
The Challenge:
New trainers often struggle with imposter syndrome, feeling they don’t have enough experience or expertise to lead a training session effectively. Shaking hands, butterflies in your belly, quivering voice, a room full of beady eyes looking expectantly at you. Oh, and there’s also that persistent fear that someone will ask a question that you won’t know the answer to. It can be overwhelming, to say the least.
How to Overcome It:
✅ Prepare thoroughly by researching your topic and structuring your training sessions effectively. There are a number of overlooked steps when it comes to preparation—check out this post for a full breakdown of some of these best practices.
✅ Practice your delivery in front of a trusted colleague or record yourself for self-review. 🎥
✅ Remember, you don’t need to have all the answers. Be open to learning and facilitating discussions rather than feeling like you must be the ultimate expert. When you don’t know the answer, acknowledge that it’s a great question and then ask the group if they know and/or commit to finding the answer and following up after a break, in an email, or in the next session.
Engaging Learners Who Aren’t Interested 💤🧐
The Challenge:
Let’s be honest: most employees attend training sessions because they have to, not because they want to. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t want to be there; it oftentimes just means that your training session isn’t their top priority at that exact time. It does, however, mean that keeping them engaged may be more difficult.
How to Overcome It:
🎯 Don’t take it personally. If you do, you will lose them right off the bat.
🎤 Start with a compelling hook. Share a relatable story, statistic, or question that makes the content feel relevant.
💡 Before diving deep into the content, share why the training is important and tie that to both intrinsic and extrinsic WIFMs. (What’s in it for me?)
🎲 Use interactive techniques such as group discussions, quizzes, role-playing, open-ended questions, and teach backs.
🔗 Connect training content to real-world applications so employees see the value in what they are learning.
Adapting to Different Learning Styles 🎨🎧📖
The Challenge:
Learners absorb information in different ways. Some prefer visuals, others need hands-on practice, some need reflection time, and some benefit from discussion-based learning.
How to Overcome It:
📺 Incorporate a mix of teaching methods, including videos, case studies, interactive discussions, and hands-on activities. A common misconception is that if you present a key takeaway one time, then your participants will know it and be able to apply it to their work. This isn’t true. So, don’t be shy about covering the same key takeaway in a variety of teaching methods.
📄 Offer supplementary resources for self-paced learning, such as guides, templates, or follow-up exercises.
🧐 Observe your class and adjust your approach on the fly. If your lecture approach isn’t working to get your point across, be flexible enough to tweak it. You can try drawing it out on the whiteboard, breaking the class up into smaller groups and having them research the topic and present it back, or finding a video online to help.
For more information on Bloom’s Taxonomy and incorporating a mic of teaching methods, check out this post.
Handling Difficult Participants 😤🎭
The Challenge:
At some point, you’ll run into learners who may challenge you, dominate discussions, or disengage completely. These can be particularly difficult for new trainers because they are already struggling with impostor syndrome or a general lack of confidence. The last thing you want is to alienate the broader group by looking like you have no control over the classroom.
How to Overcome It:
🛡️ Sometimes, the best offense is a good defense. Set clear expectations regarding participation and respect at the beginning of the session. This can be done with simple house rules or just a general agreement with participants.
👀 Practice what you preach. Make sure that you aren’t modeling any of the disengaged, disrespectful, or disruptive behaviors that you are asking others to avoid.
🤝 Redirect dominant participants by involving them in supporting others who are struggling or pulling them aside and acknowledging that you appreciate their passion, and at the same time, asking them to help create space for others to participate more.
👂 Use active listening and empathy to understand concerns and manage disruptions professionally.
Managing Time Effectively in the Classroom ⏳📅
The Challenge:
New trainers often find it difficult to balance delivering content within a set timeframe while ensuring learners grasp key concepts.
How to Overcome It:
📜 Outline a clear training agenda and allocate specific time slots for each section while you are preparing.
⏱️ Use time management tools like timers or visual countdowns to keep sessions on track. A simple clock can be helpful if you remember to look at it. There is a timer built into “presenter mode” on PowerPoint, or you can use alarms on your smartwatch and phone. Just make sure it’s on vibrate!
Managing Time Effectively Outside the Classroom 📆🚦
The Challenge:
Corporate trainers are never warned about how difficult time management is. Especially on training days filled with team meetings, preparation steps, classroom activities, and being interrupted in the halls or pinged on Slack by former trainees, it can feel overwhelming. Balancing everything happening outside the classroom while ensuring learners are getting what they need inside the classroom is a real challenge.
How to Overcome It:
📌 Use time-blocking techniques on your calendar. Block out time for training setup before training, training follow-up after training, and anything else you know will take longer than a few minutes to get done. Then, stick to your calendar.
🔄 Get in the habit of checking your calendar multiple times a day and shift time blocks as priorities change.
🔕 Set your interoffice communicator (Slack, Team’s, etc.) to “do not disturb” or “presenting” while in the classroom to minimize distractions and avoid embarrassing notifications popping up on the overhead.
🙏 Politely set boundaries with interruptions. Express genuine interest in what interrupters have to say and politely let them know that you aren’t able to discuss that now. But you will reconnect with them later or shoot them an email or a message. If you aren’t great about remembering to do that follow-up, ask them if they can.
Conclusion 💡✨
Every trainer faces challenges, and no one can prepare you 100% for every hurdle you’ll encounter in this role. Rest assured, though, overcoming these obstacles is part of your growth and development. The jitters may never fully disappear—I know I still get nervous from time to time. However, you will become more accustomed to them, and they will subside more quickly as time goes on. You’ll encounter difficult learners regardless of your experience level. You won’t always feel like you’re treading water, and you’ll continue to improve at adapting on the fly. By trying to improve each day, adapting to your audience, and leveraging new learning strategies, you’ll become a confident and effective corporate trainer.
What challenges have you faced as a new trainer? 🤔👇
