Being Authentic as a Trainer
By: Alicia Vaughn 2010


From what I have gathered, there seems to be two schools of thought on the subject of authenticity as a Trainer. Some Trainers believe that if you are too honest, give too much of yourself and attempt to ‘connect’ with the audience, you may lose credibility and professionalism.

Yet others seem to think it is the only way to get connection.

I believe the key is to find a good balance. I have developed an Extreme Presentations workshop that provides successful strategies and principles you can use as a Trainer or Presenter to connect with the audience in a genuine and authentic manner.

I believe you can be authentic and still have the respect of your learners or participants. Sometimes, they may even respect you more as a Trainer and subject matter expert when they realise you are also teaching them the soft skills they need to make it as a confident and recognised leader in their field.

I have personally found that getting connection with learners is about letting them see who you are. They need to realise there is a human being in front of them, with experience and knowledge in the subject they are teaching.

Often, Trainers find it may take a little time before their learners will trust them, and trust the process involved. For me, this is especially true when it comes to the delivery of Training and Assessment. It can be a dry subject, and difficult for some learners to grasp the concepts involved initially.

What my learners seem to struggle with sometimes, is the fact that the way I teach it, they are actually having fun as well. It is only when they get those wonderful ‘ah-hah!’ moments that they realise there is actually a method to what appears to be my madness. On occasion.

I follow three simple rules when it comes to training;
- Prepare for anything, anytime
- Protect self esteem
- Be prepared to make a fool out of yourself

Prepare for anything, anytime

Put simply, this means that anything that can go wrong, does go wrong, and will go wrong. Guaranteed. I teach my learners to always have a back-up plan, just in case. And then they need to make sure they have a back-up plan to back up that plan.

During one of my recent Training and Assessment classes, on the very last day, with only three presentations to go, there was a huge storm and a blackout in the building. Luckily, the participants already knew to prepare for anything, and although one had a Powerpoint presentation ready to go, he also knew to have a back-up plan and was able to deliver it without the use of technology.

Being prepared for anything, means you will always have the confidence to deliver an awesome presentation or training session, no matter what happens.

Protect self esteem

Trainers have a considerable amount of power standing up in front of the classroom. I can’t even begin to stress how important it is to use this power for good.

One thing I teach in the Training and Assessment classes is that as a Trainer, it is critical to protect the self esteem of learners at all times. This means encouraging principles in the classroom that offer inclusivity – all learners should feel included at all times.

Learners should never be discriminated against, no matter what their age, cultural beliefs, background, experience or opinion. Everyone should feel included at all times.

Experienced Trainers will know the skill involved in doing this in such a way that isn’t making anyone feel as though they are singled out, but that involves everyone at all times.

It is important to understand that some learners may be easily offended, and others may be worried about speaking in front of the group, or fear they may ask a ‘dumb’ question. Right from day one learners should be encouraged to ask questions, especially by reinforcing that there is no such thing as a ‘dumb’ question in the training room. I use special strategies to encourage this as part of my Extreme Presentations workshops and in the Training and Assessment course delivery.

For learners that are worried about speaking in front of groups, it is crucial to ease them into talking around groups by using strategies that help them transition slowly out of this fear.

These strategies can include anything from calling on them to answer questions they will definitely know the answer to, as they are sitting down, right through to encouraging them to finally stand up in front of the group and present. There are many strategies available to help shy learners get more confidence such as calling on their expertise at times when they can talk about a subject they are experts in, as an example.

Be prepared to make a fool out of yourself

Trainers need to be aware that making a fool out of themselves is part of being ‘authentic’. It demonstrates to the learners that you are who you say you are, that you recognise that it is OK for them to see you be vulnerable at times, and even allows them a chance to laugh with you and get to know you on a completely different level.

There is no reason why participants can’t have fun while they learn new concepts. The concept of ‘making a fool out of yourself’ encourages learners to trust each other, trust the Trainer and build stronger connections among each other.

Overall, training is, in effect, a form of networking. The networking opportunities that students can gain from being in the classroom and building strong business relationships with each other will often last for many years. Excellent trainers encourage learners to feel ‘safe’ in the training environment and build a strong sense of community right from the beginning which forms the foundation of a strong networking group.

One of my favourite subjects to deliver is a new concept I have put together on Extreme Presentations. It is based around the concept of building a strong classroom networking community, imparting knowledge to others by facilitating what they already know, using lots of concepts that cater to visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners, and encouraging energy and synergy in the classroom.

When I deliver any form of training, I encourage learners to have fun, to loosen up, to talk about themselves, to respect and listen to differing viewpoints, to see the best in each other and make connections that often last long after the training session has finished.

What I teach, by being honest and genuine, are the soft skills that are, in effect, encouraging authenticity and connection with others.

And as Trainers, isn’t that what we ultimately want?

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About Alicia Vaughn

Alicia Vaughn is a trainer and facilitator with a wealth of experience spanning the corporate and public sectors. This experience assists her to develop concepts and solutions that are best suited to individual client needs.

She is recognised for her ability to engage audiences, provide realistic and results-oriented solutions and delivering quality training outcomes.

Alicia enjoys delivering courses and workshops that help participants build effective teams, encourage growth and create a positive difference in any environment.

She currently teaches Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Certificate IV in Frontline Management, Certificate IV in Business Sales, Certificate IV in Business Administration, Diploma of Management and Diploma of Business.

Alicia has developed material for workshops on Extreme Presentations, Time Management, Customer Service Excellence, Train the Trainer, Team Building, Leadership Skills and Communication Strategies.

She has written material for nationally recognised training courses such as Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Certificate IV in Frontline Management and she is currently writing material for Certificate IV in Business Sales.

Her second book, Extreme Presentations, is due for release at the end of March 2011.

Qualifications include Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and Diploma of Management. Alicia is a Certified Professional Member of the Australian Human Resource Institute (CAHRI) and Australian Institute of Training and Development.

Alicia is Training Director at The Learning Catalyst ( www.thelearningcatalyst.com.au   )