University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Instructor Excellence
Book

Instructor Excellence

Mastering the Delivery of Training

Bob Powers and William J. Rothwell
Pfeiffer, 2007
First Edition: 1992
Buy book or audiobook

Read offline

Amazon Kindle

Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Are you sure that the person who is administering training for your organization is truly qualified, confident and thoroughly prepared? Every day, thousands of employees receive sub-par training from instructors with minimal knowledge and experience. That notion should frighten every human resources department head, president or CEO. In this updated version of their classic 1992 work, authors Bob Powers and William J. Rothwell roll out the blueprint for ensuring effective training. They explain in painstaking detail everything instructors need to know and the steps companies should follow to hire the right trainers. The book includes worksheets that are also on an accompanying CD-ROM for ease of use. getAbstract believes this book is very valuable for anyone involved in the training process, especially those who supervise trainers.

Summary

Trainer Essentials

Many factors contribute to the development of effective instructors. To achieve a high level of training proficiency, instructors should:

  • Have the talent to influence students positively.
  • Recognize their roles and responsibilities.
  • Understand how they are expected to perform.
  • Have access to the proper equipment and training materials.
  • Receive feedback, positive reinforcement and motivational incentives.

Because training programs require a serious commitment of money and time, organizations must select their instructors carefully. Regardless of which class, professional course or special field they are teaching, instructors must be competent in these five areas:

  1. “Skills” – Instructors need to be organized, flexible, decisive, creative, resilient, analytical and open-minded. The ability to work well with people is critical, as is the ability to speak well and communicate clearly.
  2. “Knowledge” – Of course, instructors must have subject matter expertise, but they also should be familiar with your organization, know who they are training...

About the Authors

Bob Powers is the former president of a firm dedicated to improving workplace performance. William J. Rothwell, a professor of human resource development at Pennsylvania State University, is a veteran author and editor.

Comment on this summary