The ONE Thing all 'Super Trainers' Have in Common

Who's your favorite superhero? Batman? Thor? Wonder Woman?

Maybe it’s not necessarily a classic superhero from DC or Marvel. It could be a teacher, nurse, parent, mentor, or someone else who has made a big impact in your life.

No matter who it is, you can probably think of the reasons why they’re your favorite superhero. They might be brave, unselfish, possess unique gifts, talents or “powers,” etc.

So why are they your favorite? What is it about them that makes them heroic in your mind? It’s an important question, because the answer will help set the stage for an even bigger question…

What makes a trainer… a super trainer?

Expertise? Creativity? Empathy? Etc.? While you’re chewing on that question, watch the three-minute video below that helps define what it means to be a hero. As you’re watching, be thinking about how the definition of a superhero relates to your personal definition of a super trainer.

Based on that video, and your own personal experience with superhero stories, a succinct definition of a superhero might look something like this:

Definition of a Superhero:

A person who uses their extraordinary abilities to fight evil and protect people.

To be honest, the definition of a super trainer might not be all that different. Maybe it looks something like this:

Definition of a Super Trainer:

A person who uses their knowledge to help their participants overcome obstacles and succeed.

But you could probably simplify the definition of a super trainer even more. At The Bob Pike Group, we say that a super trainer possesses one key quality. They are:

Instructor-Led Participant-Centered

Or “ILPC” for short. These kinds of trainers don’t try to steal the show or be the center of attention with long and boring lectures.

Instead, they actively involve their participants in the training, they help participants collaborate and learn from each other, and they help participants take ownership of their learning process by continually inviting them to adapt, adopt and apply the training content.

This is the recipe for leading virtual trainings with maximum engagement, retention, application, and results.

So how can you know if you’re an ILPC Super Trainer? That’s what this guide will help you uncover.

4 Vital Signs: Are You an ILPC Super Trainer?

Try to see the world through Tony Stark’s eyes.

It’s actually not that hard, because his Iron Man suit has a heads-up display system that constantly monitors his vital signs like how much power he has left in his suit, ammunition levels, his temperature, location, direction, threats, etc.

In the same way, we as trainers have vital signs that we need to pay attention to if we want to make sure our participants are thriving in our trainings. Here they are…

1. Pulse Rate

This is our heartbeat as trainers.

The thing that gives our trainings rhythm, consistency and motivates participants to remain engaged. We measure our pulse rate by how well we’re incorporating all the elements of CORE (Closers, Openers, Revisiters, and Energizers).

Openers help grab the participants’ attention and allow you to transition into the content. Revisiters help participants play an active role in circling back on things you’ve taught them. Energizers help participants stay mentally and physically ready to learn by giving them brain breaks and opportunities to get up and get their blood flowing. And Closers help participants cement what they’ve learned in their minds, so that they can adapt, adopt and apply the content moving forward.

So on a 1-10 spectrum, with 10 being the healthiest, how would you describe your current pulse rate as a trainer? In other words, how often do you incorporate the different elements of CORE?

1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10

Think about this: What next steps can you take to help you improve your pulse rate as a trainer?

Be sure to keep an eye out for future blogs in this series that’ll give you 3 MORE VITAL SIGNS to help you become a “super trainer”!