VIDBE-Q Volume 69 Issue 4
From a human resources perspective, coordinating a successful train-the-
trainer initiative is inherently a people-oriented endeavor. It is dependent on
building relationships to ensure buy-in and engagement in a community of
practice. Without community engagement, there is no self-perpetuating system of
ongoing and evolving professional growth. Without a CoP, training efforts have
limited impact as closed one-off events. Without the evolving body of knowledge
that a CoP offers, some training participants may never imagine themselves in a
position to share expertise with others. In the case of a train-the-trainer program for
AT, the ultimate measure of success is best captured by the number of training
participants who leave feeling like they've not only learned the technology but can
also teach it.
The "Playbook"
With conscientious nurturing of CoPs as the bedrock of a train-the-trainer
program, a lot can be accomplished with very little. With recognition that many
more ideas abound, here are a few specific "plays" for developing communities of
practice within a train-the-trainer program:
• Minimize 1:1 trainings; instead, always try and curate a group of training
participants with a similar training need to ensure a shared domain of
interest.
