We won’t make you wait to find out the top skills for instructors and trainers in 2024, you can have the list right now:
However, we highly recommend that you read on to gain further insight and actionable information that could radically change your professional future.
1. Adaptability
The last few years have taught us levels of adaptability and resilience that many of us didn’t even know we had. We’re able to rapidly shift, take on new roles and responsibilities, and do our best work, even while the world was in a state of meltdown outside. For some of us, adapting came naturally, however…
What about those who want to improve their adaptability factor?
- Think of all eventual outcomes and have emergency plans for the best and worst-case scenarios.
- Re-frame change as a positive thing, remember “the obstacle is the way” - if an event requires you to adapt, learn from it.
- Be willing to experiment and test new ideas and technologies, especially ones that are not your own
2. Attention to detail
It’s easy to overlook finite details and micro-information, but if you do it enough, you might just start overlooking the big details too. Effectiveness and productivity are improved, while errors are reduced when you start working on your attention to detail skills.
Work on this skill by:
- Taking part in activities that improve focus
- Getting away from the screen
- Slowing down and being mindful
- Being more organised as an individual
- Taking care of yourself through yoga, meditation, or relaxation
3. Technological proficiency
In other words, instructors and trainers need to have great technical skills for creation, teaching, and assessment. They might not need to be a total computer whizz, but understanding how learning management systems work and how to guide students through an online course is vital.
Go one step further by using games and simulations to create an overall more engaging learning experience that draws information and challenges from real-world situations.
4. Curiosity
You’d want your students to be curious self-motivated learners, so it’s only right that you lead by example! Stay on top of trends, develop your knowledge and skills, and find ways to evolve in your role as an instructor, trainer, or educator.
Becoming curious about the needs and motivations of your students will help drive increased performance and engagement.
5. An Engaging Style
What does it mean to be an engaging instructor? Well, primarily it’s about communication, and how you present your ideas and information. Too complicated and you lose your audience. Too vague and they wonder what they’re doing there. Engagement is finding a balance, encouraging students to be involved, and captivating them through their interests and motivations.
Experiential learning is said to be one of the most engaging styles in education, putting students in scenarios that really test their wits.
6. Leadership and Social Influence
The more you are respected, the more people will listen, that’s a fact of life. As an instructor or trainer, few skills are as important as demonstrating a high level of leadership and using your social influence for good. Influence is powerful and in the wrong hands can be dangerous, so be wary of how you use it.
There are ways to improve your influence skills, such as:
- Truly understanding the organization you work in, how the hierarchy functions, and what you need to do or how much support you need to be influential
- Promoting yourself and what is good for the organization
- Leveraging your networks
- Building trust with everyone around you by being hard-working, honest, and dedicated
7. Socio-Emotional Skills
Top performers have high EQ scores, earn more, and are better at their jobs. Those with low EQs don’t realise the value of empathy and sympathy in the workplace and believe that they can get by purely on intelligence. They then wonder why they get left behind…
Instructors and trainers are not just moving information from their brains and shifting it to their students’ brains. It’s not that simple. Education is a transaction that probes at all sorts of considerations, which requires a great deal of tact and the continual development of interpersonal skills. Those with well-rounded socio-emotional skills are seen as dependable when times are tough.
8. Strategic Foresight
Look to the future, see the signs, read signals, predict trends. This is one of the more difficult skills and you may be thinking ‘I don’t have a crystal ball!’, but history repeats itself and often the clues aren’t too cryptic.
Remember (it’s hard to forget), we are still grappling with a global pandemic - how will this affect your work in the next 6, 12, or 24 months? Being able to make strong assumptions about the future based on the current climate and data available will help you get seen as a top tier instructor.
9. Time Management
If you have poor time management skills, you’re in the wrong profession. Harsh as it may seem, there are few roles and responsibilities that require such punctuality and task-balancing as education. Whether that’s in a school, university, or a corporate setting, you can’t afford to be late.
Scheduling is your new best friend. Get in the habit of using a digital calendar to manage your time better. Not just for meetings, scheduling is very useful for managing your milestones, tasks, and personal time too.
10. Creativity
The pandemic forced us to adapt and get creative. For some, that was easy, a part of their existing skillset that helped them shift into a new style. For others, it was uncomfortable, awkward, and a real nuisance. The best trainers in 2024 will be those who are happy to get creative, think differently, and set themselves apart from the pack.
One of the most creative things you can do is to bring gamification and simulation into the classroom. Students love a fresh challenge and you’ll reap the rewards for this technological creativity.
What new skills will trainers and instructors need to consider to be successful in the future?
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Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Instructors and trainers may need to understand how AI and machine learning are impacting the industry they are working in and be able to deliver training on these topics.
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Technology savviness
Instructors and trainers may need to be able to use the likes of virtual and augmented reality technologies to deliver remote and interactive training.
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Cultural competency and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) skills
As our society becomes increasingly diverse, it is crucial for instructors and trainers to have the skills to work with individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives.
Which type of trainer will you be?
It’s time to decide. Will you try and take on all of the skills in this article, or perhaps look to tackle your weaknesses and become more well-rounded? Learning and teaching are evolving. The classroom will never be the same. Get ready to innovate in 2024.
One thing we’ve found is that our instructors have been able to master engagement in their courses and become comfortable using technology with our simulations. These are great steps to developing some of these skills.
If you want to learn more and see first-hand how a business simulation can work, then sign up for a free demo.
