The ‘Social’ Face of Training

I recently read an article about professions that man has pursued over the ages. I can’t say that I was surprised to see that training figured in the list. Or should I say it’s more popular variant- teaching. The need to learn more about the world around us and pass that knowledge along to others is a basic human urge. Training fulfils the need for both human contact and the quest for knowledge. Training has manifested itself in several forms over time and has evolved into what we recognise as training today. Despite the fact that training is an age old profession, there is no denying that modern age training has a completely different look and feel. One major point of differentiation being the use of technology and social media. As an organisation, we strongly believe that social media is here to stay and that its presence and usage will only increase in the years to come. We are surprised to see the number of trainers who are still resistant to the use of social media and technology and continue to believe that the age old methods will continue to work. These trainers range from those who are extremely well received in the market to those who are barely known. Let’s look at some of the reasons why a trainer or an independent consultant should tap into the potential of technology and social media. Who would have thought it possible that people living in different continents could be trained simultaneously , that it was possible to have podcasts and webcasts and that millions of people could hear it at the same point in time. It is inconceivable today that one could train without the use of basic training gear. Even the most of novice of trainers today needs to be familiar with the use of training aids and equipment. The use of even mundane training equipment like the projector has greatly enhanced the quality of training and allowed trainings to become more visual and eventually more effective. No one can deny that it is light years more convenient than using the OHP and preparing material using the OHP sheets. The black board does not even figure in the same league. However, even the staunchest of technology supporters could not have predicted the extent to which training and trainers will be helped by the use of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. It takes a few seconds today to let people know about the trainings that you have conducted and even post pictures and videos as the training is happening. If you are seriously considering entering the field of training, posting your demo video on Facebook coupled with updating your profile and information on Linkedin could go a long way in helping you get your foot in the door. You will have to agree that it has reduced the amount of work and effort that one needed to put in order to get a start. The thought of knocking on doors , waiting in office lobbies, getting appointments and getting past personal secretaries and front office personnel is enough to put the fear of God in many and steer them away from ever making the attempt. The life of young and aspiring trainers has become way easier, thanks to social media. Those that learn to leverage the power and potential of these platforms can be seen and heard by a lot more people than possible before. It is enough to dramatically change the life of a trainer and make the ordinary seem a whole lot better. Can you fathom the use of these platforms in the hands of powerful teachers and trainers like Gandhi and Christ? This week we focus on how the use of technology and social media has made your life better. Do you use social media on a regular basis and if so how? How do you use technology to market your trainings and get word out there? And more importantly, do you even believe that there is a place for social media and technology in training?