Have you ever been in a class faced with an instructor like the one in the picture? Most of us have. Did you learn anything? Probably not. Let’s look at why a trainer’s expertise can be a turnoff.
Consider a trainer who is teaching Project Management. He has been managing projects for years but has not been involved in teaching people about them. Since he is an expert in this field, he shares his expertise. Throughout the course, he seizes every opportunity to relate to a great piece of work he has done in the past and how he did it magnificently. The students in his class might learn some aspects of his methods but will increasingly feel hopeless, overwhelmed, or even irritated by the constant self-promotion and self-gratification.
It is possible the trainer’s intention is not to appear arrogant. He thinks he is an expert, and he needs to share his expertise with others. On the other hand, the students see this as boasting and can be put off by it.
The problem with trainer-centered courses is that a trainer thinks the training course’s success depends solely on their expertise. Unfortunately, it does not lead to an effective training course simply because the learners are ignored. Their needs, background, and participation are considered secondary to the trainer’s expertise and experience.
This mentality only leads to one-directional courses people often find boring and useless. Students usually don’t know why they have to learn something and are sometimes de-motivated by being constantly reminded their teacher knows a lot more about the subject than they know or can know.