I’ve seen and read many stories in the media recently, following the death of Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, Inc. Until now, I really didn’t know much about the man behind the iPhone and iPad, especially as it related to his business and leadership style.
I learned in one news story that with all of his financial and entrepreneurial success, he actually lived by seven straightforward business principles.
I decided that several of Mr. Jobs’ principles actually relate to those of us who are in the training business, especially instructors/facilitators.
1. Do what you love
What a simple principle – almost as simple as the black mock turtle neck and denim jeans Jobs was famous for wearing. Do what you love!
This principle is good advice to anyone, regardless of their profession; however, for facilitators, this principle impacts our performance in the classroom. Facilitators who are doing what they love have an unmistakable instructional style. Passion, enthusiasm, mastery, and high-energy are all key word descriptors I’ve observed of instructors who are doing what they love.
2. Create insanely great experiences
I came to the conclusion a long time ago that, when it comes to instructor-led courses, it’s all about the experience. Granted, our participants attend our courses to gain knowledge and skill; however, if it were just about that, we could give them an instruction manual, a few job aids, and send them on their way.
If done effectively, instructor-led courses can offer an unforgettable experience for our participants. Not only can our classrooms provide an opportunity for learning, but they can also serve as a safe place for our participants to network, express themselves, build their confidence, and have fun.
And here’s the beautiful part: we, as instructors, take the lead role in facilitating these insanely great experiences by building rapport and using innovative instructional techniques.
3. Master the message
This principle is actually addressed in our Langevin course, Marketing Your Training Internally. In this course we focus on something called the Marketing Mix. This “mix” includes five components: planning, promotion, people, relationships, and product.
As an instructor, our message can’t be delivered haphazardly; it has to be strategically planned. This might include using some promotional techniques to build buzz and excitement before the actual course.
Also, our message has to be delivered to the appropriate people in our target audience. This in turn allows us to foster ongoing relationships with our clients, customers, and consumers.
Lastly, we need to have a full understanding and awareness of our product. Is it just a workshop or seminar? Or is it an experience that will result in something of value, such as performance improvement?
Once these components are considered and addressed, we then begin to masterfully deliver the message (both inside and outside the classroom) that training is an essential part of any organization.
4. Kick-start your brain
As instructors we must stay current. We often train in environments where technology, processes, and information changes rapidly. It would be in our best interest to stay abreast of these changes, research trends in our industry, and learn the most up-to-date best practices. Our participants expect us to.
Kick-starting our brain could also serve us personally as well. One of the leading causes of instructor burnout is feeling stagnant due to repetition and boredom.
It’s possible that we could proactively combat this stagnation by kick-starting our brains. Learn to teach a new course. Use a different instructional method. Update your materials with current statistics, eye-catching artwork, or witty quotes. Whatever you do, don’t get stuck in the same old rut.
These principles enabled Steve Jobs to make an indelible mark on the world of business, technology, and entertainment. By following his lead, we might be able to have the same impact in our classrooms.
Jeff
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