There is an alternative. The HR department can engage someone as a trainer and educator, on a part-time basis, who has fresh, first-hand experience in actually making use of concepts and tools being introduced in the training and educational programs of the organization. These peer trainers and education can insure that the instructional material is applicable to the actual conditions of the work place. Furthermore, they have credibility, having “been there and done that.” They can speak with authority regarding the use of a specific tool, as well as tell stories about real events that have occurred within the organization—stories that illustrate or validate a specific principle or abstract model.
It is often very effective to team up a professional trainer/educator (Source Two) with an experienced employee (Source Three), so that they might co-teach a specific element of a program. This strategy not only provides the participants with several different perspectives, it also reduces demands on the part-time trainer/educators regarding both preparation and in-class instruction. The peer trainer/educator might also be teamed with an external trainer/educator (Source One). This usually provides an even greater contrast in perspective and yields a two-fold credibility. The external instructor offers expertise and neutrality, as the prophet from another land, while the internal employee offers the credibility and practicality, as the insider who knows the territory.
I often urge organizations with which I work to set up this alliance between Source One and Source Three expertise. Both sources benefit from this alliance. I can more readily make use of case studies and role-plays when I partner, as an external trainer/educator, with a part-time trainer/educator. I am working with someone who can ensure the applicability of these cases and role-plays. Conversely, the part-time trainer/educator will inevitably learn much more by co-teaching with me than by being a passive participant in some off-site training/education program. This is a case of learning-by-doing. I often find that the employee will soon be able to teach much of the material I have presented in a manner that is fully engaging to her colleagues within the organization.
