YOU’RE A TRAINER, BUT ARE YOU A COACH?

We use these two words, Trainer and Coach, to distinguish two different domains, two different careers, two different helping professions, and yet— really, how different are they? And how and when do they merge? To what extent do you need to be a coach to be an effective trainer?

Obviously, when you are training you are essentially choosing a subject or theme that you know and care about (even when you are a corporate training and have to train certain content) and informing people about what it is, why it is important, how to do it, and what to consider that could go wrong and need some trouble-shooting. This is the 4-mat design and guides us when we train so that we address the full range of adult learning. As a trainer you present information, inspire people to aspire to it, and then transfer the how-to knowledge so that people can do what you are offering. So training excels in skill transference.