A Trainer with a Captivating Style

Interviewed by: Saleh Abdullah Alkhamyasi

Chris Schiller

Our guest was recently in Oman to conduct a four days training program on “Managing learning and Development” as part of the collaboration between Oman Telecommunications and Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.

Chris Schiller was born in Liverpool, England. He has been working as an international training consultant for the last 14 years. He is specializing in leadership, performance & management development, recruitment and selection and trainer training. When he is not working he enjoys rock climbing and spending time with the family.

What is your impression of Oman?

My impression of Oman is that people are warm, genuine and friendly. They go out of their way to greet you and they will do whatever they can to make you feel welcome. There is a real sense of excitement about the future and a passion for learning.

Can you give us some highlights about CIPD?

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development -CIPD is world renowned for providing the highest quality of HR advice, guidance and training in the people development arena. They operate at a level that all other vendors aspire to achieve. They select only the best trainers for projects and get hundreds of applications each year from consultants wanting to be a CIPD trainer.

What differentiates CIPD programs from others?

The CIPD programs are interactive, dynamic, and powerful and focus on the needs of the learner as well as the organization. Power point supplements key learning points. Courses are not lectures and delegates work on live issues. 

What is the role of L&D in organizations?

 We need to remember that L&D supports the business, not the other way round.

Evolution of L&D and where is it heading?

Learning and development is becoming more strategic as HR aligns more closely with the business. Organizational goals, business plans, departmental targets and KPI’s are being used to inform the creation of training plans in addition to the traditional approach of using personal development plans that come out of appraisals. We are also seeing training courses being supported by other delivery mechanisms such as coaching, mentoring and e-learning.

How is L&D being affected by the new generation.?

Learning & development (L&D) appears to be moving even more towards individuals taking personal responsibility for their own development. Recent advancements in the World Wide Web means that people can access models, approaches and concepts much quicker and easier than before. Having said that there will always be a need for learning practical, managerial and social skills with others. For example if you want to learn how to conduct an interview you will definitely benefit from practicing in a safe environment, where mistakes do not matter and where you can get good quality instant feedback.

The makeup of a competent trainer from your perspective?

Personally I would rather be trained by an excellent trainer with just a bit more knowledge and skill than me than being trained by an expert with poor trainer skills. Trainers need to help people learn which is different to preaching at them. They need to remember that their job is to make learning easy. Good trainers understand how adults learn and can use accelerated learning techniques like providing a context, breaking the course down into bite sized chunks, keeping sessions short, giving plenty of practice, doing lots of short reviews and relating the training back to the workplace. All to often the only person who knows what is going on in the training room, where they are upto and what is coming next is the trainer. That’s not right.

Last word.....?

Learning & development is probably one of the most rewarding professions imaginable. For me it never feels like work. I’m one of the lucky few that loves their job. It has taken me to some great places around the world and I’ve met some truly wonderful and amazing people. Never stop exploring as they say....