We’re delighted to welcome Jon Stokes, one of Understood’s brilliant consultants and training facilitators, as this month’s guest blogger.

A former actor and director, Jon combines strong commercial insight with deep psychological curiosity and more than 20 years of leadership and development experience. He brings a fantastic blend of creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking that helps people navigate complexity with clarity.

Why the train the trainer mindset matters

There is a particular kind of trainer – you’ve probably met one – who arrives with years of credibility behind them. They are often the experts who know every system, every process and every safety protocol by heart. They can answer any question and anticipate every obstacle. It is impressive, of course. It can even feel reassuring.

However, there is a catch: that level of expertise, as valuable as it is, can also become a trap.

A moment that changes everything

Not long ago, during a Trainer Transformation programme, I saw this play out in real time. One of these subject-matter powerhouses experienced a subtle but powerful shift. Midway through the session, instead of offering his usual precise, encyclopaedic answer to a learner’s question, he did something different. He paused. Then, he asked the group what they thought. And importantly, he waited.

At first, the room was quiet. Then, someone spoke. Another followed. Soon, people were offering ideas, disagreeing and building on each other’s thoughts. What started as a technical query became a genuine conversation. He did not need to be the oracle after all. He simply needed to make space.

Afterwards, he looked astonished.

“I’ve never seen them engage like that,” he said. “I just asked a question.”

It was a small moment – but a seismic one.

From delivering content to enabling change

Because in that moment, he was not just delivering content. He was enabling change.

At Understood, this is the heart of Trainer Transformation. We are not here to add a few flashy techniques or sprinkle polish on a deck of slides. Instead, we help re-imagine what great learning can feel like – and we equip people to create that feeling for others. It is not about doing less. It is about doing things differently.

And, importantly, it all begins with curiosity.

Why curiosity makes better facilitators

The best facilitators I have worked with are endlessly curious – not only about their subject matter, but about their learners. What is going on for them? What is getting in the way? What would help them move even one step forward?

They do not assume the answers. Instead, they draw them out. They listen. They wait just long enough for someone else to step in.

This is the art of letting go. It is about becoming less the instructor and more the orchestrator. It is still purposeful and still credible – just expressed differently.

Humility, connection and real growth

It takes humility to stand in front of a group and resist the urge to prove how much you know. Yet that same humility is what builds connection. It is what helps people feel seen and heard, and therefore more willing to engage, grow and perform.

As one participant recently put it, “I came to get better at delivering training. I left wanting to have better conversations.”

That is the shift.

Using expertise differently

Because when you move from information-giver to transformation-maker, everything changes – for you and for the people you support.

Of course, deep knowledge still matters. This is not about abandoning expertise. Instead, it is about using that expertise to create something more meaningful: connection, confidence, understanding.

And yes, even then, the PowerPoint might misbehave. An exercise might fall apart magnificently. Or you might feel like you are improvising your way through the afternoon.

Yet those moments often land the hardest. They are the ones people remember. They are the ones where real learning lives.

You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room

So if you are a trainer – or whatever term you prefer – and you are feeling unsure about what comes next, take heart. Whether you are new to train the trainer programmes or have been facilitating for years, you do not need to be the smartest person in the room. You just need to be the one who helps everyone else find their voice.

If you want to explore how we support this shift, have a look at our training and facilitation programmes and download the brochure. And for wider industry insight, check out the CIPD’s learning and development guidance.

Make sure you explore our website, read our blog, and follow us on LinkedIn to learn more and discover ways to grow a more successful business.