What’s the difference between a strong training leader and a strong business leader who happens to lead a training organization?

I spoke recently with a training executive for a manufacturing firm. It struck me that she has an incredible handle on the day-to-day challenges of workers and managers within the business. She has business cred, and uses this to direct a highly successful training organization.

When I first joined the training function, my credibility was “baked in.” I had just left a management role in the heart of the business, so there was little to learn. Of course, with the pace of business change, this began dissolving quickly. My boss observed that a credible training manager has a dual challenge. In addition to keeping up-to-date on training industry-related changes, you have to set aside equal time to stay current with changes to the business and its industry. Otherwise, you become obsolete.

What is Business Cred?

Credibility has two dimensions: knowledge and trustworthiness. The combination means you are respected and believed. Let’s set trustworthiness aside and focus here on knowledge.

Business knowledge can be separated into a few key elements. First, you can speak the language of the business, its technical jargon and, on a more esoteric level, how people communicate to get things done. Second, you understand the business goals and the struggles that those within the business face in achieving them. And lastly, you can identify solutions to these challenges, whether training or otherwise.

If you can master these dimensions of business knowledge, you will be equipped to help the business overcome obstacles and achieve its goals. The benefits to the organization are obvious. The benefits to you are increased visibility and perceived value.

Here are some tactics that can help you burnish your business cred.

Get Credentialed

Here, I’m referring to credentials that help you understand your business, not training certifications.

I came from the financial services world, where there are dozens of industry licenses relating to different financial products or functional roles. By the time I left the industry, I held licenses that covered an array of roles and products. Other industries have similar certifications. Even if you never expect to perform the work, getting the credentials that those you support hold will add to your credibility.

Courses that improve your understanding of financial reporting, economic influencers and business strategy will also increase your insight into what makes your company tick.

Read for the Fundamentals

Dig into your company’s annual and management reports that present the company’s strategy, risks to success and financial performance. Read trade journals that cover industry challenges and cutting-edge developments. Keep up with local and global business news that could impact the company’s initiatives or strategy. Join online industry discussion groups where participants wrestle with trends and new technology. The insights you gain will allow you to participate intelligently in conversations pertinent to the business.

Ask and Listen to Shift Your Perspective

Ask people in the business about their successes and challenges. Listen not only to their words, but read between the lines to determine how they feel about the issues they raise. An internal consultant I worked with used to say she got the most valuable information about what was and wasn’t working in an organization by listening to others’ conversations in the ladies room and the elevator. She then incorporated what she learned into her recommendations.

Get Your Hands Dirty

Offer to work on key projects, even those that have nothing to do with training. The experience will give you a ground-level view of how things get done in your organization. While running the training organization, I also took on roles as manager for the operating committee’s admin staff and as project manager for an array of programs, including a company-wide client service initiative and a technology platform development project. Each of these gave me a better perspective on the business and built my credibility among business managers.

Establishing your business cred will improve your ability to recommend and craft meaningful solutions that help accomplish business goals. This will make you a trusted business manager, one who just happens to work within the training organization.