A number of years ago I had a conversation with a fellow trainer about what was their underlying metaphor when they were at the front of the room. My colleague described his metaphor as one of a builder. He likes to lay a solid foundation on which to build additional concepts or techniques. Another colleague described himself as a “gardener”. The participants are like seeds and he provides water, nourishment, and light so that the learners can grow.
 
I like to think of myself as a doorman. I hold the door open and participants choose (or not) to walk through.
 
Why is this useful to know?  
 
Understanding who we are at the front of the room help us to maintain our authenticity, attention and intention. By understanding who we are and what we stand for, makes us more accessible at the front of the room. It can help determine our intention and keep us on course as well as providing another feedback mechanism, which we can only see if our attention is “out” onto our audience. In my case I’m constantly asking, “Are they approaching the door?” “Are they going through the door?”.  
 
How do we uncover our metaphors?  
 
There’s a number of ways.  Ask yourself questions about ME, THEM and IT (training generally):

ME:   “When I’m at the front of the room delivering training, it’s like I’m a ….”
 
THEM:  “Learners in my sessions are like….”

IT:  “Training is like….”
 
What’s your metaphor for yourself as a trainer, your participants or training generally?