We’ve all had them. They come in all shapes and sizes and present a variety of group facilitation challenges…the difficult learner! If you’ve ever taken one of our instructional techniques courses, you know that we place learners into three categories: the explorer (they want to learn), the vacationer (they want to take it easy), and the prisoner (they really want to be somewhere else!). Perhaps you can relate to some of these descriptions based on experiences you’ve had facilitating group sessions!
In this blog I could give you some tips on how to handle those learners who seem to impede the learning process either covertly or overtly but that would only give you short-term solutions. Instead, I would like to challenge you to shift your thinking about difficult learners. Let these learners call you and your training programs out instead of the other way around. Let me explain.
There is a quotation I share with participants in my workshops when we discuss difficult learners, “Find out the pain they’re in before you tell them about the pain they have caused.” To me, this quotation gives us an approach well worth taking. First, find out why a difficult learner is bored, shy, sleeping, introverted, or dominant. Once you have this information, you are in a much better position to come up with effective solutions. Participants act these ways for a reason.
At break time, lunch time, or the end of the day, talk to these participants. Really talk to them and actively listen to them. Find out what’s going on. Based on my experience, most learners act out or disengage from training because they are bored.
Are they bored because your training is mostly lecture?
If this is the case then you can slowly re-design your instructor-led programs to make them more interactive and engaging. Design more small-group activities and non-lecture type exercises in your sessions. Also, ask yourself, “Do I even need to conduct instructor-led sessions for the content I am teaching?” Perhaps you can consider using a different training strategy like e-learning, on-the-job training, or simple job aids instead.
Are they bored because they find your training irrelevant?
If this is the case, then re-examine your course content. Ask yourself this question, “Will this content truly benefit the learner by helping them do their job or improve their job?” If the answer is yes then leave it in, if no then cut it out. Give them only the stuff and not the fluff!
Are they bored because they already know how to do their jobs and are forced to attend your training by their manager?
If this is the case then you have to employ short- and long-term solutions. For the short term, creatively use these experts to help you teach the content. For the long term, slowly work on educating your management teams to help them understand the difference between training and non-training issues.
If you need help re-designing your training programs or making sure they are relevant, we can help you with these things in many of our workshops. And, if you have any tips for dealing with bored learners, I’d love to hear them.
Lynne
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