I called a break and asked my class clown to join me for a cup of coffee. After a bit of small talk I said, “I’m really enjoying your sense of humor, but I’m beginning to get a bit sidetracked when you add a comment after each of my key points.” He pondered that for a moment and then replied “I’ve always taken on the role of class clown; I’m constantly telling jokes at the office and no one seems to mind.” He then reflected on the situation a little bit more and continued by saying, “Sometimes they ask me to tone it down. I guess I’m being a little over the top here.”

He assured me he would keep the jokes to a minimum from now on. I thanked him, but I also asked for his help with a mock interview I was planning on introducing after the break. With his outgoing personality, I knew that he would be perfect for the role. He was delighted to help me and did a fantastic job playing his part.

As I think back on this situation, I think was important to address the situation before my frustration built up even further. However, it was just as important to remain respectful and encouraging to my class clown. Taking his outgoing personality and channeling it into a positive rather than negative purpose allowed him to maintain his self-esteem while at the same time giving him the “air time” he seemed to need.

I think Mama would agree with the approach taken, do you?

Jim

I had two such individuals in one of our advanced courses a few years ago. These two participants came on their own, did not know each other, yet – interestingly enough – gravitated to each other from the very beginning. They did not share with anyone but each other (especially once they realized they shared the same energy). Over the period of 3 days, these two participants became the worse clients I have EVER had to deal with in my years with Langevin. (And just a minor note about our clients – they are all training professionals and are expected, you would assume, to be more conscientious about their learning surroundings than someone who has never worked in our industry.)

From the very first hour on day one, these two individuals spoke and conducted themselves with arrogance. They constantly made faces or verbal comments about how “elementary” the contributions of the other participants were, somehow believing that this made them look more advanced than the rest of the group. They constantly interrupted other people, including me, made negative comments about the course content or items on the agenda, and persisted in their efforts to convince me to customize the agenda to fit their personal schedules. I attempted to explain to them that the extent of customization that they wanted was not possible in a public workshop, however, this did not seem to matter to them.

When lunch time came around on Day 1 – aware that I really had no desire to put up with their behaviors for three days, and having already had personal interventions with each of them to encourage an improvement in their behaviors – I spoke to them before they left for lunch. I explained that if this course was not meeting their expectations they should not feel bad about leaving, as Langevin has a 100% satisfaction guarantee and that they would not lose their money. Unfortunately, they did not take the bait and they both returned after lunch. During the remaining two and a half days, their behaviors deteriorated to such a degree that at one point they were left sitting alone at one table while the other participants sat noticeably away from them.

I gave a great deal of thought to how I wanted to deal with these participants. After careful consideration, I decided to focus on the other participants who were there to learn and share, and who were appreciative of what the course and I had to offer them. Those clients had a fantastic learning experience because we decided not to buy into the drama and negative energy of the two negative participants.

When the time came to collect evaluations for the course, I was glad to see that the participants who were engaged and working together rated both the course and me very well and made some fantastic comments about their experience, even mentioning my attempts to satisfy the needs of very “self centered” (as they expressed) attendees. It was interesting to notice that after they turned in their evaluations and collected their certificates they all left rather rapidly as if they sensed I was going to have some serious words with the two offenders. Once the other participants left the room, I approached my two rude and difficult participants. They proceeded to tell me the course did not meet their needs and how it really should not be considered an “advanced” course. They went on to provide some more negative feedback which had no merit at all. Then they left.

I managed to put that negative experience out of my mind until two weeks later. I was teaching a different course, in a different city, when I noticed that one of the participants who would be attending the course worked at the same company as one of the previous negative participants. I braced myself for the worst, but this time I had a plan on how to deal with the negative behaviors should the new participant display any. So, you can imagine my surprise when on Day 1 of the course, this participant came to apologize and explain she would have to step out of class for an hour that day because she had a mandatory conference call she had to attend at 10:30 AM. This conference call was organized and scheduled by her team leader, who just happened to be one of the two offenders from the advanced course! He wanted to share with his team some BEST PRACTICES HE HAD PICKED UP at a course he attended, two weeks earlier!

See? There is hope even for those who are blatantly negative about their training experience! They may come to realize it was more beneficial to them than they may be willing to share with us – and, in most cases, we may never find out that we actually positively impacted the most unlikely person.

Why some people have the need to be negative and display less-than-desirable behavior in the class is completely beyond my comprehension. A few weeks after this experience, a friend recommended a fantastic little book that was just what I needed at the time. The book recommends that to live a happier life we should consider applying the following four things to our lives:

• Be impeccable with what we say
• Never assume anything
• Take nothing personally
• Do our best at all times

As a facilitator, I have found that this is some of the best advice I can use when I encounter rough times and negative behaviors.

José

There have been a couple of times when I have had to approach a participant individually and have that dreaded conversation addressing a particular problem or issue, however those occurrences have been rare and have never resulted in a participant’s dismissal from class.

As an instructor, I subscribe to the theory of “Prevention and Intervention.” In other words, if you can prevent bad behavior from happening in the first place, try that. However, if bad behavior does occur, sometimes you have to intervene.

Addressing housekeeping or administrative issues at the beginning of a course is the best tactic to prevent poor behavior in the classroom. In my opinion, most adults like to to do what’s expected of them. Typically when you give them a request, most adults will do their best to comply.

However, as I reminisce on one of the more unique disciplinary issues I’ve encountered, I’m not so sure I would have even had the foresight to address it in a preventive way.

In this particular occasion two of my male participants enjoyed chewing tobacco while in class. While the act of chewing the tobacco was not all that distracting, the constant spitting into an empty soda can quickly became disturbing.

At the beginning of the workshop I covered all the usual housekeeping issues: cell phone usage, punctuality, participation, etc. Somehow, I forgot to include anything about chewing tobacco in the classroom!

Since I did not have the foresight to use preventive measures to avoid this situation, I soon realized that I would have to intervene. At first I gave the situation some time to self-correct. I hoped (and prayed) the guys would get their nicotine fix and that would be the end of it. To no avail, they kept plugging and spitting. (Sorry to be so graphic!)

Finally, during a break, I approached both participants and told them (in a very tactful and diplomatic way) they had to refrain from using the chewing tobacco while in class. I started by comparing it to cigarette smoking. Working in a professional environment, I assumed the prohibited use of tobacco products was understood. Our training facility did not allow smoking in the building; therefore we could not allow the chewing of tobacco either.

Thankfully both learners apologized and did away with their chewing tobacco habit. The issue never blew up nor got out of hand.

Moral of the story: When dealing with difficult participants, try prevention tactics first. If that doesn’t work, realize that as an instructor you must sometimes intervene. Just do so with confidence, tact, and diplomacy. Good luck!

Langevin Team

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

I then realized that I had touched a nerve with many of you and therefore decided to devote this entire blog to “Difficult Participants in the Classroom.” Don’t we all have our own “war stories?” Come on, can we talk?

You’ve got the prisoner, the latecomer, the sleeper (although, sleeping I don’t mind; it’s the snoring that gets to me), the know-it-all, the side bar conversations, the bored, the confused, the domineering, the challenger, and the preoccupied. Have I forgotten anyone? I’m sure you’ve got your favorite but remember, they’re like our gifts, our exceptional learners.

But what’s a trainer to do???

Let’s use the prisoner, as an example. You know the type, the person who would rather be ANY OTHER PLACE than in training. Maybe it’s a mandatory class, like OSHA compliance training, as per the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Wow, I bet that’s got to be riveting stuff, too!

Some of you know that I do enjoy the humor, so, first of all, I would start the class with the following: “To my prisoners in the room, please be assured that this will be your shortest sentence ever served and I promise you’ll receive regular yard time, for good behavior.” Next, I would follow this up with other behavior management techniques, such as sharing the benefits of the session, perhaps letting them vent their concerns and asking them to help me with simple tasks, such as distributing materials. The best way to make a friend is to ask that person for a favor – and to thank them for their help. If all of the above failed, as a last resort, I would have a one-on-one conversation with the participant, outlining my concerns. (Be sure to check out Debbie’s blog,”It’s Mandatory and You’ll Like It!” for further tips.)

The steps listed above outline the proper method of dealing with any difficult participant. Always begin with subtle, non-confrontational techniques. We can also try to use positive reinforcers, if possible, along the way. Studies show that people respond better to praise of their positive behaviors than punishment of their negative ones. If all else fails, we then need to proceed with a direct and corrective approach – in private, of course.

Dealing with difficult participants is what I dread most as a trainer, but I have learned, over the years, to resist the urge to become defensive and/or jump to conclusions. Bottom line, for ALL difficult participants, something is keeping them from learning. Our job, as trainers, is to do our best, to remove those barriers, knock down those walls, so that they, and others, can learn.

Marsha

I know what you are thinking, “What are you talking about Ralph?”

I’m talking about those days or moments in the classroom we’ve all experienced and dreaded. Those times when we have had a difficult participant (or many) to deal with. It seems there is always at least one in every group, doesn’t it? We’ve all developed some strategies to deal with, or cope with, difficult participants but we’ve also all had our share of situations when those strategies simply did not work.

I have been reflecting on my classroom experiences lately and jotting down some of my more memorable moments dealing with difficult participants. If I’d had a more well-rounded set of strategies and techniques to refer to, I would not have only been better prepared to deal with just about any challenging situation, I would have been able to prevent a good number of them from happening.

So, just for you, we have taken the experience and knowledge from our world-class course leaders (and me, of course!), and combined it into a fantastic resource called Mama Told Me There’d Be Days Like This: How to Deal With Difficult Participants that will provide you with a simple, straightforward approach to deal with just about every negative participant behavior you will ever encounter.

Too good to be true, you might be thinking. Well, maybe it does sound too good to be true. So, as just a little preview, our next series of blogs will feature real-life stories and anecdotes as our course leaders offer up some advice, tips, and techniques, as they recount some of the enlightening and sometimes humorous situations they have experienced while dealing with difficult participants.

This new product will be available early in the New Year, but in the meantime, take the time to review the details of Mama Told Me There’d Be Days Like This: How to Deal With Difficult Participants.

I hope you all enjoy this joyous holiday season and I hope we will see you at one of our workshops in the New Year.  And remember, always listen to your Mama…

Ralph

Hopefully you instruct in a setting, where the seating can be modified to enhance the learning environment. I have seen some instances, in computer labs for example, where the seating can’t be modified or altered. In that instance, you just have to make the most of a not-so-ideal situation.

However, for those of you who have the luxury of arranging your seating, the following list provides some scenarios you might encounter in the classroom, and may influence decisions when it comes to making seating arrangements.

• Distance usually reduces participation (e.g. learners sitting the back of the class are less likely to participate than those sitting in the front).
• Arranging the seating in any type of row has a tendency to limit interaction.
• Friends or co-workers attending the same training will usually sit together.
• Difficult or “prisoner” learners usually sit as far away from the instructor as possible.

To combat the last two scenarios, I’ve found that a table switch may be necessary. If you do change the table groups, I’d recommend facilitating a quick icebreaker to lessen the shock of moving to a new table and working with different participants. After all, you’ve just altered the group dynamics.

When it comes to the arrangement of the actual tables and chairs, there are several options to choose from, each with its own set of pros and cons.  Here are a few to consider:

Rounds or “Bistro” style

(Note:  This is Langevin’s most preferred arrangement)

• Pros: informal; encourages maximum participation in a true workshop setting.
• Cons: may encourage sidebar conversations;  group may form its own identity, which could be different and counterproductive from the overall group.

Horseshoe or “U” shape

• Pros: typically good visibility among all participants; trainer can “work the middle” in regard to movement and circulation during the training presentation.
• Cons: somewhat formal and business-like; rear row of participants is farther away from audiovisuals (which could prove to be problematic if audiovisuals are small).

Theater

• Pros: good for “lecture only” presentations; usually most suitable for large groups.
• Cons: limits learner participation; limits interaction between trainer and participants.

Keeping these scenarios and considerations in mind and letting common sense be your guide will help to ensure a seating arrangement that adds to that positive learning environment that we all strive for in the classroom. For more ideas about seating arrangements as well as other great tips for trainers, check out our New Trainer’s Survival Kit.  Best of luck!

Langevin Team

Malcolm Knowles dedicates a chapter titled “Making Things Happen by Releasing the Energy of Others” in his book The Adult Learner. In this chapter he asks, “What might be done to release this energy for accomplishing greater goals for the system and the individuals in it?” As I reflect on this idea, I do understand that there is a balance we need to maintain to support learning. But how do we take advantage of this idea without letting it become a learning distraction?

I have found two ideas that are easy to implement and can increase the energy in the room.

The Power of Small Group Activities

One of my biggest Langevin “ah-ha” moments came as I attended my first Langevin course in 1995. I watched how the energy grew when the instructor effectively used group activities. Well-planned group activities can add significant energy to a class. They can be spread out throughout the entire to session, allowing the learners to teach as well as learn from each other. I decided in 1995 that group activities would always be a key component of all courses I would design from that time on. Now I will admit that this isn’t always easy, sometimes the learners’ mobility can be restricted by the physical environment, or other training restraints can make group activities difficult. But I do know that without these activities learning can be more difficult. I have to become as creative as possible to structure these activities and use the energy to help learners gain more from the sessions.

The Effect of Music

Another big component for me is the use of music – I love music. I use music to energize myself as well as the learners, but I have to be conscious of when and how to use it. The trick is not to overuse it or it may become annoying to some participants. Using a wide variety of music also helps. I find tunes that you would hear at your average wedding reception to be the most popular. Just remember that using music in the classroom can mean paying royalties. Purchasing and playing CDs allows you to avoid those fees.

I agree with Malcolm Knowles. Increasing energy can lead to a more productive learning environment. I think that we need to stop being afraid of losing control and start taking chances. As trainers, we have the ability to change activities to reduce the energy if we see the room is getting out of control. By simply changing our instructional methods to something like reading or listening to a lecture are two simple ways to reduce the energy in a room.

To help illustrate this concept, I compare training a class to flying a kite. As a child I loved flying kites. I can still feel the string running through my fingers as I eagerly discovered how high I could get that kite to go. As I let the winds take the kite from my hand, I held on to the string. I quickly learned that by giving too much string the kite would flutter and crash back to earth or worse yet get lost in a tree. I also learned that if I held on to the string too tightly, the kite just hung around, and never really soared into the sky. The more experienced I became the more I learned I had to constantly adjust to the winds.

In my role as a trainer I have learned not to fear the winds of the class. I take chances and let learners take the courses where they need to go to learn. And yes, there are times that I see that we need to bring down the energy. I smile and know that just by flicking on the LCD projector, an energy-sucking lecture is just seconds away.  For more information about adult learners, see our workshop “How Adults Learn“.

Langevin Team

We know we have a responsibility to offer participants value for their training time and training dollar.  Participants also have a responsibility. They have the responsibility to participate and some participants even have the  responsibility to expect more from their investment in training than just ONE thing.

Three days later, when leaving the workshop, the same participant, who would have been happy to learn “just one thing” said, “That was great! I learned so much! There are so many things that I can apply as soon as I get back to work – and, oh I had fun, too.”

Isn’t all training supposed to be like that? Every participant should be walking out the door with a sense of satisfaction, feeling that they got value for their valuable time and money.

So what does it take?  We know a lot has to happen for participants to have this feeling at the end of a course. We need to have the right people in the right course at the right time. By right people I mean people who want and need to be there, and can apply the new knowledge and skill back on the job as soon as possible. The right course means that the course is well-designed, well-delivered, and has the “need to know” content for the participants. The course should be as skill-based and practical as possible – keep in mind that no one gets paid for knowing things – people get paid for doing things. If participants get lots of practice during training, it increases the chance that they will be successful in performing the skills learned back on the job.

Even if the course is well-designed, the instructor must be able to deliver it effectively. Many instructors don’t get sufficient preparation time which sometimes results in a lot of reading from slides. In addition to knowing course content, the instructor needs to have classroom management skills – meaning the ability to manage the group, the training environment, and themselves. In too many situations we have subject matter experts, without any classroom management skills, delivering training.

It is also important to note that my participant said she had fun. I believe that if the course content is relevant, challenging and sets participants up for success then people will have fun. This fun is a legitimate part of the learning experience and will help make people want to come back for more.

So, if we can get the stars to align – meaning the right people, in the right course, at the right time – we can anticipate that the participants will leave the workshop with a sense of satisfaction and value. If we can do that, then people will expect to “learn more than just one thing.”

Langevin Team

We all know the importance of conducting reviews with our learners during the workshop, but did you know that it is equally important for us, as instructors, to take the time to review a course before we go into the classroom? Review should always be part of our preparation. Now it may be a “no-brainer” to review a course before we roll it out for the first or second time. But what about the courses we have taught so many times that the words flow effortlessly off our tongues? As one of my favorite quotes declares, “To teach is to learn twice.” We may feel that we have mastered the course because we are comfortable with the content and flow therefore there is no need to review. I would caution us all not to take that attitude because there is such value in a review, even if we know the course well.

I find that there is always something new to discover about a course. The first time we roll out a course we are basically delivering the foundation – the skeleton. In fact, for many of us it is our hope to “Be Alive at Five” the first time we roll out a course. However, each time we teach a course we get better. And each time we review a course, we are able to place more meat on the bones. It’s been my experience that no matter how many times I have taught a course, each time I review it, I discover something new I can say or do. It is important for us, as trainers, to continue to have those light-bulb moments so we can stay fresh and on top of our game and not become bored with our material.

So, when learners tell us how the course flowed effortlessly, or how knowledgeable we were, you can smile, add a wink, and let them know the magic is in the review.

Linda