This is a great time to take action. As I examine the message on a card from my deck of inspirational thoughts, I find it fits perfectly with where I’m going with this blog. “Take action on your ideas. We can have many great ideas, but without action upon that idea, there will be no manifestation, no results, and no reward.” Not only is this great wisdom, but it is also practical advice as our training departments prepare and plan for the year ahead of us. Let’s take a look at three areas where we can apply such “timely” advice.

Our Organization

This is the time to examine how our organizations are executing their strategic plans. Have any major changes been made to the existing strategies and goals? How is our training department linked to such objectives and synergies and how can we support them or help the different departments succeed at achieving them? The current economic panorama demands that companies assess their operations in order to meet their goals and target numbers for the New Year with a more detailed eye than ever before. We, as training professionals, have the responsibility to follow suit and provide a supporting strategy that shows we are in alignment with the bigger picture

It is likely that some of the organizational priorities for last year have shifted in some way or another. This automatically means we need to be tuned in to those changes or developments so that we may provide the training (knowledge and skill) support that the company requires. It is also a key time of the year to conduct a performance analysis of the company’s core processes in order to provide any possible suggestions for improvement or validation of efficiency.

Ourselves

Another important task to consider within our training departments is to carefully assess how our own current level of competencies, talents, and skills are in measure up to those that will be required to satisfactorily support the overall organizational strategy. When was the last time we took a workshop to “sharpen the saw” as Stephen Covey recommends in his highly acclaimed book? The same way we provide courses, job aids, and performance tools to our companies’ employees so they are equipped with the competencies needed to do their jobs and reach targets, we too need to keep our skill set at top speed.  Do you need to brush up on your instructional design skills, or establish a company-wide training advisory board? Maybe you have been given the responsibility of converting a number of your courses into an e-learning strategy. Do you have what it takes to make it happen?

I always find it interesting how quick we are to assess the needs of our companies at the start of the year, or how soon after the first week in January everyone comes up with very important projects for us to work on, yet we tend to forget we need to maintain momentum and keep our skills up-to-date with the demands of the industry. I am often on an airplane and it is always fun to realize that the safety message from the airline always and forever reminds us, “in the case of a sudden change in cabin pressure…put YOUR mask on first before you help others with their masks.” Are we truly and fully making sure our mask is on right? What are we doing to stay on top of our game?

Others

We maintain a broad and big-picture mindset as we move forward and set new objectives and strategies for the year – and paying attention to what other people and companies are doing is helpful. Why reinvent the wheel? If there are models of success out there, let’s find out how they may be applicable to our needs and the needs of the corporations we support. The January-February issue of Harvard Business Review focuses on ways to transform our businesses to meet today’s challenges and demands.

So, as you get set to start this New Year, remember to ask yourself some key questions: What is the focus for your company for the New Year? How are you going to support it? Is your skill-set up-to-date? When was the last time you “sharpened your saw?”

What ideas do you have to help your team gear up for 2010? And, I prompt you to share with our readers your breakthrough ideas for the beginning of the year for the benefit of us all. What suggestions do you have or what advice can you offer about what you have tried but not seen results from so that others have a better chance to succeed. I look forward to hearing from you.

José

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

Another January, another new year, another decade, all of which means only one thing: It’s time to make a new years’ resolution. Yay!

We’re all too familiar with January, a time for a new start for many people where the goal becomes getting healthier and maybe even losing a few unwanted pounds gained during the holiday season. Health clubs, gyms, and YMCA’s look forward to January each year because new memberships spike in response to everyone’s longing to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, come March or earlier, at the first scent of warmer weather, going to the gym becomes as stale as those holiday cookies buried in the cupboard.

Well, do not get discouraged because I have a better alternative this January, and it is all about gaining – and I do not mean weight! You see, having been with Langevin for over 10 years, I can easily say that I have never had one class where there was someone who  did not struggle with gaining management support and buy-in for their training. So, as we start this New Year, I have some simple, yet effective, steps you can take to help you gain management support and buy-in for your training programs – and they are guaranteed not to go stale on you in a few months!

1. Be visible in your organization.

People do not tend to work freely with, or support, people they don’t know. Additionally, if you are not visible, then you are easy to forget. Attend key management meetings, go to the company picnic, pop your head into the VP’s informal birthday party for a small slice of cake (but remember our new years’ resolution!) Make a weekly plan of key activities you will attend, so that you are visible to the organization and making connections with your colleagues.

2. Always maintain a positive attitude and a smile.

People will also not tend to work freely with someone who is grumpy.

3. Train yourself, and your staff on how to conduct ROI’s and Level 3 and 4 evaluations.

If you really want management support and buy-in, you must show the WIIFM (What’s in it for me) or benefit to the company of how your training impacts the bottom-line. Remember this powerful phrase: If you cannot measure it, then you should not train it. Use metrics in your training. Unsure of how to do this?  The good news is that we offer several programs to help you over this hurdle. Now we are ready for the final step.

4. Add to that weekly plan by allotting some time to spend with other departments.

You can have lunch with management, job shadow, or even try doing a task for someone else here or there. I suggest doing these activities because, not only will they continue to give you visibility; they will provide you with the skills that you need to speak the language of each department and the organization. Becoming a strategic partner, where you help solve job performance problems, rather than a program peddler, will create management support and buy-in for your training.

Our mission at Langevin is to provide trainers with the skills, knowledge, and materials you need to succeed in your careers – powerful tools that can help you gain ground with management for your training programs this New Year.

Happy New Year!!!

Ron

A Tweet

Hi Joe, “I’m eating some “killer” cheesecake at the new XYZ restaurant that just opened on Main Street.  The food’s delish, you’ve gotta try it!”

Ralph

Welcome to the world of social networking! What exactly is social networking? Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. – these are all internet-based tools used to communicate with people. They have become the standard means of sharing our lives – the joys, the sorrows, the funny times, as well as the ordinary occurrences of life – with others.

But we’re trainers, so the question we need to ask ourselves is, “How can we use social networking to enhance our training?”

Research shows that as much as 80% of job learning occurs informally. While the traditional classroom will never fade away, we need to think of how we can blend other devices that will meet the needs of a new, and yes, younger workforce.

Let’s look at three examples of how social networking can be used before and after training:

1. Send an email, with a discussion board, to a group of learners before a class, asking them what their main goal(s) is for the class. This information can be invaluable for both the designer and the facilitator when it comes to customizing the program to meet the needs of the learners. This will also motivate the class in advance.
2. Create an internal corporate LinkedIn account for those who took a training program. The participants can share best practices and discuss how they are using what they learned in class back on the job.
3. With the rapid retirement of the baby-boomer generation impacting corporations, it is critical to tap into the expertise of tenured employees before they retire. To avoid this “brain drain” set up a company-wide Facebook account where employees can share experience and best work practices. Create a topic a week and provide incentives for people to contribute. Creating a learning organization where people share valuable knowledge and experience, must become part of a company’s culture.

See how easy, yet powerful, these examples are? Try some social networking yourself – and share your experiences with the rest of us. As Mikey, from the Life cereals TV commercials would say, “Try it, you’ll like it.”

Ooops, gotta go, I feel another tweet coming on…

Ralph

The students in the world of Langevonia have been, in general, great. This example comes from a decade before I joined Langevin.

Here is some background. In the mid-80s, the United States Parachute Association (USPA), an association with about 18,000 members at the time, adopted as an option a new method of training skydiving students. It was called Accelerated (as in accelerated learning) Freefall (AFF). It involved for the world of skydiving what was then a non-traditional, student-centered instructional approach. It also involved instructors actually accompanying the student during the freefall portion of each jump to provide in-freefall instruction and as a safety backup. Prior to this time, an instructor prepared a student on the ground and dispatched the student from the aircraft. In freefall and under canopy, the student was on their own. The Accelerated Freefall training process offered significant learning and safety improvement if the instructor did their job.

USPA’s tactic to insure a high level of performance by AFF instructors was to centralize the training and certification process for new instructors. The association did this by having just one course director present the training and supervise the certification process which was heavily application oriented. The instructor traveled around the country—sometimes internationally—to conduct nine day training and certification camps. Typically, the camps involved a weekend of classroom instruction where theory and techniques were introduce followed by up to seven days of practice and testing where experienced instructors acted as students while undergoing the ground preparation for jumps and then presented the candidates with scenarios to respond to on the actual jumps. Detailed feedback and coaching sessions followed each evaluation. Based on candidate performance, points were awarded that could lead to certification. For four and a half years, I was USPA’s AFF certification course director.

Generally, candidates were—at least on a surface level—very receptive. I say on a surface level because of the particular nature of skydivers and skydiving instructors. That nature is captured by a joke. How many skydivers does it take to change a light bulb? At least eight, one actually has to do it while seven stand with their arms crossed saying  “I could do that better.” So, when someone had the audacity to try to tell sometimes seasoned instructors a better way to provided skydiving instruction and then to test their skills, there was, in some of the participants a natural resistance to not only change, but to the whole process of the certification.

The Challenge

An experienced facilitator quickly learns to read subtle body language to identify where a participant is coming from. This guy was last person to enter the room. Seating was a bowl shaped auditorium that would hold about a hundred people. I had about twenty clustered in the first two rows.  He moved to the top row, furthest from me. He wore a baseball cap and sun glasses which he did not take off as he entered the dimly lit room. He slouched into his seat and—although I wasn’t using them for this training—put a tent card on the desk in front of him. On the tent card was an image of a smoking gun and the motto “make my day.” I made a snap judgment and categorized this person as a resistant learner.

The Response

He was, of course, non-participative during the first two, heavily lecture-oriented days. While I tried to build in as many benefits statements as possible about the content and applications and invite participation, I did not directly address him. As he had put himself out of proximity to the rest of the participants, he did not represent an obstacle to learning for the group and, as he was generally out of my room scan by position, he didn’t affect my presentation or mood. While I didn’t make a point of ignoring him, it was also not necessary to confront him. I certainly don’t believe it would have been productive. Despite his feelings, I knew he was there voluntarily and I also knew that the proof was in the practical application that followed the classroom time.

The Results

During the performance testing portion of the course, overall attitude made little difference. Performance was judged as objectively as possible. He was evaluated on how he prepared his “student” and how he reacted to the challenges on the skydive as well his overall awareness throughout the process. Ignoring some of the lessons from the classroom, he didn’t do well during his initial evaluations. However, realizing that he had to cooperate to graduate, he began to take advice and demonstrate the required performance. Using the maximum allowable opportunities (not uncommon for this workshop), he passed the course.

The Conclusion

When Langevin instructors train other trainers to handle challenges in the classroom, the first response to a challenge suggested is to identify if the challenge is an obstacle to learning for the group. Things that would be considered rude or objectionable in a social situation need to be handled differently in a classroom. Any time a trainer is seen as confronting a student, he or she risks losing the rapport with the group that they have worked so hard to develop. Oftentimes, the best response a trainer can make in the classroom is no overt response – and that is what I decided to do. In this case, the resistant learner had chosen to take himself out of the mix. But, since the training had heavy emphasis on application, the focus soon shifted to the learners. When that happened, my resistant learner did what he had to do and the problem (such as it was) went away.

Paul

I recently encountered a “Dominator” in one of my workshops and used the following techniques to get the group back – without paying the ransom!

PHYSICAL PROXIMITY

While the “Dominator” is speaking, walk toward him/her and stop (linger near them). Experience shows that very often the closer the Trainer gets, the quicker the person finishes talking.  The Dominator’s tangents will get shorter.

USE A DIRECT QUESTION

Rather than single out one participant (and put them on the spot), direct a question to a specific table group when seeking an answer – a group other than the Dominator’s. Someone in the group will be able to answer the question (or at least help each other out).

BUILD A BRIDGE

This is a two-fold strategy. First, compliment the controller by offering praise “we’ve heard some great tips” then redirect the class focus by saying “now let’s hear from someone else.” At the same time, turn your gaze to other table groups. This takes the attention away from the Dominator – without being overt!

These techniques are subtle, but work well – with minimum disruption to the class flow.  For more techniques to deal with difficult participants, see what Mama has to say…

Melissa

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