Tip #345: Avoid Six Mistakes in Handling Unhappy Participants

“It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this.” Bertrand Russell

There are many reasons why participants in a training program may be unhappy and voice or act out their displeasure during the training session. They may not like the topic, the learning activities, the trainer, the timing or location of the training, the other participants, or the very fact that they are in the training. In addition, they may just be having a bad day, drawing issues into the training room that have more to do with their lives or their work rather than with the training itself.

There are six mistakes that a trainer should avoid when faced with participants who are unhappy.

Mistake #1: Ignoring the situation.

It is miraculous thinking to believe that ignoring a bad situation will make it go away. In fact, whether their issues are real or imagined, participants want to be treated with respect. The only way to handle the situation is to listen carefully to their concerns and then give an honest response. If it is an issue that you can do something about, you can offer to consider it and make adjustments where possible. If it is an issue over which you have no control, you can either sympathize or provide a constructive outlet.

For example, a limited time to vent, problem solve, or make recommendations to resolve the issue can help to dissipate the energy fueling the participants’ concerns. In the latter case, it can also give the participants a needed sense that they have some control over the situation.

Mistake #2: Minimizing participant concerns.

Few people appreciate being told that their concerns are trivial or imagined. When participants voice a concern, whether it is rational or not, it is still their reality. Acknowledge the concern. To the extent possible, distance yourself from the cause or the decision makers responsible for the issue. Create a sense of partnership to support the idea that you are sensitive to their concern and will attempt to provide them with skills or resources to address it.

For example, if participants complain that they will not be allowed to apply their new skills back on the job, a trainer can help them strategize how to persuade their management to give them that opportunity.

Mistake #3: Caving in.

Do not make the mistake of becoming so disheartened by the participants’ unhappiness that you minimize the value of the training you are there to deliver- or worse, gloss over large portions of the training to end the session as quickly as possible. A needs assessment presumably identified their need for this training topic and the choice of learning activities. This is the time for the trainer to work at obtaining participant buy-in to the importance of the training, or at the very least, a willingness to participate.

For example, help them identify the benefits of the training or the consequences of not receiving the training. As a last resort, invite unhappy participants to leave the training (with the understanding that you will need to alert their management).

Mistake #4: Taking it to heart.

As mentioned earlier, there can be a plethora of reasons why participants are unhappy that have nothing to do with the trainer. This may not be readily apparent. Apply a proven negotiation technique and reframe a perceived attack on the trainer into an attack on the problem. If the trainer is willing to take conversations off line to explore the root of the participants’ problems, it can help to put a light on the real cause of their unhappiness. It actually might be useful for the trainer to think of this situation as a positive one, in that the participants feel comfortable enough to voice their issues and complaints.

For example, this may be the first time all of the participants have come together and have the opportunity to discuss their complaints. In this case, the trainer can consider providing time during the training or giving a longer break to encourage conversation.

Mistake #5: Assuming responsibility to resolve organizational issues.

Sometimes trainers, in a sincere effort to be supportive and responsive to participants, will promise more than they can deliver. Be frank about your role, your responsibility and the intended scope of the training. Stay very clear about your ability (or inability) to have a positive impact on significant organizational issues. If you are there to conduct a training program, you really have no authority to get involved or interfere.

For example, this is not the time to become a crusader rabbit to ingratiate yourself with the participants. To do so can be the kiss of death for a trainer. You will only irritate or anger the management that hired you and disappoint those for whom you advocate.

Mistake #6: Denying reality.

There may be (hopefully infrequent) times when the scheduled training is simply not going to meet the needs of the participants. If there are outside issues that affect the participants’ focus and attention, it may be necessary to adjust the training content. In some cases, the only practical solution is to end the session and reschedule it for a future time. It would be unrealistic to attempt to continue with the training as planned.

For example, when the participants’ unhappiness is due to an extreme event, such as a death or a disaster in progress that directly affects the participants, converting the session to a mutual support and problem-solving discussion may be the only constructive response.

In summary, the reasons why participants express unhappiness during a training program frequently have little to do with the training. However, it would be unwise for a trainer to ignore the situation, minimize participant concerns, cave in, take it to heart, assume responsibility to resolve organizational issues, or deny reality.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #344: Avoid Three Mistakes In Responding to Participant Evaluations

“Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts.“ Nikki Giovanni

Trainers generally get feedback from their program participants at the end of a session when the participants are asked to complete a written evaluation sheet. No one really enjoys being criticized, especially when great effort has been made to do something as effectively as possible. It is also unpleasant to be blindsided by negative comments when the trainer has believed the training went well. Avoiding these three mistakes should make the evaluation process more manageable and less upsetting.

Mistake #1: Not creating a learning contract with the participants.

A learning contract is a verbal commitment to let the trainer know (privately) as soon as possible if the training content, learning activities, group facilitation or learning environment is not meeting the participants’ needs. There is no guarantee that all of the participants will honor this commitment. However, it can increase the probability that the trainer will learn about problems when there is still time to address them, rather than waiting to the end of the session.

Mistake #2: Taking negative written comments personally.

Training programs occur in the midst of participants’ lives and issues. As a result, there are many variables that can affect their attitudes and degrees of receptivity to a trainer and a training program. For example, if participants are ordered to attend a mandatory training and do not feel free to criticize management, it is highly likely that the trainer will serve as a ready target. So it is important that a trainer give a program more than once to see if there is a continuing pattern of concerns voiced by the participants. If the concerns continue, then they are worth serious consideration.

Mistake #3: Changing what should not be changed.

Participants have different expectations and learning needs. Some are more comfortable with certain learning activities and training formats, while others take issue with them. The key in responding to participant evaluations is to stay true to the goals and learning objectives for the training program. For example, if there is a pattern of some participants voicing displeasure with an application activity. However, the trainer should first consider another way to introduce the activity that may make participants more comfortable with it. Only then, if there is an alternative that will accomplish the same level of learning, should the trainer make a change.

If there is really no other viable option, then Abraham Lincoln’s observation can be adapted as a useful and practical philosophy for evaluation: “You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all the time!”

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #343: Avoid Three Mistakes In Timing Participant Evaluations

“Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.” Franklin P. Jones

Trainers make three common mistakes when they choose the best time to have their participants complete written evaluations.

Mistake #1: Waiting until the very end of a multi-day training program to hand out the evaluation sheets.

There are two major problems with this approach. First, the trainer misses getting immediate feedback on the first day of training that could be used to improve the remaining days.

Second, the recency effect means that the participants will be much more likely to give the trainer feedback about their most recent training experience. As a matter of fact, by the afternoon, participants frequently even have difficulty remembering what they did in the morning!

Remedy: Make sure to have participants complete a written evaluation for each day of the training program.

It is also a good idea to check participant satisfaction with the morning session just prior to breaking for lunch. This can be done quickly and easily by simply having the participants vote with the fingers of one hand. Five fingers mean that the participants are completely satisfied and one finger (caution participants to be careful which digit they choose) means there is a real problem that had better be addressed before the afternoon session. The trainer can request that participants who raised less than three fingers meet briefly with the trainer to discuss their concerns.

Mistake #2: Handing out evaluation sheets at the very end of a training session.

There are also two problems with this strategy. First, participants are ready to pack up and get going at the end of a training program. As a result, they often give short shrift to the evaluation, providing minimal feedback.

Second, the energy of the room diminishes significantly when the participants stop to write their evaluations. It doesn’t make sense to have the training end on a low note.

Remedy: Have participants complete their written evaluations before a closing activity that is more upbeat and celebratory.

Mistake #3: Emailing a link to an online evaluation sheet days after the training session.

If participants cannot remember the morning session by the end of the afternoon, imagine how useful their feedback will be after several days have passed.

Remedy: Email links to online evaluation sheets so that participants have them as soon as they return from the training program.

Participant feedback can be very useful to a trainer, as long as the feedback accurately reflects the participants’ training experience. The mantra for participant evaluations should be: the sooner the better. Also, don’t let the energy of the training session fade at the end of the day. Get the evaluations done before a closing activity that helps the program end on a high note.


May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #342: Avoid Seven Mistakes that Affect Trainer Credibility and Respect

“When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.” Paul “Bear” Bryant

Trainers make seven mistakes that adversely affect their credibility and effectiveness. If you want participants to respect and trust you, follow these suggestions.

Mistake #1. Assuming you are supposed to have all the answers. Just because you are standing in front of the group does not mean that you need to be an expert on the subject. Even if you are an expert, you can still be stumped by a question. If a participant asks a question that you can’t answer, first ask the rest of the group if some has an answer. If no one does, be honest, admit that you don’t know the answer, and promise to find out and get back to them. They say that knowledge is knowing where to find the answers. As long as you follow through on your promise, you will retain your credibility.

Mistake #2. Being afraid to admit that you made a mistake. Trust is an essential element in any learning environment. The participants will be more likely to trust and like you if you are willing to admit when you are wrong. If you do it with humor rather than getting upset about it, the participants will laugh with you, not at you. Your credibility with them will actually increase.

Mistake #3. Not staying aware of what is happening during small group activities. There is the tendency to assume that groups have understood the assigned task and are working well together. Unless you move around the room to listen in on the conversations, you really won’t know if they need assistance, if the assignment needs additional clarification, or if one participant is dominating the discussion. Just be unobtrusive so the participants don’t know that they are being watched.

Mistake #4. Not waiting long enough for participants to answer a question. We are often uncomfortable with silence, so we tend to jump in to rephrase or answer a question much too soon. Participants need time to consider the question and frame their answers. Silently count to ten, or higher if your group is particularly thoughtful. Otherwise, participants will get the impression that you don’t really expect them to answer and are merely asking rhetorical questions. If that happens, you will leave your training session wondering why your participants stopped participating.

Mistake #5. Being afraid to correct incorrect answers to questions. It is a given that participants will sometimes provide the wrong information in response to a question that you ask. Don’t tell them “No, you’re wrong,“ because that will embarrass them and they will not volunteer to answer any more questions. Instead, take responsibility for possibly being unclear when you originally posed the question. Clarify and rephrase the question to coach the participant for a correct response. Bottom line: Don’t ignore or gloss over an incorrect answer, because that will confuse everyone. Calmly and diplomatically get the information back on the right track.

Mistake #6. Not handling disruptive participants. You absolutely need to manage disruptive participants. You create even more problems for yourself if you don’t. Clearly, the learning experience for everyone else will be ruined. Equally important, the other participants will cease to respect you, become uncomfortable, and even feel unsafe because you have not established and maintained control over the classroom.


Mistake #7. Not handling disruptive participants with respect. It doesn’t matter how disruptive a participant may be. The minute you treat that person disrespectfully in front of the group, the entire group will turn against you. Why? They will suddenly feel very vulnerable. Instead, use humor, agree to disagree, ask the group if they agree with the individual, and/or refer to the training room rules of conduct. If none of these approaches are effective, assign a task to the group and ask the disruptive individual to meet with you outside of the classroom.

How you present and handle yourself, the learning process and the participants can positively or negatively impact your credibility and respect as a trainer.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #341: Five Facilitation Mistakes that Trainers Make- And How to Avoid Them

"Strong people make as many and as ghastly mistakes as weak people. The difference is that strong people admit them, laugh at them, and learn from them. That is how they become strong." Richard J. Needham

A good training plan, good content and good learning activities do not automatically ensure a good training experience. The trainer is ultimately responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective learning environment. This begins with training room and training process logistics.

Mistake #1. Not preparing the room. Check all audiovisual equipment and hook ups before the session, to make sure everything is in operating order. Cover or tape down extension cords so that no one trips over them. Have a backup plan in case there is a problem with equipment or software.

Mistake #2. Not checking to see if everyone can hear and see during the session. Always circle the room before a session begins to make sure that all participants will be seated where they can see you and any audiovisuals without obstruction. Move tables and chairs to make adjustments. Then, at the beginning of the session, ask participants to let you know if they can’t hear you or other participants. Also ask them if their seat gives them a clear view and, if not, have them move.

Mistake #3. Not giving breaks. Brain studies have found that people’s brains become overloaded after 50 minutes. If you give the participants ten minute breaks every fifty minutes, you will reap two major benefits. First, they will stay more alert and focused. Second, there will be more beginning and endings to the lesson, which is when participants are most ripe for learning.

Mistake #4. Moving closer to participants who speak too softly. Although it is counterintuitive, you need to move away from soft-spoken people. This will encourage them to speak more loudly so that you (and the rest of the group) can hear them. If you move closer, you will be the only person able to hear what the participant says. In that event, you will continually need to repeat what was said so the group can hear it. This is a great way to lose your voice.

Mistake #5. Talking too much. Limit your lecture to ten minutes, which will keep it a “lecturette.” Then check for participant comprehension by asking or opening up for questions, showing relevant pictures, or assigning a learning activity where the participants have to apply what they have learned so far.

Avoiding these five mistakes will help to ensure that everything possible has been done to set up an effective learning experience and maintain a comfortable learning environment.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #340: Seven Mistakes That Trainers Make When Choosing Learning Activities- And How to Avoid Them

“You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.” Sam Levenson

A great part of the fun in designing and facilitating training programs is selecting which learning activities to incorporate. There is such a wide range and variety of activities from which to choose. However, new and seasoned trainers make seven common mistakes that you should avoid.

Mistake #1. Assuming you know more than the participants. You don’t want to waste time or bore them silly teaching them what they already know. So ask a question first. If a participant can answer it, you can move on to the next topic area. Remember this mantra: Ask participants first. Tell them the information only if no one else can answer you. It is important to recognize and honor the collective expertise in the room.


Mistake #2. Not meeting the needs of different learning styles. We tend to train people either the way we like to learn or the way that was modeled for us in school. Using just one training approach will limit your effectiveness and the ability of all participants to learn. It doesn’t matter what learning style model you prefer. Just keep in mind that people learn differently and enrich the learning activities to meet a wide range of learning needs. At the very least, enhance the activities so that the oral, visual and kinesthetic learners are set up for success.

Mistake #3. Scheduling lots of activities that have no real bearing on the training content. In order to lighten up training and make it enjoyable, it can be very appealing to add icebreakers and activities simply for fun. That is a fine approach if you are hired to entertain, not build skills. However, if the participants need to gain new information or practice new skills, there are lots of interactive and enjoyable learning activities that will get the job done.

Mistake #4. Assuming that dry or technical information needs to be taught in a dry or technical manner. There are a number of participant-centered learning activities that will ensure that the necessary learning occurs. Take the key points and place them into a questionnaire for group discussion. Pair up participants to complete an information sheet by finding key points in rules or regulations. Provide a case study to analyze. Choose activities that put the focus and responsibility for learning on the participants. That will bring the content alive and make both the content and the learning process engaging and interesting.

Mistake #5. Not modeling what you want the participants to do. When you give an assignment, make sure that you not only give clear and complete instructions, but you also walk the participants through a brief example of what you want them to do. If you don’t model the assignment, neither an effective learning experience nor a successful outcome will be guaranteed. Instead, you are likely to be unhappy with some of the participants’ results, and that will further frustrate the participants.

Mistake #6. Not debriefing learning activities. Group activities take time, so it is understandable if a trainer wants to skip debriefing in order to move the lesson along. However, often the best learning occurs during the debriefing. Debriefing requires participants to consciously reflect on their experience, develop their own theories, and articulate what they have learned. As each group reports on their activity, the other groups benefit from their ideas and outcomes. The trainer also has an opportunity to refocus the participants when necessary, add additional information, and provide a final summation.

Mistake #7. Giving a lecture after lunch. It probably goes without saying that post-lunch activities need to be highly interactive to keep the participants awake and focused. Despite this truism, many trainers still proceed to lecture anyway because that is where they are in their lesson plan. Don’t be afraid to be flexible. Before the lecture, add in a quick activity that will check for comprehension of the morning’s content. Ideally, this activity should also get the participants up and moving. There are lots of effective kinesthetic learning activities that are quick and easy to set up, such as: a relay race, pop ups, a scavenger hunt, or a gallery walk.

Don’t make these common mistakes. Choose to use relevant and participative learning activities that engage the participants and ensure a vibrant and validating learning experience.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #339: Five Content Mistakes That Trainers Make - And How to Avoid Them

“An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes that can be made in his subject and how to avoid them.“ Werner Karl Heisenberg

Whether you are a new or seasoned trainer, there are five mistakes you should avoid when you design your training programs.

Mistake #1. Not conducting a training needs assessment. Make sure that you know who your participants will be, why they will be attending, and what they are supposed to know or be able to do when they leave the training. Otherwise, you may end up providing the wrong training to the wrong people, wasting everyone’s time.

Mistake #2. Not identifying the desired level of learning. The fallback instructional method for trainers tends to be lecture, which can only provide knowledge. You need to know what the participants should be able to do when they leave the training. Based on that information, you can decide if the desired level of learning is comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation or creation- and select the appropriate learning activities to achieve that level.

Mistake #3. Cramming too much information into one training session. First, there is only so much information that learners can absorb at one time. Otherwise, they have cognitive overload. Second, the need to deliver lots of information tends to result in a long lecture, which will probably not accomplish the desired level of learning or meet the needs of other learning styles. Third, you need to manage your clients’ expectations and give them just-in-time training in effective adult learning principles. Focus on the critical information and provide reference materials to support the remaining information. This way you can take the time necessary to check for participant comprehension and give them an opportunity to apply what they have learned.

Mistake #4. Putting times on agendas. You need the flexibility to take more or less time when you need it, depending on the group. If you write times next to agenda items, some participants will start to worry if the session is not where the agenda says it should be. Save the participants from needless concern and yourself from unnecessary aggravation. Put the times on your agenda, not theirs.

Mistake #5. Placing all training information on Power Point slides. Training information belongs in the participants’ manuals or handouts. Power Point should only be used to augment the training, not deliver the training. It is an audiovisual on which there should just be a few points or pictures per slide that emphasize or summarize important content.

Following these suggestions will help to ensure that you train the right people at the right learning level with the right amount of information and the right learning activities.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah