Posted on October 18, 2010 by admin

“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 #331: Training is Not Like Baking a Cake: It Is Not Always Easy to Satisfy Participants

Posted on July 12, 2010 by admin

“Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.” Theodore Isaac Rubin

A training program doesn’t just happen. After long research and worry and planning, after reorganizing, whittling, second-guessing and wordsmithing, a training design gradually takes shape. The final lesson plan identifies thoughtfully conceived learning goals and learning objectives, and plots out a variety of learning activities carefully selected to provide specific knowledge and skill sets. Participant materials are developed, along with supplementary handouts and audiovisuals.

In anticipation of the training day, the trainer trusts that the different phases of the lesson will play out as planned, the training modules and learning activities will flow smoothly, and the participants will be engaged to learn what they are supposed to learn.

That is what every trainer hopes and prays will happen. And when it does, when the training design works and the facilitated program accomplishes what it was designed to do, the sense of gratification and validation is amazing!

Unfortunately, it is not always easy to satisfy training participants. Providing effective training is not the same as baking a cake or building a house. The baker and the builder know the exact needs and desires of their clients, and better yet, are able to fulfill them. The trainer is in a very different situation, because the trainer’s clients are rarely the training participants.

Yes, the trainer, the baker and the builder each follow a plan: the trainer has a lesson plan, the baker has a recipe, and the builder has a house plan. Each plan identifies the necessary materials and ingredients, tools and steps, and recommended sequence of events and even timeframes. The difference is that the customer chooses the cake, the client chooses the house plan, but the training participants frequently do not choose the training.

When the baker uses the proper ingredients, follows the recipe’s instructions, has the necessary baking expertise and equipment, and, understands the baking process and how the ingredients interact, the cake will be made to order. Even if there is a power failure or other interruptions, the cake can ultimately be baked to the customer’s satisfaction. The baker knows that the customer wants this particular cake.

When the builder uses the proper building materials, follows the building plan, has the necessary building expertise and tools, and understands the building process and how the different components of the house relate to each other, the house will also be built to order. Even if there are labor disputes and weather delays, the house can ultimately be built to the buyer’s specifications. The builder knows that the buyer wants this particular house.

Conversely, the trainer can use the proper participant materials and learning activities, follow the lesson plan, have the necessary training expertise and tools, and understand the adult learning process and how the different training modules relate to each other, and still provide a training program that does not satisfy the participants.

There are two reasons for this. First, the trainer may know that the client wants this particular training. However, the client may have misunderstood or misrepresented the actual training needs, misidentified the appropriate target audience, or scheduled the training at an inopportune time. The client may have chosen to fill space in the classroom with individuals who have no need for the training. If the training is focused on the wrong topic, or if the wrong people are in the room, it is perfectly understandable if the participants are not pleased.

Of course, a seasoned trainer will adjust the content and learning activities during the training to accommodate the participants’ real learning needs, to the extent possible. It takes a lot of energy and quick thinking, but it can be done. (The trainer will collapse from fatigue after the workshop, when the adrenalin rush passes!)

Second, the purpose of training is often to push participants out of their comfort zones. It may require them to learn policies, procedures and skills that may be very different from those they have practiced for years. It may establish an expectation that the participants will change certain attitudes or behaviors. It may deal with topics that are uncomfortable. Satisfactorily completing the training may even be the basis for their job continuation, certification or promotion.

So the participants may approach the training with fear and trepidation. If the training is mandatory, they are often understandably resistant and unhappy. In those cases, the trainer is a very convenient target for their animosity.

A good trainer anticipates probable participant concerns, and designs activities to validate, address, minimize, or divert them. The unknown variable is always the participants. Will they cooperate with the trainer? Will they actively participate in the learning activities and willingly learn the training content?

Hopefully, everything comes together: the training is timely and necessary, the right people are in the room, and the participants see the benefit of learning the content.

Then training is just like baking a cake and eating it, too!

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Category Archives: satisfy participants

Tip #345: Avoid Six Mistakes in Handling Unhappy Participants

Tip #331: Training is Not Like Baking a Cake: It Is Not Always Easy to Satisfy Participants