Dealing with Difficult Participants

Dealing with Difficult Participants
Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved

How often do you come across difficult participants in programs that you run?

Difficult participants can come in all shapes and sizes -
- the bossy talker who likes to take over the group process
- the cynical silencer who sits with their arms folded and doesn't say a word throughout the entire program
- the corporate employee who states at the start of the session that they are sick and tired of another "useless waste of time"
-the "know it all" who has an answer to everything and knows more about the material than you do as facilitator

What if I told you there are simple things that you can do to avoid these situations or turn things around?

Here are a few suggestions to consider implementing to avoid some of the difficult participant traps:

1. If feasible, meet with participants prior to the start of a program. This is part of every process for me with group and team coaching programs, but may not always happen if I am running a workshop or facilitation session. Often "difficult participants" emerge if they feel that their voice is not being heard, or their needs being met. I typically spend 10 - 15 minutes with each participant before the start of a program (by phone) and find out from them what they want to take away from the program and how the program fits into their larger picture. It may sound like this is quite time consuming (and it can be) but it does allow me to start connecti with each participant to ensure that their needs are really being met. This upfront work allows for a more tailored program, and for some discussion on expectations even before we are together. It can save a lot of headaches along the way.

2. Have the group develop "Ways of Working", "Terms of Engagement" or "Ground Rules" at the start of every engagement (during the first session if it is a multi-session program). By having the group take ownership of their own process from the start this can allow for peer influence, as well as a reference point for future sessions.

3. Address any concerns individually with participants as soon as possible. This is one of those diplomatic skills you will develop with time and your personality and style will play a key role in how it plays out. If I notice behavior that is disruptive to the group process, I will speak to the participant at the first break about what I am noticing. Sometimes they are not aware of the impact their behavior is having. Awareness allows for choice.
If the impact that the behavior is having on the group is quite extreme, it may be a good idea to create an unscheduled break.

4. Get the difficult participant involved. Sometimes participants crave the spotlight, and if they don't get it will try to hijack the group process to get more attention. Could the difficult participant help with flipcharting? Distributing materials? Several years ago during a two week training program, a participant continuously challenged the process (which was designed by the organization), the situation turned itself around when I got her to undertake the flipcharting for some of the brainstorming sessions we held on a daily basis. All of a sudden, the group's greatest critic, became the greatest advocate for the process. A real turning point!

5. Put it back to the group -- How can we make this a really good use of our time? Once in a while you will come across groups that are highly cynical and feel that the process is a huge waste of their time (especially when it is a corporate mandate). I faced a situation like this a few months ago, and when I asked the group "How can we make this a really good use of our time" we were able to cover both the corporate mandated material, as well as address some of their concerns. I won't say that it was an easy process, but everyone did stay the full time!

I'd love to hear from you --- what were some of your most difficult participant moments and how did you address them? Please feel free to comment below.

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Group Coaching Essentials