Trainers, especially corporate trainers have to put up with 3 types of delegates:
The Learner - These are people who want to be on the training course because they think that they will get something out of it. They are attentive and enthusiastic and if you get a room full of these then your course will go well. If you run a public course then your entire audience is likely to be of this type and they will make your presentation easier.
The Easy Rider - A day out of the office and away from real work is the only reason this person is here. They have little or no interest in the course, and just want to have some fun and freedom on company money.
The Prisoner - They are here because someone thinks that they should be, and that someone does not know what they are talking about. This kind of attendee can kill a course dead, and make it impossible for others to learn. They will typically be disruptive and unhelpful and need to be dealt with effectively.
The Prisoner will usually take one of the following approaches, and the guidance given should help you to limit the amount of damage they will do.
Mr & Mrs Negative
No matter what the subject this person KNOWS that it will not work, and that it is a waste of time.Often their frustration is legitimate and their views are valid (to them), and although they can be disruptive for the well prepared trainer they can offer a good opportunity for discussion.
Solution - Empathy and understanding are important, see if you can determine what the real issue is, and whether you can deal with it. Keep them at arms length, avoid anger or taking the issue personally as this will just add weight to their arguements. If possible bring in others point of view, and build up support for your points.
Mr & Mrs Chatterbox
These people often have an opinion about everything, and they like to vocalise it. They are usually well intentioned, but they have little or no concept of their effect on the training and they just feel that their opinion is worth all the airtime it can get.
Solution - If you find that you have one of these in the room, the easiest thing to do is establish a 2-minute rule, which allows for a maximum of 2-minutes for each speaker, this can be built into a learning contract applicable to all learners. Additional solutions include the Round-Robin approach whereby everyone has a turn to speak, this will not reduce the amount that the Chatterbox wants to say, but it will give opportunity to easily move on to someone else.
Mr & Mrs Segwey
They can talk the hind legs off a donkey, and they move from subject to subject too. Like the Chatterbox, they can be difficult to control, and they can take a training course into some very odd territory so it is wise to deal with them early on.
Solution - Summarize and clarify and keep bringing them back on topic. The fact that they move from topic to topic can work in the trainers favours, as every subject change gives the opportunity to interrupt and come back on track.
BE PREPARED
The best strategy of all is to do your homework first, and get background information on the delegates first. Find out who is there by their choice, and who have been forced. Try to get background on all delegates, and talk with individual line managers.
Try to get an understanding of the current issues and "Hot Topics" for the attendees that might impact on the training sessions.
The more you know about who is going to attend, the more likely you are to be able to get ahead of the game and stop the problems before they arise.
The Prisoner - They are here because someone thinks that they should be, and that someone does not know what they are talking about. This kind of attendee can kill a course dead, and make it impossible for others to learn. They will typically be disruptive and unhelpful and need to be dealt with effectively.
The Prisoner will usually take one of the following approaches, and the guidance given should help you to limit the amount of damage they will do.
Mr & Mrs Negative
No matter what the subject this person KNOWS that it will not work, and that it is a waste of time.Often their frustration is legitimate and their views are valid (to them), and although they can be disruptive for the well prepared trainer they can offer a good opportunity for discussion.
Solution - Empathy and understanding are important, see if you can determine what the real issue is, and whether you can deal with it. Keep them at arms length, avoid anger or taking the issue personally as this will just add weight to their arguements. If possible bring in others point of view, and build up support for your points.
Mr & Mrs Chatterbox
These people often have an opinion about everything, and they like to vocalise it. They are usually well intentioned, but they have little or no concept of their effect on the training and they just feel that their opinion is worth all the airtime it can get.
Solution - If you find that you have one of these in the room, the easiest thing to do is establish a 2-minute rule, which allows for a maximum of 2-minutes for each speaker, this can be built into a learning contract applicable to all learners. Additional solutions include the Round-Robin approach whereby everyone has a turn to speak, this will not reduce the amount that the Chatterbox wants to say, but it will give opportunity to easily move on to someone else.
Mr & Mrs Segwey
They can talk the hind legs off a donkey, and they move from subject to subject too. Like the Chatterbox, they can be difficult to control, and they can take a training course into some very odd territory so it is wise to deal with them early on.
Solution - Summarize and clarify and keep bringing them back on topic. The fact that they move from topic to topic can work in the trainers favours, as every subject change gives the opportunity to interrupt and come back on track.
BE PREPARED
The best strategy of all is to do your homework first, and get background information on the delegates first. Find out who is there by their choice, and who have been forced. Try to get background on all delegates, and talk with individual line managers.
Try to get an understanding of the current issues and "Hot Topics" for the attendees that might impact on the training sessions.
The more you know about who is going to attend, the more likely you are to be able to get ahead of the game and stop the problems before they arise.
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