Rising to the Occasion: Dealing with Challenging Trainees

Gillian MartinCaptivating Solutions Consultancy

The minute you walk into the room, you feel a positive energy emanating from the trainees

At the end of the presentation, you receive a rousing applause followed by a standing

ovation!

This is an excerpt of a day in training when everything is smooth sailing

Not all days in training are as seamless as described previously

There are days when Trainers are faced with participants who propel them to rise to the

occasion

How do these participants challenge Trainers and how can the Trainers equip themselves to

deal with these situations?

In almost every batch of trainees 1 or more of the following personality types emerge:

‘Negators’ ‘Know-it-alls’ ‘Hecklers’

‘Negators’ put a negative spin on things said or done by the Trainer

The Trainer must manage these ‘Negators’ by remaining positive throughout the training

session

‘Know-it-alls’ are always showing their knowledge and might even challenge the

Trainer

Trainers must manage ‘Know it alls’ by:

being fully knowledgeable of the topic adequately researching the topic preparing for all questions that might be

asked by trainees

‘Hecklers’ are disruptive and often oppose the Trainer

Hecklers may become quarrelsome and aggressive

In dealing with ‘Hecklers’, Trainers should address the issues that need to be addressed

while avoiding unnecessary conflicts

Cognitive Restructuring, the technique of adjusting one’s own thinking in order to

change a situation, was made popular by Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck et al and can be

applied when dealing with ‘Hecklers’

Another technique in dealing with ‘Hecklers’ is to apply one of the seven habits revealed by Stephen Covey in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and that is: “seek to first understand, then to be understood”

Ultimately, the Trainer must remain calm and maintain control of the situation when dealing

with ‘Hecklers’

Complacency, lack of interest and poor attitudes are challenging behavioural issues that

Trainers encounter

Trainers should appeal to persons who exhibit these behaviours by using:

interesting ice-breakers games activities

Trainers should not be intimidated by trainees who are challenging but instead use these

persons as a motivation to rise to the occasion and ultimately improve their training skills

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the

obstacles which he has to overcome while trying to succeed.”

Booker T. Washington

All honour to the Most High God, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us the strength

to rise to any occasion

Gillian Martin provides cutting-edge training programmes and speeches to church

groups:

Some of the programmes offered include: Teaching Skills: “Teaching That Transforms”

Managing Your Emotions: “Cool, Calm, Collected … And Happy!

Successful Meetings: “Meeting in Progress”

Surviving in a Negative/Hostile Environment: “Sailing Through The Storm”

E-mail: captivatingsolutions@gmail.com