Managing Difficult Participants—Training Basics

Chapter . Managing Behavior

So you're in the training room, doing your best to help people learn skills that will make a real difference in their jobs and organizations, and what happens? You hear a whispered discussion going on that clearly has nothing to do with the material you are presenting. You watch as other participants nearby become distracted and lean in to hear the side conversation better and get all the juicy details.

Or maybe you have a participant determined to show she knows more about the subject than you do. She interrupts and dominates the conversation every chance she gets. No one is getting a word in edgewise, including you, and the constant challenge to your authority is getting on your nerves.

Maybe you are thinking, “What ...