New Employee Orientation Training

Dealing with Problem Participants

More often than not, the group as a whole is not a problem but there may be a few difficult people in your new employee orientation session. The following are some coping strategies for dealing with specific character types.

The Talkative Type

The talkative participant has something to say about everything. This person always volunteers to be a group leader, to answer questions, or to offer suggestions. He or she seems to want to be the center of attention. To deal with the talkative type, you might say something like, “I appreciate your contribution, but let’s hear from some other people.” You also might suggest further discussion at break or lunch by saying, “In order to stay on schedule and on track, let’s ...