7

Managing Difficult Participants

What’s Inside This Chapter

• Why facilitators label some learners as difficult

• How to stop labeling people and start labeling behavior

• The thought process that drives facilitator reactions to disruptive learner behavior

• Choosing to act on a professional agenda rather than on a personal agenda

• Specific facilitator techniques that manage disruptive behaviors without disrupting the learning

It Takes All Kinds of Learners

You can expect several types of learners in any learning environment. First, there are the people who want to learn and who are there voluntarily, but have idiosyncrasies that can unintentionally get in the way of the learning. Next, are the people who want to hone a skill or pick up new ideas, who also have idiosyncrasies and knowledge, skills, or expertise that can unintentionally get in the way of the learning. Then there are the people who have been sent to your course by their managers—they have to be there, but they don’t want to be. Even though their bodies are in the seats, their minds were “checked at the door.” These are usually the people who will do everything possible to intentionally disrupt the learning session. Finally, some people will be in your course simply to take a break from the daily grind—they really don’t care one way or the other about the material, and their lack of involvement can also disrupt the learning.

Regardless of which group a participant belongs to, these groups have some things in common:

• They are trying to fulfill their individual needs and agendas, which may or may not be related to the learning experience at any given moment.

• Their individual agendas drive their own (and sometimes the group’s) behavior, which can disrupt the learning.

• Facilitators tend to label them as difficult participants.

A Clash of Agendas

What causes a person to be labeled a difficult participant? Say that a participant challenges your expertise in front of the class—whether face-to-face or in the virtual classroom—because of a personal agenda of wanting to be acknowledged for his expertise. This behavior is not directed at you, and it’s not about you—but it feels like it is!

It’s very easy for you to react personally, and for your own personal agenda to arise, which includes proving your expertise to avoid damaging (or possibly even enhancing) your own credibility in front of the class. But when a behavior arises out of your own personal agenda and you get into a debate with the participant, who wins? No one!

Poor behavior on the facilitator’s part disrupts the learning process just as much as the participant’s original behavior does. One of you (if not both) will lose face, the class is disrupted, the participant involved becomes an “enemy” and will probably accelerate his behavior, or work behind the scenes to discredit you. In addition, the rest of the group is excluded from the learning experience and you’ve lost credibility as a facilitator because the rest of the group will hesitate to continue to participate for fear of getting into a similar debate if they express their opinions.

In short, learning ceases because the facilitator has taken the participant’s disruptive behavior personally and has acted on that reaction.

No way, you say: “I don’t take their behavior personally! That’s not me!” An observer would beg to differ, starting with the label difficult participant. Labeling others as difficult is as personal as it gets! And, think about who they are making it difficult for—you and other participants! If you think that this person is difficult and that you have to make him stop being that way, you are much more likely to personalize your responses. In doing so (getting drawn into a debate, for example), the situation becomes “all about you,” rather than about the learning.

A Closer Look

To make matters worse, this turmoil happens so quickly in your mind that you’re usually not even aware it’s going on! To make sense of this situation, slow it down and recognize that what’s happening is a complex thought process with several steps, beginning with the learner’s behavior and ending with your behavior.

Let’s take a “slow-motion” look at an example, breaking down the process into steps:

1.  Learner behavior occurs: challenges facilitator’s expertise.

2.  Facilitator thinks, “This learner is being difficult by challenging my expertise.”

3.  Facilitator thinks, “I’ve got to save (or, I hope, enhance) my expertise and credibility in front of the group. I can’t let this learner embarrass me.”

4.  Facilitator thinks, “I’ll show him that I’m right,” and launches into a debate with the learner.

5.  The situation (in this case, a debate) escalates: The facilitator must now prove she is right, or credibility is lost. The learner must prove he is right, or humiliation will occur.

6.  The rest of the learners become disengaged, even embarrassed at having to witness the exchange.

7.  Result: The learning is disrupted and the facilitator has lost credibility (which is the main thing she was trying to avoid).

In the online environment, learners can still challenge your expertise. Usually they will send their comments to you through email or maybe a video chat. Even though you’re not in front of others, you may perceive it as a challenge to your expertise and respond accordingly. As noted, the learner may either become disengaged or continue to challenge you. In either case, learning is disrupted.

A Better Way

A facilitator’s response to difficult behavior must be depersonalized. This depersonalizing process begins by making a change in how difficult participants are considered. Rather than label them difficult participants, call it disruptive behavior. In this way, you are labeling the behavior—not the people—which is a good place to start depersonalizing the event. The term disruptive is also less personal and more accurate in describing the effects of that behavior.

When dealing with disruptive behavior, your job is to set aside your personal agenda and concentrate on fulfilling your professional agenda, which is, without fail, to make the learning happen. This agenda is true no matter what the situation or learning environment, but is particularly important when in the presence of disruptive behavior. Your actions must always focus on helping the learning occur. Figure 7-1 illustrates what must happen in a facilitator’s thought processes when disruptive behavior occurs.

Figure 7–1. Recognizing and Responding to Disruptive Learner Behavior: Understanding the Thought Process

Believe it or not (and, frankly, like it or not), acting on the professional agenda of making learning happen often means helping the participant in question meet her personal agenda—momentarily and temporarily. If you have successfully depersonalized the situation, those things won’t matter nearly as much as your desire to continue the learning.

When a facilitator acts on a personal agenda, it gets in the way of the learning for everyone—not just for the disruptive participant. So the effective facilitator chooses not to acknowledge or act on personal agendas. Is this easy to do? Not always. It means focusing your efforts on the learning process and letting go of personal needs that might crop up in response to the disruptive behavior. It means doing whatever it takes to support and continue the learning process—even if it means giving in to a specific participant and letting her have what she wants even when you personally don’t want to do so.

More often than not, once you meet that person’s agenda, the agenda goes away and the disruptive behavior is extinguished. So, if the participant’s agenda is “wanting to be acknowledged for her expertise,” and your only agenda is to “make the learning happen,” you can see that by allowing a few minutes for this person to pontificate (for online learners, this may be in the form of a long email or attached document explaining her perspective), her agenda will be fulfilled, the disruptive behavior will stop, the group will probably have learned something new, and everyone can get on with the learning. You have successfully chosen a facilitator behavior that focuses on the learning, not on yourself.

Does the disruptive behavior extinguish itself once you have met the learner’s agenda every time? No. Sometimes allowing a learner to take the spotlight and pontificate can cause that person to become even more disruptive by wanting to be the expert in many discussion points. He may also try to monopolize the class discussion. If this happens, a new disruptive behavior is recognized and must be managed.

Does this approach mean that your personal agendas go away, that your personal need for credibility as a facilitator isn’t important, or that your opinion that a participant is truly difficult isn’t valid? No—your agendas and opinions are just as valid as anyone else’s; you just can’t act on them in the learning moment. The moment you act on a personal agenda, the course becomes about you, not about the learning or the participants. As one consultant says, “You can have your personal agenda after 6 p.m.,” meaning that facilitators must vent and express personal agendas outside the learning environment, and only with trusted colleagues.

Making a Judgment Call

What happens if you take all the recommended steps for shutting down disruptive behavior and it still continues? At that point, you have a dilemma. The science of group dynamics has shown that when disruptive behavior is allowed to continue, the group sometimes will eventually shut down that behavior themselves. Some of the things they will do in this regard include:

• shunning the participant who is behaving disruptively

• using negative nonverbal behaviors, such as eye rolling

• ignoring and not responding to the participant’s remarks

• carrying on side conversations or chats

• searching the Internet or even leaving their mics open, causing unnecessary noise or feedback when that participant is speaking.

This is a more desirable scenario than having to continue to deal with the behavior or having to shut it down yourself, but it doesn’t always happen this way.

So, should you wait and hope the group will become so frustrated with the behavior that they shut the person down? Do you continue to act on your professional agenda in dealing with the behavior and hope that the third time is the charm? Do you take the matter into your own hands and deal with the person in a more disciplinary manner?

It’s your call. There will be times when you believe you must act more leniently than you’d like or more firmly than you’d like. That is your judgment call. As another colleague says, “Once you know the rules, you know when to break them.” Sooner or later, you will experience the catch-22 of facilitation: If you err on the side of leniency, you will receive negative evaluations that say you are “too nice.” If you err on the side of firmness, you will receive negative evaluations that say you are “too strict.” Although your desire is to always have your facilitation be “just right,” sometimes it just comes down to a judgment call.

Table 7-1 presents a comprehensive list of many of the disruptive situations that you may experience, as well as a range of solutions, including:

• identifying participant behaviors that facilitators tend to think are disruptive to learning

• recognizing typical facilitator personal agendas that can occur in each disruptive situation and the responsive behaviors that should not be used

• noting typical participant agendas that drive disruptive behaviors

• reminding you that your professional agenda is always to enhance and make learning happen

• offering a range of facilitator responses that can fulfill your professional agenda and are most likely to allow learning to continue, as well as a reminder that often the most effective facilitator behavior involves fulfilling the participant’s personal agenda—momentarily and temporarily.

In general, facilitator tactics for handling disruptive behavior, whether face-to-face or in the virtual classroom, should include:

• not getting caught in one-on-one power struggles

• using good-natured humor

• connecting with the participant on a personal level

• broadening the participation of the rest of the group

• protecting participants as needed

• using a separate issues chart, a “parking lot,” or an electronic whiteboard

• postponing issues until they are appropriate for discussion

• recognizing the learner’s point and then taking the discussion offline during breaks, lunches, or at the end of the day (for the virtual classroom, the learner could remain in the session at the close of the day or have a follow-up virtual meeting or phone conversation)

• changing the small group composition

• modifying activities or instructional strategies.

Table 7–1. Dealing With Disruptive Behavior

Anticipate and Prepare

One last thought on this subject: Be prepared! There are several things you can do prior to facilitating a learning event that can help you anticipate and prepare for the most likely disruptive behaviors.

One thing you can do is review evaluations from previous courses with the same participants, on the same subject, or both. Make note of comments regarding the difficulty of the subject matter and the participants’ satisfaction with the facilitation. If possible, get information about the participants from a facilitator who has worked with them in the past. You can also find out from managers—or the participants themselves—about the participants’ learning styles, work environments, and enthusiasm about the learning event. Keep up with organizational issues that could be on the participants’ minds, such as downsizing, annual performance appraisals, organizational change efforts, and so forth.

Here are a few suggestions to help you be better prepared to manage learner disruptive behavior:

• Make a card, poster, or sticky note that says, “My professional agenda is to make learning happen” and put it in a place where you will see it often at work and in the classroom.

• Make a list of disruptive learner behaviors that are hot buttons for you and make it harder for you to control your reaction. Simply identifying these behaviors and posting the list in your office will help you remember to behave differently.

• Make a list of the reactive behaviors that you tend to use most often when a participant behaves in a disruptive manner. Ask a trusted colleague to observe you (in a classroom, meeting, or presentation) and identify the reactive behaviors that he sees. Are the two lists the same? Do you exhibit some behaviors that you aren’t aware of?

• Plan steps you can take to help you recognize that a personal reaction and agenda are about to emerge in a situation and to help you remember to act on your professional agenda (take a deep breath, count to 10, call a break, take a drink of water, and so forth).

Managing Difficult Participants in an Online or Virtual Environment

You may encounter the same types of disruptive behavior in the virtual classroom as in face-to-face situations. However, some disruptive situations in the online environment call for other responses. For example, if a participant is not submitting assignments or engaging in the threaded discussions, you should make direct contact to get a clear picture of the situation. For example, the learner may not be engaging because of a lack of clarity on the assignment, personal issues, or not understanding the technology and how to submit the work. Showing interest and understanding is important while coaching the participant to address any issues.

If a learner refuses to change her behavior in the virtual classroom, you have the option of muting her microphone (only in extreme cases) and then discussing the behavior after the session, or later using video chat or a direct call. You can also send the individual a private note.

The design of the online or virtual course may call for teamwork. In these situations, there may be a team member who is a “free rider”—he may not communicate with others, submit complete or quality work to the team, or treat other team members with dignity and respect. Peer coaching and accountability is important in these situations. The team leader or other members of the group should address the disruptive behavior and provide complete feedback with possible repercussions.

To support teams in an online or virtual training situation, each team should complete a team charter, such as the sample shown in Figure 7-2. The charter documents each team member’s contact information, commitments or assigned tasks, and individual skills, as well as the team ground rules and how to address any conflict.

Figure 7–2. Team Charter

Another way to help address disruptive behavior is to provide peer evaluations, which provides a mechanism for each team member to assess the contribution of the other team members (on an individual basis) across 10 dimensions. A sample team peer evaluation is provided in Figure 7-3. In an academic situation the team could affect the person’s grade (positively or negatively). In the corporate setting, on the other hand, you can use this information to coach the participant, and it may also serve as documentation for performance management. While usually confidential, you can share themes with the participant.

Figure 7–3. Team Peer Evaluation

If all else fails, the team can elect to have the team member removed from the team. When this happens, the individual then must:

• Take initiative and see if he can join another team.

• Complete the team project(s) as an individual contributor.

• Leave the training course.

Getting It Done

Managing disruptive behavior is not easy. It’s a challenge that is unique to each facilitator. The key is to recognize the thought process that is occurring and then choose the facilitator behaviors that apply.

Table 7-1 illustrates both the disruptive behavior thought process and potential facilitator actions. Now it is time for you to apply this information to your own facilitation using the checklist in Exercise 7-1.

Exercise 7–1. Preparing to Deal With Disruptive Behavior

Instructions:

1. In the left column, identify disruptive behaviors that you will likely encounter during your course.

2. Put an X in the space next to the actions you plan to use to deal with the disruptive behavior.

3. Add any additional actions you could use in the blank space provided.

Learner’s Disruptive Behavior	Facilitator Actions That Meet the Learner’s Agenda and Continue the Learning
Side conversations	___ Behave as if you believe the side conversation is class related and ask the participants to add their thoughts. ___ If you are lecturing or leading a discussion, slowly move into the part of the room where the disrupters are, continue the lecture or discussion, and don’t look at them as you continue. ___ Change the pace of the activity; do something active (have participants make flipcharts or put them in small group discussions). ___ Re-form groups. ___ At the start of the next session, revisit the class norms and ground rules. ___ Send a private note within the virtual session. ___ Other.
Talks too much; monopolizes discussion	___ If he is on the subject, begin talking with him and summarize his point. Then turn to others and invite their participation: “What does everyone else think?” ___ Avoid eye contact with her for a while. ___ If he is off target, say, “Great point, but it is beyond the scope of our class. Let’s talk about this together offline.” ___ Put her issue on a “parking lot” flipchart or virtual whiteboard. ___ Change the pace of the activity and have participants do solo work for a short time. ___ Other.
Daydreams or surfs the web; not really “in the class”	___ Change the current activity to make it more active or involved. ___ If the daydreaming is organization related and more than one person is doing it, acknowledge it and allow a short discussion, then move on. ___ Talk to him privately during a break or after the daily session and ask how the class could be better meeting his needs. ___ Send a private note within the virtual class. ___ Frequently link content to the job. ___ Other.
Complains; is negative about class or organization	___ Ask if others feel the same way. If they don’t, then offer to assist or listen to him during break. ___ If others do feel the same way, facilitate a “productive tangent.” ___ Acknowledge the complaint, then turn group discussion to strategizing how to overcome it. ___ Put the issue on the parking lot or virtual whiteboard. ___ If valid, incorporate it into the action planning to have the learner address the issue. ___ If online, engage in an electronic exchange or make direct contact to discuss the issue. ___ Other.
Heckles the facilitator	___ Give her attention in a learning-oriented way rather than encouraging the heckling. ___ Change the activity so that the participants are interacting with one another rather than with you. ___ If the heckling continues, talk with the person privately. In the virtual classroom, the private conversation needs to take place following the day’s session either by remaining in the virtual classroom or with a follow-up call. ___ Ask if the class is meeting his needs. If not, or if he doesn’t want to be there, acknowledge and support that within the constraints of the program. If the disruptions continue, send him back to the job. ___ In extreme cases, the virtual classroom will allow you to mute her mic. ___ Other.
Challenges the facilitator on content or technique; “know-it-all”	___ Give the person the spotlight for a few minutes. ___ Turn the exchange into a discussion by implying that there are multiple points of view and all should be addressed. Ask for other opinions from the rest of the group. ___ In the online environment, engage in a written exchange. ___ Other.
Tells jokes or clowns around at inappropriate times	___ Give him attention by reengaging him with the content without acknowledging the joking behavior. ___ If the jokes are intended to relieve tension, help the group by bringing up the discomfort directly, or put them in small groups so they can discuss more comfortably. ___ When a joke is funny and at the right time, laugh! ___ Other.
Makes an inappropriate remark (sexist, racist, etc.)	___ Deal with it in front of the group; it cannot be ignored. ___ First, give her a chance to retract: “I’m sure you didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” If she does retract, move on. ___ If the person does not retract, say in front of the group “Unfortunately, that view is not in keeping with the values of our organization, and we can’t have any more of that.” Speak with the person during break—and even report the behavior to his manager if necessary. ___ Revisit the norms and ground rules for respect of others. ___ Other.
Does other work, reads the newspaper, surfs the web, or takes cell phone calls	___ Speak to her during a break and point out that her behavior leads you to believe the class is not meeting her needs. Ask how the class can better serve her needs, and try to do that. ___ Send a private note within the virtual class. ___ Acknowledge the pressure. Negotiate with the participant to appear engaged so that his behavior doesn’t affect the rest of the group. ___ Offer to have her attend another session. ___ Other.
Silent, doesn’t participate verbally	___ Create opportunities for him to participate safely in pairs or small groups. ___ Pace some activities so there is reflection time included before participants discuss and share opinions. ___ If you can tell by her body language that she is engaged, listening, reacting, and thinking, consider simply leaving her alone. ___ Send a private note suggesting the learner use the chat function within the virtual class.
Withdraws from group interpersonally or physically	___ Ask the person at the next break what is going on and how you can help. Deal with the issue accordingly after that. ___ Have small groups rotate persons presenting. ___ Encourage groups to have all members actively involved. ___ Other.
Goes off on tangent; misses the point	___ Find one thing to agree with in what he has said. ___ Affirm and compliment her effort to stay engaged with the content. ___ Say, “That would be a logical assumption; however, the truth is….” ___ If her effort is contrived to see what you will do, the most effective behavior is to address the content of the question rather than take the bait. ___ Other.

Adapted from McCain and Tobey (2004, 125-128).