Whenever I’m about to facilitate a workshop, I get pre-match nerves. I hope the people who rock up are going to ‘play nicely’. That they’re going to join in with all the exercises. That they buy into the session plan that I’ve designed so carefully. This is the bit you can’t control - how people will respond. Indeed, the fear of people misbehaving is what stops people from wanting to become facilitators.
For the vast majority of the time, people are well-behaved. People are compliant. They want to do their best and they’re committed to joining in. But just occasionally, people do prove to be challenging.
This is how I would segment them and this is how I suggest you could handle them.
1 The Under-contributors
These are the people who won’t join in. They sit there passively. They either don’t want to be there or feel shy or anxious about contributing. Sometimes it’s hard to tell why they won’t contribute. Maybe they hate workshops. In many ways, these are the worst people to have in sessions as they drain energy and produce very little.
How to deal with under-contributors
Your job is to get them more engaged. For example:
a) Ease them into the session. Do a simple introduction or warm-up exercise so they’re forced to interact.
b) Reassure them that their contribution is important. Encourage everyone to join in.
c) Seek out the quiet ones and ask them directly for their comments or ideas.
d) Get them to write rather than speak. You may well get more out of them.
You have to work hard with this group. Do your best to get them to join in. If they choose not to, that’s not much more you can do about it. After a while, they may well get into the swing of it.
2 The Over-contributors
These are people who dominate conversations. Who always have their hands up. Who have strong opinions. In general, it’s good to have lively, active contributors in a workshop. And they may well have good intentions. But watch out. Throughout a session, their impact can be negative. They enable other people to sit back. They leave no room for others.
How to deal with over-contributors
Your job is to manage and channel their energy
a) Encourage broader participation beyond the lively contributors. Direct the conversation elsewhere. ‘What about the people over here, we’ve not heard very much from you yet’
b) Use break-out groups. This helps focus their contribution, narrow their impact and provides them with less of a platform.
c) Get them to write rather than speak. Ask them to use post-it notes to capture thoughts, rather than shout them out.
3 The Disruptors
These are the tricky ones. People who want to change everything. People who want to challenge decisions, or the whole purpose of the session.
How to deal with the disruptors
Rather than confront them, the workshop process is your best friend.
a) If they want to go ‘off topic’, remind them of the objectives of the session and why we are all here.
b) Use the ‘Car Park’ to capture non-relevant issues that emerge. You can then decide whether to revisit them or not.
c) Sometimes, it may be appropriate to allow the disruptor to let off steam. Once they’ve ‘said their piece’, they often calm down and fall back in line.
d) If you find it hard to control them, elicit the help of the senior client or the disruptor’s boss (if present.) They may have more success.
4 The Distracted
These are people constantly on their phones or playing with their laptops. They often dash in and out of the workshop on ‘important’ business outside of the session.
How to deal with the distracted
Your job is to stop it from taking root.
a) Be clear upfront on the ‘rules of the session’. If you see people breaking the rules, point it out. Have a zero-tolerance policy. Sometimes use forfeits.
b) Get the boss or senior client to lead by example. Let him/her be clear that everyone needs to stay focused throughout. Everyone will follow their lead.
c) Ignore them. If they decide to go off and make a call, pay no attention. If they’re back late from a coffee break, start without them. You can’t let their behaviour disrupt everyone else. The larger group will be grateful to you.
5 The Big Boss
The big boss can be a great ally in a workshop. The maverick boss can be a nightmare. I’ve seen it on a couple of occasions where the big boss has decided to talk about what’s on his/her agenda and take the floor. At this stage, you can feel powerless. It can be quite risky to confront the big boss. You could easily be overruled.
How to deal with the big boss
Your job is to try and rein him/her in, without risking losing control of the session.
a) Take a break as soon as possible. This will give you time to take stock and decide what the next move should be. Have a quiet word with him/her and suggest that the session needs to get back on track.
b) Suggest that the big boss has more important work to be getting on with. That they should leave the workshop and rejoin just from the final session.
c) Work with your client partner or another senior person to help manage the situation. They’ll know the best way to handle him/her. This won’t be the first time the Big Boss has behaved like this.
Summary
To reassure new or aspiring facilitators: don’t let the challenging participants put you off. These situations are relatively rare. To re-iterate, most people are well-behaved in workshops and try to do the best they can.
Overall - the workshop process is your friend. Remind people of the workshop goals. Remind people of the ‘rules of behaviour. Use the Car Park. Don’t confront. Stay calm, do your best. Seek support from others. And if it does go a bit wrong, remember, it’s not your fault. You can only influence what’s in your control. You can’t always manage the behaviour of others.