At some point, each facilitator has to deal with difficult participants. The presentation offers some strategies for the facilitator to utilize without impacting the workshop.

1. Identifying difficult participants and providing strategies
to deal with them.
Dr. Mishkat Al Moumin

2. All facilitators:
Have to manage difficult participants at some point.
Need to have strategies and tools to utilize with such
participants.
Need to be able to maintain difficult participants in order
to minimize negative impact on the workshop.

3.  The latecomer, the currently pre-occupied, the busy beeper, the introvert, the
domineering, the know-it-all, the skeptic, the socializer, the apple polisher, the
bored participant, the confused coworker, the unqualified participant, the sleeper,
and even the substance abuser (Pike and Dave, 1997).
 The talker, the fighter, the withdrawer, the complainer, the unconsciously
incompetent, the distracter, and the rambler (Laurel and Associates, Ltd. 2010).
 Whether they don’t want to learn or can’t learn, there is something that keeps
them from learning (Pike and Dave, 1997).

4. Participants with
behavioral issues:
- The latecomer
- The talker
- The arguer
- The joker
- The beeper
Participants with
academic issues:
-The skeptic
- The incompetent
- The unqualified
- The confused
- Causing
disruption
-
Behavioral
issues to
cover up for
lack of
academics

5. Before Approaching.
Ask Yourself:
•What is keeping the
participants from
participating ?
•What is the desired
outcome?
•How to minimize the
negative impact?

6. If there confrontational on the topic,
- Keep clam and maintain a neutral position.
- Acknowledge their passion and ask where it is derived from.
- Request more information.
- See if there is a happy medium where you can meet the participant.
- With caution, employ humor. Yet, be assertive.
- Avoid the back and forth comments and arguments. Just listen, analyze, and proved
proper feedback when they are done.
If there is a direct confrontation on you as the facilitator:
- Shift the attention from you to the topic..
- Reframe the attack as friendly,
- Avoid using “ you” or “ we”.

7. Coach the participant to behave differently; provide
suggestions and recommendations.
Discuss the source of their behavior and check if it has to
do with the setup of the workshop.
Co-opt the participant and ask for his or her assistant.
Communicate frequently with the participant, so that
he/she won’t feel isolated.

8. Arguing with the participant.
Getting defensive.
Letting the participant control the discussion.
Agreeing with the participant just to end the discussion.

9. In front of the group
Avoid framing the participant
as an ignorant
Bring up the value of the
workshop and why completing
this workshop is important.
Avoid threats such as “ at this
rate, you will not be certified. If
you do this, you will not pass
the certification.”
Maintain the collective
learning experience; a
community of learners.
Defer to the group for
comments

10.  Provide the participants with recommendations and suggestions on
what to do. So that they may figure out how to best benefit from the
workshop.
 Create a safe environment and allow the participant to share his or
her own experience(s) as well take-aways from the workshop.
 Ask clarifying questions to make sure that you are addressing the
issue that the participant had in mind.
 Listen carefully and attentively to address the root issues to help
the participant complete the workshop successfully.

11. Showing impatience.
 Interrupting a participant rudely.
Refusing to acknowledge the participant's desire to
speak.
Making disparaging statements.
Allowing the participant’s monologue to confuse
the group.

12. Questions?