{"id":8735,"date":"2019-04-18T09:30:08","date_gmt":"2019-04-18T09:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/?p=8735"},"modified":"2020-01-17T19:43:57","modified_gmt":"2020-01-17T19:43:57","slug":"facilitating-with-difficult-personalities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/facilitating-with-difficult-personalities\/","title":{"rendered":"Facilitating with Difficult Personalities: What to Do When the Unthinkable Occurs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Difficult Personalities, Part 1<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s Monday morning following a long and well-deserved vacation. Although the content is dialed in and the necessary supplies are packed, the bedside alarm goes off nonetheless at 5:30 a.m. It\u2019s winter, the drive is long and you have a solid hour of setup (by yourself) before the nearly four-hour session begins.<\/p>\n

This particular program is part training and part facilitating, but there\u2019s still a lot of work to be done: tables to be arranged; d\u00e9cor to be placed; markers, pens and candy to be added; fidget toys to be positioned; paper and flipcharts to be staged; sticky wall to be hung; PowerPoint to be loaded; and the list goes on.<\/p>\n

The first learner arrives about 10 minutes before class, takes one look at the interactive table arrangements and setup, and immediately declares, \u201cOh! This looks like it\u2019s going to be a lot of work.\u201d Then confides in you that she did not do the reading or pre-assignments and doesn\u2019t really want to be there.<\/p>\n

Her boss joins her a few minutes later and for the balance of the session they are audibly distracting to you and other participants; rarely engaging with their colleagues during the in-class assignments and group work; and constantly on their devices \u2013 checking and responding to email, among other things.<\/p>\n

No one ends up sitting with them\u00a0\u2014 and, honestly, the rest of the class is so engaged that it is almost easier to try and ignore them. But then during quiet work time and self-reflection they\u2019re chatting and cackling. It\u2019s incredibly disrespectful to you and the rest of the class (who, by the way, seem genuinely interested in the content).<\/p>\n

Difficult Personalities, Part 2<\/h2>\n

Fast-forward 48 hours.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s day two of a two-day training on facilitation. You begin the day by asking participants to think back to yesterday. How had they shown up? If they recalled hearing their voices a lot during yesterday\u2019s class, perhaps they\u2019d consider moving back today. And if they\u2019d been less vocal, perhaps they\u2019d consider moving up.<\/p>\n

From there you begin demonstrating a process called getting core agreement. After reviewing the steps involved, establishing the context and helping the group visualize success, your attention turns to a modified SWOT analysis.\u00a0You begin by asking the group to brainstorm the strengths of the team that will lead to their victory.<\/p>\n

As you expect, the list is populated quickly and easily. But as you move on to the weaknesses of the team that threaten their victory, a male participant arrives late\/mid-demonstration. As if in one fell swoop, he both sits down and is the first to answer. You could never have anticipated the words that came next: \u201cWe have too many women!\u201d<\/p>\n

Although each of these two scenarios is different \u2013 including the severity of the disruption and the composition of the\u00a0audience \u2013 the bottom line remains: facilitating with difficult personalities requires a trained facilitator who\u2019s ready and willing to intervene at exactly the right moment with an effective response.<\/p>\n

\"Facilitating
Knowing how to deal with difficult personalities effectively can make or break your association’s learning session.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Difficult Personalities: Some Solutions<\/h2>\n

No matter the difficult personality with which you are faced, following are some initial considerations to mull over as you prepare the intervention:<\/p>\n