Maarad Ji Trading

When a trainer knows that workshop participants are experiencing a very difficult and stressful situation, the training program needs to be carefully designed. There are different activities that can help the participants vent and then refocus their energy in a positive direction.

The best way to approach training during stressful situations is to disconnect the negative transfer of the participants’ issues and concerns into the workshop and then refocus the participants. The mantra is recognize and then refocus!

First, it may be useful to give folks a time to vent. They have feelings and they need some validation.

One way to do this is to have the group to list their concerns, and then go down the list to identify which concerns are valid and which are not. Finally, brainstorm with the group how to address or minimize the valid concerns.

Another way to do this and move the focus on a more constructive response is to set up an oral relay. Have half of the group identify the cons of the situation and half of the group identify the pros of the situation. Then line the participants up in parallel lines, one side with the cons and one side with the pros. They should take turns identifying a con and identifying a pro, which may or may not relate to each other. Just make sure that the last person to speak identifies a pro to the situation.

Second, help the folks recognize the benefits of what they will learn.
It is important to acknowledge the reality of the situation. Pretending that the participants are not distracted by the current stressors is a recipe for disaster. However, that being said, it is also imperative that the trainer redirect their energy toward something positive as quickly as possible. They have chosen to attend that particular training for a specific reason. For example, the trainer might say: “We are all aware of x [the current situation]. That is why it is even more important for us to focus on this information/skill/procedure, because it will help us to y.”

When the participants introduce themselves, have them also explain their reason for attending the training. If there are too many participants for individual introductions, use common ground questions, such as: “How many of you are here because this is a skill that you want to develop?” “How many of you are here because you know that what you learn in this session will help you on your job or in your life?”

Make sure to have an activity in which the participants need to identify the benefits of learning what the session covers. It is possible to make this a fun exercise by adding the element of competition into it: have tables or groups of individuals compete to list the greatest number of benefits in a specific period of time (5-8 minutes). The group that has the most valid benefits wins a prize: (candy bars, a bowl of M&Ms, small novelties from a place like Oriental Trading Company, etc.).

Third, make sure that what they learn will really help them cope, survive, or thrive in the situation. It is imperative to build their confidence in their own competence, and help them recognize that they have choices and can assume some degree of control over the situation.

For example, if the topic is change, include a learning activity that has the participants identify how they have effectively handled difficult changes in their lives. This can build their confidence and remind them of strategies that have served them well in the past.

If the topic is goal setting, give them strategies to set goals within different parameters (different budgets, different enrollment figures, etc.) Then make sure they have an opportunity in the class to practice setting goals.

It is helpful if the trainer is already aware of the issues. However, sometimes issues can blindside the trainer. In this case, the trainer will need to respond without a chance to plan ahead.

There are two very difficult situations in which I was blindsided by the issues and still had to conduct training that may provide additional ideas regarding how to handle participants.

First, I was scheduled to conduct a leadership workshop for the Wisconsin Conservation Corps in the north woods of Wisconsin. People were very late arriving because they had just learned that one of their peers had been murdered the day before. There was an immediate need to give them time to talk through their shock and grief.

Then we focused on what could be done to assist the victim’s family and workplace, because it helps to give grieving folks a plan of action.

Finally, we discussed how to ensure that this situation would not occur again, because the other site managers felt vulnerable and frightened themselves. We spent the morning on these topics.

Then, after lunch, we moved into leadership development activities with immediate practicality: how to establish goals and provide direction to workers impacted by the tragedy, how to manage communications and strengthen relationships with clients who were also impacted, how to ensure a safe work environment, etc.

Second, I was scheduled to conduct a workshop on coping with change for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Several participants arrived red-eyed, because they had just been given pink slips! The focus of the workshop was on bolstering self esteem and identifying effective courses of action to take to maintain physical and emotional well being the face of change.

I made sure to emphasize that organizational changes are not personal- despite the fact that we often describe ourselves in terms of our jobs, we are NOT our jobs. So, even if the job is considered unnecessary at this time, it does not invalidate the work we have done in that job and it definitely does not invalidate us as persons.

A major element of the workshop was to help participants recognize that they always have choices and that they can choose to have control over their situation. In this case, luckily, the workshop content was exactly what the participants needed.

In summary, there are three steps that a trainer can take when it is known that the workshop participants are experiencing a very stressful situation. First, give them time to vent. Second, help them recognize the benefits of what they will learn in the workshop. Third, make sure that what they are learning will really help them cope, survive, or thrive in the situation.