Managing Difficult Training Situations Laura Brey, MS NASBHC Training of Trainers April 21-23, 2008 © 2002 Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education 7525 West 10th Avenue Lakewood, CO / (phone) 303/ (fax)

Difficult Training Situations  Identify difficult training situations.  Practice effective strategies for handling difficult training situations.  Conflict is natural; neither positive nor negative, it just is.

 Conflict is just an interference pattern of energies.  Nature uses conflict as its primary motivator for change, creating beautiful beaches, canyons, mountains, and pearls.  It’s not whether you have conflict in your life. It’s what you do with that conflict that makes a difference.  —T. Crum  The Magic of Conflict

Professors These people want mastery and competence. They want to be able to remember the information and to perform the skills that are represented. Professors These people want mastery and competence. They want to be able to remember the information and to perform the skills that are represented. © 2002 Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education. For permission to reprint, call 303/

Friends These people want involvement and engagement with other participants. They want to respond to the topic through interpersonal relations. Feeling tone is important to them. © 2002 Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education. For permission to reprint, call 303/

Scientists These people want to understand and comprehend. They want to reason with the information that is being presented. © 2002 Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education. For permission to reprint, call 303/

Inventors These people want to adapt, modify, extend, explore, and create. They want to reorganize the information into new and different arrangements. © 2002 Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education. For permission to reprint, call 303/

Community Within the Workshop 1. Respect opinions and different views. 2. Listen to each other. 3. Feel safe in the environment. 4. Have an opportunity to both learn and have fun.

The Barriers  Your Reaction  Their Emotion  Their Position  Their Dissatisfaction  Their Power

Breakthroughs to the Barriers BarrierAction Your Reaction Go to balcony Their Emotion Diffuse—step to the side Their position Re-frame—find their “interest” Their dissatisfaction Bridge to their “interest” Their power Agree to disagree Diffuse—step to the side

Overlooked Facilitation Strategies Warm-ups/Energizers Warm-ups/Energizers Shifts energy, focuses participants Norms and Expectations Norms and Expectations Critical for getting “unstuck” Reflection and Processing Reflection and Processing Where true learning and application take place Closure Closure Bridge to taking action and to next meeting Bridge to taking action and to next meeting

Interventions Level 1Do Nothing Level 1Do Nothing Level 2Present Observations Level 2Present Observations Level 3Describe Level 3Describe Level 4Ask Level 4Ask Level 5Direct Level 5Direct Killion, 1999

Staying in Control When Answering Confrontational Questions  Listen—Stay Centered (go to balcony)  Acknowledge/Validate (step to the side)  Drop Voice.  Repeat with a Positive Tone (reframe)  Bridge—their interest to your objective  Move On.

Staying In Control  Set ground rules and use them.  Don’t engage the individual and lose the group.  Don’t give up the microphone.  Use body language and eye contact to stay in control

 Be honest if you don’t know the answer.  Ask clarifying questions  Listen for underlying concern (interest).  Respond to the concern, not the anger.  Leave on a high note. Staying In Control

Directions 1. In pairs, pick a Difficult Situation card. 2. Together, determine the level of intervention needed and the dialogues you would have with that person. Think of as many ways to give your message as possible. 3. Rehearse your dialogues with each other. 4. Be ready to share one or two you are most comfortable with.

Conflict “Conflict can be seen as a gift of energy in which neither side loses and a new dance is created.” —T. Crum The Magic of Conflict The Magic of Conflict

“Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” —Ambrose Bierce —Ambrose Bierce