When the workshop goes over time or is over too soon
Not all groups are equally sensitive to deviations from the planned agenda, but what matters most is a sense of being included in the decision making. If, when conducting a...
When the trainer takes up too much space
If someone from the training team is always the first to speak up in a discussion and speaks for much longer than others, this can result in the participants being...
When participants ignore instructions and requests from the training team
The reasons for this can be so very diverse that the only way to handle it is to try to find the root cause. If this happens during an experiential...
When participants find it difficult to distance themselves from evaluating their personal emotional experience of an exercise
Some people will need more time to “conclude” the process of emotional investment in an experiential exercise. Feeling unsettled is most often tied to being reminded of real life experiences,...
When individual group members or the whole group view the trainers as models of “nonviolent people”
As funny as it may be to be thought of as a model nonviolent person, it is also not really a laughing matter. Perhaps the best way to send the...
When I’m running an exercise, I’m not sure how far I can “push” the participant to get more out of them without them thinking that I’m pushing them in some particular direction
When I ask additional questions of one participant during an evaluation, these are also questions for those who will speak afterwards. If I have five people who have put their...
When colleagues from the training team voice different opinions
Some people hesitate to express an opinion different from that of their team colleagues, because they worry how the group will take it. I stick by the rule that “you...
When a participant takes over moderating the discussion
When a participant starts asking questions of the group or team, expecting an answer before they continue, or when they start behaving like they are responsible for giving the floor...
Unspoken needs
I expect from the team members that they will each be able to express their needs about, for instance, the amount of responsibility they are prepared to take on or...
Uneven distribution of shared time
When some individuals take up considerably more speaking time than others, it is possible and necessary to intervene in a number of ways. The intervention should aim to encourage those...
Unclear line between the roles of trainers and participants (i.e. confusion created by the trainers)
This dilemma does tend to come up. Most often it is when discussing current social problems and analysing their causes and consequences, because in such situations people are easily upset...
The participants are overly ‘politically correct’
When people are afraid of hurting others, they might resort to ‘political correctness’. There is nothing wrong with the intention, but if we are so restrained that we do not...
Team coordination
The training team has the right to not be coordinated! Spontaneous and disparate reactions from the team may sometimes seem awkward or disruptive, but you should keep in mind that...
Summing up/offering commentary/assessing
If, near the end of the workshop, someone reviews the “lessons learned”, assesses the participants or offers commentary on the process, this would contradict the style of working that I...
Subgroup(s) within the group
When some of the participants know each other from before or recognise that they have shared opinions, they may set up a subgroup of their own by always wanting to...
Stage fright when speaking to the participants as the trainer
I would suggest saying not just what you think, but also what you feel, as both dimensions are needed for human understanding. Honesty and transparency, even when you feel unsure...
Quick reactions
Not having quick reactions can sometimes be problematic, but hasty decision making is equally problematic in its own right. In both cases, it is important to remember that I am...
Prejudice and distrust towards the trainers from the very start (due to their age, nationality, gender, etc.)
It would be strange if there weren’t any reservations on the part of the participants, so if it seems to you that there aren’t, it may be a good idea...
Poor working conditions (organisational problems)
Something that can help prevent organisational problems is for all logistical arrangements to be made in writing and in detail, because makes it more likely they will be honoured. Unforeseen...
Poor concentration
Concentration will vary throughout the day. It is important to be aware of this and to take it into account when looking at the tasks ahead. I need not necessarily...
Passivity, silence, drop in energy level
Trainers with less experience are particularly afraid of silence during a workshop, but there is no need for fear. If you do not understand why the group is silent, ask...
Participants preoccupied with themselves and the relationships within the group, excluding the training team is excluded to the detriment of the workshops
If the participants are more active in informal settings, for example during breaks, than during the workshop itself, this means that there is something wrong with how the training is...
Part of the group does not speak up at the workshop
If it is always the same people who refrain from speaking whatever the method or topic, it is important to consider why they may do so and to compare this...
Not listening to each other during plenary discussion
A good working atmosphere begins with the ability to listen to others. When participants are not listening to each other, you can choose to let this escalate so that the...
Loss of concentration/overexertion
The desire to contribute to the success of the training can sometimes make us go beyond the level of engagement that is good for us, making us work when we...
Looking for the team “leader”
Participants will very often try to rank the members of the team for various reasons. We do not practise assigning titles in the team, so we do not have a...
Lack of support from colleagues on the team
Different people will see different things as support. This is why exchange during preparations for the training about what each team member sees and needs as support is a way...
Lack of initiative
If I think someone from the team is not taking the initiative as much as expected, it is always important to raise the issue at the team meeting, because the...
Lack of free time (for informal socialising with the group, self-reflection, etc.)
You should do your best to make sure you spend at least some time socialising informally with the group. After the team’s evening work is done, I set aside at...
Lack of experience
Beating myself up about my lack of experience will not actually help me gain any, nor will it help me understand and accept experience in a way that is best...
Lack of energy
Ten-day training courses are intensive, physically and emotionally demanding, so a drop in energy is a frequent difficulty we face. A drop in energy, and for people with less experience...
Insufficient time to prepare the training content in detail
At CNA, we practise a flexible concept of ten-day training, which in practice means that of the eight working days, we prepare a detailed plan for the first three, and...
Instructions
For many of the exercises, precise instructions are vital: changing a single word can completely derail what was intended, creating either a new version of the exercise or completely ruining...
How to constructively respond to criticism by a participant about the content of the training
One example would be when a participant says, “I need more theory, there are too many games here.” There is no way to meet the needs of all the people...
Great variation in energy levels among participants (one day they want more, the next they have no energy for any activity)
This is also quite normal. In the euphoria of a powerful interaction process, people easily lose sight of their own limits, which may result in exhaustion and prevent them physically...
For multi-layered exercises, getting to the desired level during evaluation
Experiential exercises often have multiple layers that can be evaluated, or the exercise may take an unexpected turn that will redirect the evaluation away from what you had initially planned....
Fear that the training team is taking up too much time and space at the workshop
First check with the team to see what they think. If someone from the team has indeed taken up too much time, discussing it will help resolve the problem. What...
Fear that the group may reject the methods
A group is a collection of individuals and it is uncommon for all of them to think and feel the same way. People may very well perceive some methods as...
Fear of too much responsibility
Communicate your fears with the team. Do this during preparations and during the training itself, if necessary. Responsibility for the training is shared by the whole training team. If you...
Fear of silence at the workshop
Silence is a wonderful thing and can have many different meanings. If the silence confuses me because I don’t know its cause, I can find out by asking the group...
Fear of psychological harm and self-harm
If you fear you may harm the participants or yourself, this is again an issue to be discussed within the team. It may be down to a fear of your...
Fear of participants being overly motivated
Sometimes the group is so enthusiastic and energetic that they keep demanding more and more powerful experiential exercises. This should not be your main indicator when deciding how to continue...
Fear of mistakes and oversights
A responsible attitude is important, i.e. that a mistake or oversight is not the result of neglectfulness. Therefore, if there is fear, it is a concern that comes out of...
Fear of making participants re-live traumatic experiences
This is partly fear of hurting another, and partly a fear of taking on responsibility for something we have no control over (previous trauma), even though it is something we...
Fear of expressing intense feelings of frustration (anger, impatience, disappointment, etc.)
Frustrations of this kind are linked to unfulfilled personal expectations. Remember that what may seem like a small and trivial step forward to you could be a tectonic shift for...
Fear of conflict within the training team
My fear of this type of conflict stems from a fear of having to spend energy building trust within the team rather than on the substantive work of the training...
Fear of admitting your mistake
A good part of the training comes down to people re-examining their actions and attitudes in a safe environment, liberating themselves of the fear of making a mistake and giving...
Failure to uphold common agreement on cooperation/rules
If you follow the recommendation to have the group come up with their own agreement on cooperation, this will make it easier to deal with any failure to uphold the...
Expecting too much from more experienced trainers
This is a problem if people with more experience feel a lack of support. Sometimes the more experienced members are expected to provide support, but it is unclear what kind...
Estimating time needed for exercises
Accurately estimating the time needed is practically impossible, but what you can and should do is follow the plan – keep abreast of how much time you planned, how much...
ears
If you really cannot bring yourself to cry in front of others, then don’t cry in front of others: follow your internal compass. But if you are afraid how others...
During verbal evaluation of the day/workshop at the training, a participant says “pass”
Given the rule of voluntary participation, this is simply the application of that rule in practice. Don’t worry about every little hang-up: it is not your job to find time...
Domination
If one person on the team is quite dominant, the question is whether this is a problem and why. I rarely feel I lack space on the team, but if...
Dominant individuals
If the same person keeps speaking up in open plenary discussions and/or speaks for long stretches, you can react by invoking the cooperation agreement or suggesting that a rule should...
Dissatisfaction with the content, expecting too much of yourself as the trainer
This is again a matter of failing to meet your own personal expectations, which is something you need to deal with individually.
Disagreements about values within the training team
If there is a fundamental disagreement among team members in terms of the values they uphold, it would be good to make these differences apparent to the participants. This is...
Different understanding of the role of trainer – loyalty within the training team
I think it is important to bring up this issues during preparations for the training in order to clarify mutual expectations. I am not prepared to keep quiet, on account...
Different approaches, methodologies, preparation styles and tempos in the training team
Differences in approach always exist and it is important that we have time to discuss them and that we try to respect them during preparations and the training itself. The...
Confusion
“Sorry, can you take over running the workshop, my concentration went bust and I feel a bit lost at the moment.” Or: “Could we take a short break, I feel...
Competitiveness among the participants
Competitiveness is to be expected, but it is not useful for the learning process if it becomes the dominant and permanent mode of behaviour because it can undermine the necessary...
Asking the trainers for the “point”
It is to be expected that some of the participants, especially at the beginning of the training, will view the trainers as teachers who will ultimately tell them what is...
Addressing feelings of like or dislike for individual participants
I sometimes do not have the energy to try to understand people who inflict or advocate injustice against others and I get angry with them, I feel irritated. As a...
Additional organisational or other tasks
Additional organisational tasks are a burden and take away from concentration and energy, so it is best to have a person outside the training team who can be responsible for...
A feeling of unequal distribution of responsibilities
In my experience, I have often been the one taking on more responsibilities when necessary, even though at times this meant a very uneven distribution of tasks within the team....
A bad atmosphere
Whatever the reason behind it, a bad atmosphere in the team is unacceptable, because it drains precious energy, affects cooperation and is easily transferred to the group, so its cause...
“We” speech
When I hear someone speak in first person plural, it always makes me want to ask the person “And who exactly is this ‘we’?”. (I’ll make an exception if I...