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 advocate – so I would be concerned if I received feedback that I was doing it myself. And if someone on my team did this, it would be important for me to share my perspective as soon as possible and discuss this issue so that everyone could understand both the individual attitude towards and experience of the situation. Participants often expect some sort of final verdict from the trainers, determining who was right. When trainers avoid taking a stance, this can be perceived as distancing themselves from the group, which may give rise to a feeling that the trainers are observing and judging. Of course, there’s no reason why the trainers shouldn’t express their thoughts and feelings in general: they just have to be careful not to let these interfere with the work or be prejudicial to it.
