How do you handle disinterested Leadership Training participants?

Lack of trust can often be a root cause of disinterestedness in an organization's leadership programs. Be sure that your participants trust that you have their best interests at heart and that you are not just going through the motions. Offer an opportunity to leave anonymous feedback too. After all, if the program's ineffectiveness is due to a lack of trust, the participants may not trust enough to offer honest feedback.

Siempre vamos a tener 𝟯 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗼𝘀 𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀: 𝟭) 𝗩𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘀: Ven el entrenamiento como unas mini vacaciones. 𝟮) 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀: Están realmente interesados en aprender. 𝟯) 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀: No quieren estar, te ven como su enemigo. La idea es convertir vacacionistas y prisioneros en estudiantes, ¿cómo hacer eso? En mi caso que trabajo con habilidades blandas es más fácil porque trasladas los conceptos a la vida personal y familiar. Es más difícil cuando es un entrenamiento técnico. Siempre debemos tratar de relacionar la capacitación con algo que les interese a los asistentes, a nivel global a todos les interesan 3 cosas: 𝗺á𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼, 𝗺á𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝘆 𝗺á𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀.

To address disinterested participants, identify controllable and uncontrollable factors. For example, if surveys show lack of motivation due to irrelevant content (controllable), adjust the material. If participants face personal issues (uncontrollable), offer support but focus on what you can change. Use surveys, interviews, or observations to gather insights before, during, and after training. Feedback always helps tailor your content, delivery, and activities to meet participants’ needs.

First, know who the audience is, and where their interests lie. And make it worth watching! I look internally first if I suspect I'm not getting to an audience. I start with a story, often one I feel will gain attention of all there, and not offend anyone, which is tough these days! That is all front-end work! On the back end, I pay careful attention to feedback from the audience. They brought me in to cover something. Did I get it done, and if not, what was missing! Margaret Truman, daughter of President Truman, attempted to sing. A Post review was brutal. Truman threatened the write with a punch in the nose! We all have gifts. Using yours appropriately will gain interest!

Speaking on a very practical level, I’d first ask, Why are they there? If they are in a leadership or management role, then yes, they should be there, and they need to be trained in how to lead, engage, and support people. You need to sit down with them and explain exactly why this is, and gauge if they are truly in the right role. (They might be happier and more effective in a different one.) How did they get the role? Did they show leadership qualities and interest? Or do they just have seniority and it was their turn? Or, are they a high-performing individual contributor that someone felt deserved a promotion to management but that wasn’t vetted for leadership potential? I’d have many questions, but this would be my first one.

Leadership is a complex ven diagram of personal and professional perspectives. If folks are disinterested - that means they have a prior experience that means they don not anticipate receiving value for their time spent. I would start with that - asking the question of how can we eliminate leadership training? Followed by the brainstorming activity of why leadership is important. Let them engage themselves as a contribution to the conversation.

I mentioned this in another thread--you can't reach everyone. Sometimes, no matter what you do--there will be those that have absolutely no interest in what you are saying. Don't beat yourself up with those that are completely disinterested or disengaged.

Handling disinterested participants in leadership training is challenging, especially when their disinterest is rooted in the belief that they are the smartest person in the room. This root cause is highly detrimental, as it not only undermines the training process but also fosters an environment of arrogance and closed-mindedness. Such participants are unlikely to engage with new concepts or consider alternative perspectives, stifling their own growth and the potential for collaborative learning. This mentality leads to a toxic leadership culture where self-perceived superiority overshadows the values of humility, continuous improvement, and team collaboration. Consequently, this erodes the trust and morale of their peers and subordinates.

𝗢𝗻𝗲-𝗼𝗻-𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Hold private conversations with disinterested participants to understand their perspectives, concerns, and reasons for disengagement. 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: Use anonymous surveys and feedback forms to gather honest input on what might be causing the lack of interest, identifying common themes and issues. 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿: Pay attention to body language, participation levels, and interaction patterns during training sessions to identify signs of disengagement and potential root causes.

I use humor and do all in my power to elicit responses from the audience. I don't stand behind podiums and read Power Points! I look them in the eye and come down to them.

Personalmente suelo utilizar lo siguiente: ✅𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗹í𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘀 para darle traducción visual y emocional a los conceptos. (Aquí se incluye lo auditivo y visual). ✅𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶ó𝗻: Son fragmentos de las diapositivas en donde se indica que lo que sale en la pantalla ellos lo tienen allí, de esta manera llenan el contenido y el concepto se co crea. Ejemplo los 4 estilos del liderazgo situacional, entonces en la hoja de ellos está la matriz sin los nombres para que la llenen. ✅𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘀: Al finalizar hago una competencia de preguntas de selección múltiple, única respuesta a través del celular. ✅En el caso de dinámicas de grupo, uso 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘀.

To incorporate active and diverse learning methods, follow these steps: Assess Preferences: Understand your audience's varying learning styles, preferences, and skill levels. Mix Formats: Utilize lectures, discussions, case studies, simulations, role plays, or projects to accommodate diverse learning needs. Use Interactive Tools: Employ polls, quizzes, videos, or podcasts to bolster engagement and retention. Encourage Peer Learning: Foster collaboration by forming small groups, pairs, or teams for activities or assignments. Assign Roles & Tasks: Designate specific roles, tasks, or challenges within groups to promote interaction and cooperation.

This is really important. I use a lot of applied learning, especially case analysis. Learning from those that have traveled that path, successful or not, is important. While some don't appreciate it, I also use group assignments. We learn different ways to solve problems and compare outcomes.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: Incorporate interactive activities such as group discussions, role-playing, and hands-on exercises to make the training more engaging and participatory. 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀: Use a variety of multimedia tools, including videos, podcasts, and infographics, to cater to different learning styles and keep the content dynamic and interesting. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀: Integrate real-life case studies and scenarios relevant to the participants’ roles, making the training more practical and applicable to their everyday work.

Another factor from a practical perspective could be bandwidth. How much time do they (truly) have in their current week, month, or quarter to devote to this training and development? Leadership (and people management) training needs to be prioritized within companies alongside their financial and growth goals! Time and space need to be created not only for the training but also for the skills development, practice, and feedback regarding it.

Face it heads on. Don't take things too personally and address the issue. If, in lecture, I say something that has offended, I think about it, and move on, making every effort to appease the situation.

A mi me desafían. Y lejos de molestarme los agradezco porque si logro entender cuáles son los objetores que presentan hay un camino para recorrer. Muchas veces prefiero al que lo dice abiertamente antes que al que se mantiene afuera de la conversación grupal con una actitud displicente. Normalmente una vez pasado el primer tiempo de warm up directamente lo abordo con la pregunta de qué piensa de lo que conversamos. Una de mis fortalezas es la empatía con lo cual habilito mucho la objeción y lo digo abiertamente: pueden decirme por qué no están de acuerdo. Eso suele bajar las tensiones porque al habilitar el disenso las personas se sienten con derecho. ¡Y enhorabuena! Tienen derecho a disentir porque solo ellos saben cómo se sienten.

Did I cover the necessary material? Exit surveys can speak volumes if we pay attention! Ask the audience of questions remain!

Follow up is key, particularly if there were questions or unknown points that came up during discussions. It’s surprising how many times this simple act is overlooked. Yet it’s crucial for building trust and demonstrating integrity as a leader.

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆𝘀: Distribute surveys after the training sessions to gather feedback on the content, delivery, and overall experience, identifying areas for improvement. 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝗜𝗻𝘀: Schedule follow-up meetings with participants to discuss their progress, address any ongoing concerns, and reinforce key training concepts. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Monitor participants’ engagement levels over time, using metrics such as attendance, participation, and feedback scores to assess the impact of the training and make necessary adjustments.

A step-wise approach to handle disinterested Leadership Training participants can be: 1. Start first by asking each leader to narrate their leadership journey in terms of their accomplishments. 2. The second round should be focused on asking each leader about the story they liked from the entire group apart from their own story. (Observation: We like those stories only which resonates with us or the story that we want to create in future. The Trainer will get a chance to identify the gaps from there). 3. Build the entire session related to their stories. 4. Establish rapport by learning names before the session & encouraging positive contributions during the session. 5. Make sure the sessions are relevant to specific skills they need.

En el caso remoto de que la persona no pase de "prisionero" a estudiante, trato de utilizar un aliado de la persona para que influya en él. Aparte de eso trato de conversar a ver si algo de lo que digo o cómo lo digo le incomoda. Cualquiera puede tener actitud de "prisionero" en un entrenamiento por razones muy válidas, falta de confianza en el jefe, en la empresa, falta de prioridades, es decir en realidad el momento del entrenamiento va en contravía de asuntos más importantes para la persona. Yo trato de dar total libertad en las sesiones para que tengan abiertos todos sus dispositivos electrónicos, trato de que mi contenido sea más interesante que cualquier otro estimulo para el asistente.

A couple of areas not included in the article are: 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Foster an inclusive and supportive training atmosphere where participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, asking questions, and engaging in discussions without fear of judgment. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: Involve senior leaders in the training process to demonstrate its importance and relevance. This will motivate participants by showing that leadership training is valued at all levels of the organisation.