How can you actively listen to difficult participants?
As a facilitator, you may encounter difficult participants who challenge your authority, disrupt the flow, or express negative emotions. How can you actively listen to them and manage the situation effectively? Active listening is a skill that involves paying attention, reflecting, clarifying, summarizing, and empathizing with the speaker. It can help you build rapport, understand the root cause of the problem, and find a constructive solution. In this article, you will learn how to apply active listening techniques to deal with difficult participants in four steps.
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Prepare your mindset:Mentally and emotionally readying yourself is crucial before engaging with difficult participants. Calm down, adopt a curious attitude, and set respectful boundaries to maintain a constructive conversation.### *Engage with empathy:Show genuine interest using non-verbal cues like eye contact and nodding. Reflect, clarify, and summarize their points to ensure understanding and validate their concerns.