In challenging moments facilitating, first reframe your thinking. Consider that there are no difficult people, only difficult or challenging behavior. If someone is coming across as disruptive, it may not be their intention. Perhaps they don’t feel understood, are emotional, fighting for a chance to speak, or are passionate about the topic. Focus on making sure the group is understanding their perspective and take the time to ask questions and explore it. If you shut down and stop listening, chances are the group will as well. Intentionally aim to increase understanding in the group and this starts with you modeling it.

1. Stay calm and composed, in a challenging situation. It helps everyone else stay focused and ensures the conversation doesn’t spiral into frustration or argument. 2. Encourage people to share their thoughts in a calm and logical way. This keeps the discussion on track and productive. 3. Whenever someone in the group is being helpful, offers a good solution, or speaks in a calm and constructive manner, highlight their positive behavior. 4. If someone gets upset, negative, or starts blaming others, don’t react emotionally —stay in control and help them move past their frustration.

Handling disruptive behavior in a training session requires: Address Calmly: Acknowledge the disruption professionally without escalating the situation, maintaining control. Set Expectations: Remind the group of ground rules for respectful participation, reinforcing a focused environment. Engage the Disruptor: Involve the disruptive person by asking questions or assigning tasks to redirect their energy constructively. Stay Focused: Maintain your facilitation flow, ensuring the disruption doesn’t derail the session’s objectives. Follow Up: Address the behavior privately afterward, seeking resolution while preserving group cohesion. This ensures a positive learning environment while upholding the session’s quality.

In my experience, managing disruptive behavior in a training session starts with setting clear expectations upfront. I establish ground rules for participation and respect, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive learning environment. If disruptions occur, I address them calmly and privately, seeking to understand the underlying reasons for the behavior. I engage the disruptive participant by asking for their input or redirecting their energy toward the topic at hand. This not only minimizes disruption but also encourages their involvement, fostering a more inclusive atmosphere.

I’m going to listen first. Just because someone is disruptive doesn’t mean they don’t have a valid point. If it’s clearly just disruptive behavior and not some sort of misunderstanding of the task or means to improve the process, I fall back on some former high school teaching skills. Invest the disrupter in the project by giving him or her a task. Something I will clearly check on, but will put some trust and responsibility on the disrupter. It’s amazing how a little of this turns a disrupter into a team player and eventually into a leader. I saw it work time and time again, even with students that other teachers couldn’t control.