How do you manage group dynamics and handle conflicts or disagreements among your adult learners?

Something I've seen is sometimes a manager will attend alongside some of their direct reports. This is an interesting dynamic because as a trainer you want everyone to have the freedom to learn and contribute on a level playing field, so it always helps to know this for organising break out rooms and group exercises, to separate managers from direct reports for example.

As a trainer it is so important to have somewhat of an understanding of who will be IN your training…..we can NOT always know every detail____but have a grasp on the attendees does help. A training will always shift to a degree depending on the needs in the room. As a trainer it is our job to “read the room” and meet attendees where they are. A trainers job is inclusion, empathy, compassion to bring the attendees along on a journey.

Pour traité des conflits entre les travailleurs de groupes, on doit faire des réunions mensuelles et inclure des initiatives et accolades fraternelles pour éviter les Clans dans l'entreprise ..

En mi experiencia, me funciona servir de mediadora promoviendo el respeto a las opiniones de los demás, pues no tomo un bando específico en medio del conflicto de los participantes sino que promuevo un clima de respeto, cordialidad, apertura a las diferencias de opiniones y generalmente termina bien el altercado pues nunca no se ha salido de control en mis talleres cuando se dan este tipo de situaciones. Me ha pasado que en talleres de manejo de conflictos o de inteligencia emocional las opiniones encontradas pueden provocar malestar entre los asistentes pero generalmente trato de calmar las intervenciones.

Set a culture for the training, encourage them to take on a growth mindset where they are open to learn new things, curious, coming from a place of positivity.

As a trainer/facilitator it is our job to CREATE the CONTEXT of the training (the environment). This includes ground rules, expectations, and energy, The ONLY way to get the context we want to have during a particular training is to communicate them and BE them ourselves….BEING the example for the attendees. Explaining the reasoning behind some of the ground rules and expectations is also supportive.

As a trainer/facilitator it us up to us to keep engagement of the attendees up, energy of the room up and interaction up. Using a variety of methods is definitely supportive. Ice breakers, story telling, humor, fun, games, sharing from attendees, exercises, music, movement, visualization and most importantly connection and the building of trust from the attendees.. .why should they listen to us as a trainer? We need to get their buy in early on in the training.

Avant toute chose l'intervenant doit évaluer rapidement les profils en présence notamment sur la dimension observateurs vs acteurs. Afin de s'assurer que tout le monde ait l'espace pour s'exprimer et aller chercher les plus introvertis avec les bonnes questions sur les bons sujets. Les ice breakers sont indispensables mais doivent être pertinents et adaptés au sujet, à la population et à l'enjeu afin d'éviter d'être baclés par les participants. Ensuite tout est une question de rythme: alterner les questions ouvertes/fermées, présentation magistrale/ateliers, réflexion collective/individuelle... L'ennui tue l'engagement et donc l'interaction.

As a trainer it is our job to create a safe space for attendees. This includes reading the room, monitoring the room and energy, being in tune and present fully with attendees. This also includes encouraging and inspiring others to take risks and step out of their comfort zones and also inspiring other attendees to bring the quieter or more reserved attendees along with them. I believe everyone’s strengths and weakness when woven together create magic in the training room. Everyone is there to learn, grow and evolve together. There is room for everyone and all different levels.

You can always pick up with an individual afterwards or in the break if they seem determined to get their point across, but you could say something like, "to ensure we get to finish on time, let's park that point..." or write it up on a flip chart paper so they knew that they have been listened to, and you could return to summarise it at the end, but it isn't derailing the group.

Pour ma part, je pense qu'il est important afin d'éviter les conflits de laisser un espace de parole à chacun, sans discrimination. Veiller à ne pas sur-valoriser certains apprenants par rapport à d'autres, qui pourraient en conséquence, se sentir dévalorisés. Pour désamorcer un conflit, il faut poser des limites à ne pas franchir et ne pas tolérer un certain seuil d'agressivité... Pour ma part, je fonctionne comme ?a et je n'ai jamais eu de soucis jusqu'à présent ...

It is also about knowing your own limitations and understanding how to respond to participants. The subject matter to be delivered also has relevance. Is it a 3-hour course or a weekend endeavor? How much time do you have to learn about your participants? These are all components that determine the outcome of your approach.

De mon c?té je n'aime pas analyser les individus et gérer le groupe en "individuel". un lancement bien ficelé, des pauses, du travail en sous-groupes, de l'expression libre, du feed-back pertinent, une formation orientée stagiaires (attentes, objectifs...) suffisent généralement à instaurer une ambiance propice au travail et à une vie de groupe bienveillante.

La plupart des conflits nécessitent une médiation. Le but de la médiation est de trouver une solution acceptable pour tous. Le formateur ne prend aucune décision, il aide simplement le groupe à faire preuve d'intelligence collective. Le formateur est neutre. Il catalyse les échanges afin que chacun puisse s'exprimer surtout ceux et celles qui ne parlent pas. Les personnalités "observateurs" ont souvent un regard très pertinent. Leur parole est source de solutions.

I have found that if I act like I am getting excited by "a challenge", then it is seem as a more academic, interesting point than a negative disagreement. I also invite others in the group to respond on the issue at hand. I also ensure to take the disagreement out of their hands, so it doesn't belong to the delegate who suggested it, but imagine that say, a customer has said A, a colleague has done X, so rebutting the challenge doesn't feel like a personal affront.

As a trainer it is our job to be curious, to ask questions, to be interested, to lead and communicate from our heart with empathy and compassion. As a trainer it is our job to provide an invitation. It is not our job to talk down to attendees and tell them what to do or think. We want to encourage them to be open to new opportunities or possibilities. Creating the safe space is crucial so attendees feel heard, seen, included without judgment. Setting the standard that we can disagree and still be kind and respectful when doing so

Use the "elephant in the room" to your advantage. Conflicts and disagreements are a daily occurrence in the workplace, so they will occasionally slip into the training environment. The key is to moderate the discourse, rather than allow two parties to engage one another. Consider two approaches, both a bit risky: 1. Shut down the discourse and move on to the next topic. 2. If the topic is vital, adjust on the fly. One idea: Assign sub-groups and give them 10 minutes to compile a list of pros and cons related to the topic. Then, have one spokesperson share their group's top two pros and cons. Have the group identify commonalities, and then facilitate a brief discussion about how the commonalities can be used to move forward.

En cas de conflit, je facilite et recentre l'echange des parties prenantes sur leurs points d'accord avant les points de désaccord. Pourquoi? Parce que cela permet de rassembler et d'ancrer du positif plut?t que du négatif dans les relations. Les personnes se retrouvent dans un état plus ouvert et plus compréhensif du cadre de l'autre. Et cela apaise et régle le conflit.

One thing I found helpful is to create an evaluation form. This can be online or offline. It allows the participants to give you feedback easily. Plan the questions carefully and provide room for any other comments. It is usually a good idea to ask what was good (rose), what were things (thorn) that need to be improved and what new ideas came up (bud). Rose/Bud/Thorn can be done as a game to make evaluations interactive and fun for everyone.