A challenging training situation is anything that has the potential to interfere with successful completion of a learning event. It can originate with a participant, session leader, the program itself, or some factor that’s external to the immediate learning environment.

Challenging training situations can arise as a result of a number of factors, many of which can be avoided with advance preparation that:

• Clarifies goals and expectations about what will be learned, and how the learning will take place.
• Resolves deficient instructional content and processes that don’t do all they can to engage and involve participants.
• Facilitates effective participant selection, ensuring individuals represent the appropriate mix of positions and background, and have the required baseline knowledge, skill and motivation to participate in a meaningful way.
• Balances the needs of individual participants with those of the group, and effectively aligns those with program and organizational goals.
• Considers issues and events outside of the learning environment that have an impact. These can be personal, cultural, organizational, and/or social.

An ounce of prevention...

In the real world, this seldom happens, and as trainers we need to be willing to accept the likelihood that there will be challenges for which we need to be prepared. You can’t predict everything that will happen, but being prepared for something to happen will at least help you handle it calmly and appropriately. Preparation is the best safeguard against having to contend with challenging training situations

Before your session

• Design program processes and content that engage and challenge participants by responding to their needs, respecting their different learning and interpersonal interaction styles and moving them from theory to practice.
• Have an inventory of “back pocket” activities and resources you can use to “tune” your program to best meet the needs of your learners.
• Consider the factors that contribute to an effective learning climate, and ensure your program integrates them.
• Develop and communicate program descriptions that clearly indicate what participants will achieve, how they’ll do it, and how this will benefit them.
• Set prerequisites for participation - who should attend and what they should already know. Include position levels and expertise. 
• Decide if you should run separate sessions to accommodate different needs and/or position levels, or design your program to foster cross-pollination and collaboration.
• Where possible, identify your participants’ learning needs and concerns before the program to help you respond appropriately during the session.

When your session starts

• Set a climate that prevents potential problems:
• Chat with participants to understand their learning needs and expectations, levels of expertise, and to build a climate that facilitates learning.
• Articulate and post program goals – what participants will be able to do as a result of the program – so that they know what you expect and how they’ll benefit. This can help you keep the program activities and discussions focused.
• Have participants articulate and post the challenges and problems they face in relation to program topics, and link your program goals and agenda to them. Refer to this throughout your program to assess how effectively concerns are being addressed.
• Have participants develop and post ground rules that set expectations around how they and you can work effectively together. Share your expectations with them. In particular ask participants to let you know what they need, when they need it (rather than in the end-of-workshop evaluation, when it’s too late to do anything). You can refer back to these to encourage discussion and participation and address relevant challenging situations as they arise.

Throughout the session

Observe and evaluate the group’s progress and performance and where appropriate flex your program to meet their needs, using your inventory of “back pocket” resources.

• Watch and listen for behaviour and comments that indicate fatigue or other potential issues - side comments about participants, policies, and/or facial expressions and body language can all indicate potential issues you’ll need to address. This may provide you with the opportunity to anticipate, raise and discuss concerns before they become more serious, or to take a break to re-energize and refocus participants, and possibly yourself as well.
• Anticipate issues and concerns participants may surface, and raise and respond to them yourself. You can alleviate or at least acknowledge participant concerns, “heading them off at the pass.”
• Ask for participant feedback, to evaluate how the course is progressing for them. Again, this can help you flex your program to meet their needs. Use approaches to receiving this feedback that encourage candour. Recap their comments and show your appreciation for their interest.
• Check with the group to ensure that their posted learning needs and expectations are being met, and let them know how well they’re meeting your expectations.