Professional Training Participant

I am still fairly new at my job and so my boss is sending me to a lot of trainings.  This week I went to a 2 day training on Monday and Tuesday.  I went to a 2 day training on Wednesday and Thursday.  I went to a 1 day training on Friday.  Almost like being back in school.  Luckily I liked all the topics.

But I noticed that every training seems to have the same people in them.  I mean they are different people with different names and different faces but the same personalities and roles.  It gets frustrating. 

1. There is always the person who thinks that they must contribute the experience, knowledge or opinion to every point the trainer makes.  Their arm flies up many times during the training.  And because they know everything they start lecturing the other trainers.  They are on par with the actual trainer.

2.  There is the person who is there for continuing education.  They know it already.  No need to learn.  Or even pay attention.  So they are on their computer or iphone or ipad the whole time.  And if called out on this, they feel no shame.

3.  There is the person who has a question they must ask, no matter how obscure, at every point the trainer makes.  "It is important under these circumstances that your consult an attorney." "But what if the walls are blue?  Do I still need to talk to a lawyer?"

4.  There is the hidden plant.  Not really of course.  But they manage to say a couple of things through the training that endears them to the trainers.  And the trainers continually go back to them throughout the training.

5.  There is the doubter.  The one that you have hope has learned something throughout the training.  And in the end they either deny that the trainer knows anything or says something that makes you realize that they have not learned anything during this time.

I can make it through 1 day with these people.  I can ignore them and take in the information.  However, by day 2 of a training with the same people I have had it.  And so have others.  We begin exchanging glances across the room at each other.  We roll our eyes at each other.

There is a fine line between trainee participation and taking over the training.

Mean Mama