Pennie Morgan, leadership development coordinator at Central Community College, Grand Island, Neb., uses her own musical technique to encourage participants to come back to class on time after breaks. She tells them she will play music during the break. If they come back to class and the music is off, then the break was over. Then, "we, as a group, will ask them to continue by singing a song like the 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' or something the participant wants to sing," she said. "Some people, I think, are intentionally late because they want to sing.
"I rarely have any negative feedback in utilizing this technique, and I very rarely have anyone who won't do it. The key is to put the ownership back on the participants so they are the ones keeping fellow participants accountable for being on time. The first time they may need a little 'nudging' from the trainer; however, after that, people will keep fellow participants accountable, and most are sure to be back on time.
"In some classes, I have even had duos and quartets. I have been using this tip for about three years. I have participants that I have seen at other outside trainings and they say, 'I wonder if we have to sing if we are late?"It's a fun way to manage the classroom, and the participants have fun also."
Ann Bick has late participants cough up the cash. "To encourage participants to return from a break on time, I announce that if they walk in late, they will have to give me $1 which will be donated to the United Way," she explained. "I save the dollars for our annual drive in the fall and donate them all at that time.Becauseour employeesknow which organization the dollars are going to and because our company is so generousfor fundraising efforts for this organization, I don't have any complaints.As long as you spell out your intentions clearly up front, the class participants have to take responsibility for being back on time and ready to go."
Bick is learning and development consultant at Xcel Energy, Minneapolis.
For additional tips with dealing with difficult participants, check out the book by Bob Pike and Dave Arch!
