As a facilitator, you will often come across dysfunction and difficult people. Your role is to stay calm and redirect the to issue at hand. In order to be aware of the types of difficult people you may come across, we will discuss them today.
1.The Mummy
- This person will not freely take part in discussions. The motivation might be indifference, an inferiority complex, confusion about the issues or process, or a feeling of superiority.
- What should you do? Be patient and ask direct questions to this person!
2.The Windbag
- This person comments too frequently and tends to dominate discussions. He/She also tends to be the first to speak on each issue.
- What should you do? Target questions to other members by name! Establish limits to number of responses!
3.The Rambler
- This person will often get off track in his remarks, misses the point, or uses far-fetched examples to make a point.
- What should you do? Provide gentle reminders about sticking to the agenda and ask for short answers!
4.The Homesteader
- A person who takes an initial position and is highly reluctant to budge or consider other viable alternatives.
- What should you do? Overwhelm this person with facts. Also, give the person a graceful way out with an alternative.
If you can’t remember anything about these types of people, remember these two things:
Rule #1: A facilitator ALWAYS remains neutral, objective and fair.
Rule #2: Reread Rule #1!
The moment you stop being neutral and take sides, you no longer are the facilitator. You’re just another person running a meeting.
Related Articles
Things to Keep in Mind when Seeking Funding for Partnered Projects
Many projects are collaborations across sectors and involve governmental entities, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations and even the private sector. However, only some of these entities are eligible for the grant funding needed to support collaborative...
5 Common Grant Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Objective: Grant management is a complex process, and even seasoned professionals can fall into certain pitfalls that lead to inefficiencies, compliance issues, or even funding losses. In this post, we'll explore five common grant management mistakes and provide...
Checklist: Should we apply for this grant?
Once you get the grant search ball rolling, the question becomes, should we apply for this grant? Grant writing is a time-consuming, labor-intensive process, and grant seekers realize in short order that not every grant is worth the effort of application. When you...