The talking terror talks incessantly. In his most irksome form he is a loud mouth who dominates the group and monopolises any discussions. In his less irritating, but equally disruptive form, he is the constant chatterer who has always had something similar happen to him. Whatever manifestation the talking terror might appear in, the group will be looking to you to maintain control.Causes: Although the end results may vary somewhat, the cause of talking terror is invariably the consequence of insecurity. The talker often feels that he must prove himself before the trainer and/or group. Consequently, he may spend much of his time trying to demonstrate to the group the depth of his knowledge in order to convince them that he is deserving of their respect (this is the "know it all" talker). Or he may be seeking approval by showing his enthusiasm for the topic under discussion (the "eager beaver") . Or he may just want to be noticed by the group as someone worthy of attention and acceptance ( the"chatterbox").
Favourite Phrases: "I believe I'm right in saying..." "What I always do..." "I"
Control: 1. Look for an opportunity to intervene. This may be a pause for breath or a moment's hesitation. Thank or agree with the talker (few talkers will want to interrupt this vote of support) and then, having regained the group's attention press home your advantage by redirecting their concentration elsewhere. For example: "Yes, Max, that would make sense. Does anyone else know of ways that we could achieve this?"
2. Check your understanding and then move on. For example: "Just a moment Max -- so what you are saying is X, Y, Z; has anyone else got a view on this?
3. Speak to him during a convenient break and explain that you are pleased that he is participating but that you want to involve other members of the group in the discussion.
4. Channel his energies elsewhere. Ask him to record all the ideas generated by the group on to a flip chart or seek his assistance as atechnical operator for equipment or as an observer for the purposes of an exercise.
The Great Griper
Character: Although a certain amount of constructive criticism is often encouraged on training courses, the problem with the "Great Griper" is that he regards every discussion as an opportunity to air his grievances about the company, the people he works with, the conditions he works under... in fact it could be anything at all. If he is allowed the chance to raise his "pet peeve" his negative approach can completely undermine the enthusiasm of the rest of the group.
Causes: The Great Griper needs to convince himself that he is entitled to feel the way that he does and that others share his beliefs. It's not that he actually wants to change anything, because even if the cause of his indignation was eradicated overnight, he would still find something else to moan about. No, the important thing is that while he can point to something that is wrong he can have a justifiable reason for behavingin the way that he does. His attitude is "why should I put myself out to do X when life/the company/rest of the world -- does Z?"
Favourite Phrases: "The trouble is..." "Well that's all well and good" "But..."
Control: The danger in dealing with a Great Griper is that you can allow yourself to be drawn into a discussion on his favourite topic rather than dealing with the matters you should be covering. Don't get ensnared.
1. Allow him his say once. Let him clear it off his chest and then move on. "Fred, I can see that you feel strongly about this. Supposing we set aside three minutes now to discuss this and then let's agree to drop the matter until after the course."
2. Turn the problem round and ask him what he would do about the problem and what action he would take. It could be that a simple solution does exist, in which case why hasn't he acted upon it? "Fred, you've explained the problem to us. What would you want to see happen to resolve it?" Acknowledge the gripe without acceptingits validity and then:
3. Take some form of positive action to lay it to rest. "I can appreciate why this might upset you, Fred, so let's get together at lunchtime and see if we can draft a memo to the MD/Sales Director/Chief Executive and get this sorted out."
Doubting Thomas
Character: The Doubting Thomas is a variant of the Great Griper. The main difference is that while the Great Griper often has only one or two areas of sensitivity the Doubting Thomas has developed an all encompassing cynicism. Once again, if this negative attitude is allowed to develop it can be contagious and cast doom and gloom over the whole group.
Causes: Invariably the Doubting Thomas is someone with a number of years' seniority. If this is the case his attitude may be the product of seeing many such bright ideas tried and fail. It could well be that some of the ideas that were never given a chance were his and that this has made him less receptive to the ideas of others. Finally, it might be that the sceptic(young or old) might feel that he might not be able to master these new approaches, processes, or procedures and therefore regards them as a threat best eliminated by dismissing with disdain.
Favourite Phrases: "That'll never work." "We've tried that before."
Control: Gain acceptance step by step. First by getting agreement that if an idea or process did work it would justify the time and effort spent learning it. If this is forthcoming, albeit reluctantly, step 2 is to suggest that the Doubting Thomas agrees to suspend his judgement until the court is over and the end result can be evaluated.
If the Doubting Thomas does not believe there is merit in the process ask him to be specific about why he believes this and then seek his acceptance that the only way of proving who is right and who is wrong is by giving the process a fair chance. Then go back to step 2.
The Pot Plant
Character: The Pot Plant is so called because, apart from sitting in the group and looking decorative, heseems to contribute very little to the group except a touch of additional colour.
Causes: There are all sorts of reasons why a Pot Plant might remain silent or withdrawn from the group, and not all of them arise from his own personality. It may be that he believes that if he says anything he will make a fool of himself and so feels inhibited. There again, the problem might not be inhibition but motivation. The topic could be one that the Pot Plant has no interest in and regards as of little benefit. Alternatively it might be that he finds it difficult to articulate his thoughts and finds it more comfortable to just sit and listen.
ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT TRAINING (Vol 18)
20 Volume Series
Crest Publishing House, New Delhi
Price: 9,500 (Per Set)
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
