Learn how to handle difficult participants with respect and confidence,
so you can get things done in your next meeting.
Have you ever been leading a workshop or meeting and you just want it to end?
You have a participant that really testing your nerves and you’re not sure what to do.
So in your head you go through your options:
🤫 Should I interrupt them?
😤 What if that makes things worse?
😳 Oh no, now I don’t have enough time for this important exercise anymore…
What you do next depends on what this participant’s underlying need is.
There are 3 different kinds of challenging participants that suck your energy during meetings:

“Does this make sense? Are you still here? Hello… ?”
- Most of the time have their video off
- Might be multitasking, replying to emails, or on their phone
- Won’t unmute or actively participate
- Usually HAVE to attend because their boss send them
UNDERLYING NEED: PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

“Ramble, ramble, ramble… and then… bla, bla, bla…”
- They hog the mic and love the sound of their own voice
- Take time away from others with unrelated tangents
- Doesn’t have an “off” button
UNDERLYING NEED: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“Can I just clarify why we’re doing this?”
- Try to take control of the meeting
- Challenges your authority and everything you say
- Doesn’t believe in your process
- Sometimes even says something inappropriate
UNDERLYING NEED: POWER
Everyone will face challenging participants in their meetings – The question is: Are you prepared?
Each of these participants requires a different strategy that helps them buy into your workshop or meeting. Once you make them feel seen, heard and understood the stressful situation is going to dissolve and you can continue with what you set out to do.
In this workshop I’ll share the exact strategies and words you can say to diffuse a challenging situation and you’ll even get a chance to practise in small groups, so the next time you are in a pinch, you know exactly what to do and say.
At the end of this Workshop you’ll know how to
Once you enroll, get immediate access to:
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR
JAN KECK (he / him)
Trainer | Facilitator | Experience Designer | TEDx Speaker
Jan Keck has been running public events and online experiences that build trust, empower people to share vulnerable stories and turn strangers into friends.
His “Connection Cards” have been used on every continent around the globe and helped turn over 70,000 shallow conversations into deep connections.
In the past few years, he ran over 30 workshops and trainings with over 700 trainers, facilitators, educators, team leaders learning the skills to create engaging, memorable, and transformative experiences on Zoom with 5-100 participants.
Recently, he relocated from Canada to Germany to be closer to family and is continuing to build a community of trainers, facilitators and creators that create MAGICAL HUMAN MOMENTS online.
His work has been featured on
Get immediate access to this 2-hour workshop where you’ll learn how to handle difficult participants with respect and confidence, so you can get things done in your next meeting.
Here’s everything that’s included:
- Workshop Recording
- Recording of Roleplay
- BONUS PDF Scripts and Checklists
- Deep Connectors Community