ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how facilitators differ from presenters in a new employee orientation programme. It describes nonverbal and verbal ways to encourage participation in the orientation programme. The art of asking questions is central to the success as a facilitator of adult learning. The key is to ask questions that stimulate discussion and interaction rather than questions that elicit simple factual responses reminiscent of teacher–student question-and-answer exchanges in primary school. Trainers should make a habit of repeating or paraphrasing a question before answering it. More often than not, a group as a whole is not a problem but there may be a few difficult people in the new employee orientation session. The chapter provides some coping strategies for dealing with specific character types. It also presents the general guidelines for dealing with any challenging situation or participant.
