A Hint of Skepticism

Not every training participant walks into a training event ready to learn. Some are eager, but others sit with crossed arms, skeptical expressions, or quiet resistance. Employees' past training experiences shape their willingness to engage, so if previous events felt irrelevant or ineffective, cynicism can carry over. People who have endured ineffective training programs, conflicting leadership messages, or constant restructuring may approach new learning initiatives with doubt. Others may feel overwhelmed by shifting expectations and unclear on how the training session will benefit them.

Studies from behavioral change consultancy Changing-Point show that 37 percent of employees resist change initiatives, including training programs. When staff distrust the process, engagement drops, and learning suffers. Trainers who fail to recognize and respond to skepticism early risk losing their audience before the session even begins.

I learned that the hard way.

On a trip to China, I led a leadership workshop for emerging leaders. I assumed the approach I had used with more experienced leaders from this US-based company would resonate. It didn't.

The emerging leaders were new to leadership discussions and unfamiliar with US corporate norms. My attempts to engage resulted in polite but distant responses, and I struggled to connect. A participant pulled me aside and encouraged me to relax, ask more questions, and genuinely listen to learners' perspectives. It was a humbling moment, but once I adjusted, the energy in the room shifted and participation soared.

Whether you're new to L&D or a seasoned professional, building trust with skeptical audiences isn't just about knowing your content—it requires strategy, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.

Know your audience before you enter the room

Successful training doesn't start when you first speak. It begins long before, in the preparation phase. And preparation involves more than logistics. It also entails building credibility before you enter the room. If you arrive for a session without understanding your audience, you risk resistance, disengagement, or missed opportunities to connect. The analysis phase is your chance to anticipate challenges, uncover motivations, and shape your approach for maximum impact.

To prepare effectively, look beyond job titles and delve into what excites, frustrates, and motivates participants daily. That deeper insight enables you to create content that resonates on a personal level. As participants see the direct relevance of the training content to their roles and personal growth, they will sense a more meaningful learning experience.

Gather direct insights through surveys, stakeholder interviews, and informal conversations to help uncover participants' expectations and potential resistance. Also, examine past participant evaluations to identify which aspects of the training program were effective and which areas require enhancement. That reflective practice enables you to develop more engaging and effective sessions moving forward.

Connie E. George, an ATD Master Trainer and the director of the Virgin Islands Public Service-Learning Institute, highlights why preparation is nonnegotiable. "Before training, we research audience roles, challenges, and expectations through discussions with supervisors, individuals, and the training requester," she explains. "This helps us tailor content, anticipate resistance, and continuously improve."

George points out a leadership training program for public officers where skepticism was high. Participants initially dismissed the session as unnecessary due to their years of experience. However, her team had anticipated pushback and adjusted their approach by:

• Acknowledging participants' expertise up front to demonstrate respect

• Reframing the session as a collaborative learning experience rather than a lecture

• Using interactive discussions and real-world scenarios to encourage participation

By addressing concerns before they escalated, the training team transformed doubt into engagement. Attendees became actively involved, appreciating the opportunity to gain fresh insights from their peers.

Create a clear value proposition

Your opening remarks set the tone. Don't assume participants already see the relevance of your workshop, so spell it out in a way that matters to them. A strong opening is your chance to earn trust, establish relevance, and engage leery audiences from the start.

To blend strategy and connection in your opening, begin by demonstrating confidence and warmth. Arrive early, test equipment, and greet everyone, including support staff. An approachable presence builds trust instantly. In virtual sessions, your voice and expressions lay the groundwork as participants join. Therefore, keep your tone cordial and inviting, not rushed or distracted. Engage in light small talk and focus on welcoming people, not multitasking. Those first moments signal that you value the participants and set the stage for engagement.

As you start the course, acknowledge learners' perspectives. If participants seem resistant, address their reality with honesty and empathy. Also recognize the virtual barriers early in online learning. For instance, openly concede that reading engagement is more difficult online and invite attendees to voice concerns and expectations.

I once trained municipal electricians who had a mandate to take customer-service training after a storm caused outages and bad press. I opened with: "I know you'd rather be out doing your job, not stuck here talking about customer service. So, give me five minutes to explain the plan. I'll show you how to handle customer interactions smoothly, get back to restoring power, and maybe even dodge a few angry calls along the way."

That moment of honesty broke the ice. The electricians knew I understood their priorities and wasn't there to waste their time.

You also want to make the training program relevant and build credibility among your audience. Thus, skip generic objectives by using "you" statements instead of "I will" statements. For example, rather than stating "I will discuss best practices in customer service," say: "You will walk away with three strategies to handle difficult customers faster." Always include the WIIFM—what's in it for me?

Establish credibility through storytelling. Share why you are the right person to lead the training event. Remember to keep it brief and relatable. When training the electricians, I shared this: "It was December 1985. My dad wasn't feeling well but went to work anyway, knowing his team depended on him. That day, he had a stroke while up in the lift bucket, high above traffic. His crew got him down safely and rushed him to the hospital. Your job is tough. Teamwork always matters, and customers are part of that team."

A story that resonates with participants' experience fosters trust far better than a list of credentials. Whether you share it at the start of a workshop to build rapport or during a difficult topic to deepen connection, appropriately timing a personal story signals authenticity and creates psychological safety for learning.

Read the room

Disengagement isn't always obvious. Some people withdraw silently while others openly challenge content. In multicultural workplaces, trainers must read body language and develop cultural intelligence (CQ) to interpret behaviors accurately.

CQ, a concept social scientist David Livermore introduced, is the ability to recognize, understand, and adapt to cultural differences in communication and engagement. Trainers with strong CQ can better assess participation and adjust accordingly (see sidebar).

Eye contact, nodding, and silence vary by culture and can indicate either respect or disengagement. Research and understand such cultural nuances to accurately assess engagement levels.

Virtual training signals of disengagement may include empty chat boxes, cameras off, or delayed responses. To avoid participation, some disengaged learners may even claim they're having technical difficulties.

Rather than assuming disengagement, assess patterns over time and adjust accordingly. Research suggests that after just 10 minutes of passive learning, engagement drops by nearly 30 percent, reinforcing the need for active participation.

To select the best approach to reigniting engagement based on your audience's needs in the moment, ask yourself the following questions to choose the right response.

• Is the energy low? Use humor or quick polls to re-energize.

• Are learners confused? Clarify concepts using a real-time Q&A session.

• Is participation low? Encourage small-group discussions or peer teaching.

• Are there cultural considerations? Adjust tone, avoid humor, and use respectful questions.

• Do you need feedback fast? Run an anonymous poll or chat check-in.

Occasionally, I facilitate leadership training for manufacturing night shifts (midnight to 2 a.m.). It is challenging for both me and the participants. Managing my energy with a healthy meal, light exercise, and rest beforehand is essential. Designing sessions with five-to-seven-minute content chunks and frequent engagement points keeps participants involved. When I encounter low energy, I often use humor: "Raise your hand if you're still with me—now raise the other if you're pretending." When skepticism arises, I stay calm and acknowledge concerns: "I may not see every reaction, but I value your thoughts. Drop a word in the chat if something isn't landing."

Demonstrating energy through hand gestures, varying my approach, and fostering an inviting virtual presence encourages frequent participation and creates a dynamic learning environment—even virtually at 2 a.m.

Remain nimble

We've covered how to read the room and make quick adjustments for disengaged audiences, but overcoming resistance with a cynical group requires an instructional designer's mindset. Flexibility is key. While a good design plan provides a strong foundation, exceptional trainers know how to adapt in real time to the unique dynamics of each session.

Having a repertoire of additional resources, activities, and anecdotes enables you to adjust seamlessly, keeping content relevant and engaging. Such adaptability not only helps address challenges you don't foresee but also creates opportunities for spontaneous learning, enriching the participant experience.

When resistance surfaces, timely adjustments can help revitalize participation while keeping learning objectives intact. Incorporate flexibility and interactive elements to encourage engagement and ensure a dynamic, effective session.

Tim Maw, an ATD Master Trainer and an instructional design instructor at Weber State University, suggests several strategies.

Encourage peer teaching to reinforce learning. Do so by incorporating discussions, role play, or small-group presentations. Being ready to implement those activities as necessary promotes a collaborative environment and deepens understanding.

Blend various instructional materials. For example, videos, articles, and hands-on activities help cater to different learning preferences. Having extra resources enables you to adjust content delivery in response to participant needs.

Use real-world scenarios that you draw from pre-session conversations. The more relatable the content, the more engaged participants will be. Having a collection of pertinent stories and examples enables you to illustrate concepts effectively, even if they deviate from the original plan.

Maw recalls introducing a new learning management system feature at a technical college that enabled faculty to customize due dates for students. "When we introduced the tool, some attendees were resistant—even openly skeptical," he explains. "I realized it was a misunderstanding. Instead of pushing forward, I paused to ask questions, letting them voice concerns. Clarifying how the feature aligned with their workflow eased resistance."

He adds that "To reinforce learning, I had participants discuss in small groups how they might use the feature. Then, pairs shared key benefits they identified. By involving them in the conversation and linking the tool to real-world challenges, skepticism turned into engagement."

The power of strategy and trust

Engaging doubtful audiences isn't about winning them over with charisma or forcing participation. Rather, it's about earning trust, adapting in the moment, and creating an experience that feels relevant and valuable. By blending strategy and connection, you can anticipate dissent, read the room with cultural intelligence, and flex your approach to keep participants engaged.

Your ability to listen, adjust, and connect is what transforms passive learners into active participants. At its core, great facilitation entails delivering content as well as creating a space where learners feel seen, heard, and invested in the process.

View skepticism as an opportunity. When strategy and trust work together, real learning happens.

The Makeup of Cultural Intelligence

Cultural intelligence includes four capabilities.

• CQ Drive: Your level of interest, perseverance, and confidence during intercultural situations

• CQ Knowledge: Your understanding about cultural similarities and differences

• CQ Strategy: Your ability to plan and be aware during culturally diverse situations

• CQ Action: Your ability to adapt as necessary when working and relating with people from different backgrounds

Source: davidlivermore.com/cq

Use AI Strategies to Build Trust and Engagement

Don't shy away from using artificial-intelligence tools to enhance your training programs. Experiment with different tools to personalize your content, tailor your delivery to meet learner needs, and foster engagement throughout your sessions.

Pre-session strategies. Understanding your learners' needs beforehand helps you design relevant and personalized content. Google Forms enables you to create pre-training surveys to gather participant needs; use AI programs that summarize responses for easy review.

Opening remarks. Setting the right tone from the start establishes credibility and connection. ChatGPT helps draft personalized introductions by entering prompts such as: "Create an opening for a training session on [topic] highlighting learner benefits" or "Shorten my story to be about 150 words."

Read the room. Tracking engagement during your session allows for real-time adjustments. Zoom AI Companion (available in Zoom settings) analyzes chat sentiment and participant interaction. Microsoft Teams Insights (find it under the Insights tab) helps track attendance and participation, ensuring you stay connected with your audience.

Revitalize engagement. Re-engaging learners when energy dips is essential for maintaining focus. Mentimeter runs live polls and word clouds to gauge interest; an AI component groups and summarizes audience responses. In addition, Kahoot! offers interactive competitions using AI-generated quiz questions to boost energy and participation.

Embracing AI tools in your training program doesn't have to be overwhelming. Start small by exploring one or two tools, and then build from there. Each step you take toward integrating AI helps foster stronger connections with learners, making your sessions more engaging, responsive, and personalized.