A recent article in a medical journal pointed out that early diagnosis and treatment of most ailments can lead to containment and even remission. Problems occur when symptoms or pains are ignored. When not treated, ailments commonly spread. Late treatment proves much more difficult than early treatment.

Like a cancer, corporate transitions, new initiatives, or any impending changes underway or in the wind can and will threaten to wreak havoc on any program or meeting you are leading. Most times these are uncomfortable subjects that are only talked about clandestinely at the water cooler or in hallway conversations. These subjects permeate the thoughts of your participants and threaten to taint the context that you want to create. Context is the physical, intellectual, and emotional environment that surrounds an experience and gives it meaning. The context in which an interaction occurs determines its level of success. It is the setting for the experience. Setting the proper context in a learning environment is as critical as delivering the proper content. As a result, context surrounds every experience or circumstance in our lives. It's the holder of the content. We want to choose the context we create with participants so that they feel comfortable enough to be engaged and open their minds.

Like the treatment of an ailment, it's critical to diagnose and treat any looming issue that threatens the learning in your meeting or classroom. If ignored, it will spread and become the central focus of your participants. Like an elephant in a room, it looms large. If an elephant were standing next to a presenter, and the presenter ignored it, the participants in the room would be dumbstruck at how the presenter was blind to the large distraction. Nothing could get done unless...

Dear Vernon:
I'm not sure how to handle it when participants come in late.

J.G.in Jacksonville, FL

Dear J.G.:
It depends on your style. When I teach adults, I recognize that other things do go on besides my workshop. When someone comes in late, they have made a conscious decision that what they were doing was more important than what was happening in the class. As adults they are responsible for their learning. I ask them to meet with another participant on the break to see what they missed. If they've disrupted teaming activities, I ask them to fully participate or reschedule for a time when they can fully participate. Here is the way I look at it. If they arrived late to their boss's meeting, would they expect their boss to catch them up or would they ask a peer on a break?