Why Adult Learners Get Anxious About Attending Training Courses

And what to do about it

Three Minute Train the Trainer #22

Training and development is one of the most sought-after benefits in the corporate world. Yet many adults are not that keen on attending training.

So why do adults avoid attending training?

Because it makes them anxious.

“If your trainees are anxious, worried, and thinking about something else, they won’t learn.

They’ll also have a horrible experience in your course, which no trainer or leader wants for their students.”

As an L&D professional and trainer, I love learning. But even I’m a bit apprehensive about going on a course.

• What will the trainer be like?
• Will I learn the task quickly enough?
• Who will be looking at me when I’m in the training?

Generally, the trainer is great; I can do the task, and no one is looking at me because they are too busy worrying about who is looking at them.

But we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t worry a little.

All trainers must learn to manage anxiety in adult training courses, and we learn with experience over time.

But what are the causes of this anxiety about attending training courses?

There are many causes including:

• A poor experience at school
• Worry about looking stupid in front of peers
• Worry about how the training will affect their role
• Anxiety about falling behind in the day-to-day work
• Physical issues
• Social anxiety
• Dyslexia and Dyscalculia

Here are some more details around the causes of anxiety and how to reduce it when training adults:

A poor experience at school

Many people had negative experiences at school if they didn’t do well or were ridiculed and bullied.

In my day, schools were not forgiving places for people who couldn’t learn by rote, remember facts, and regurgitate them in exams.

If your trainees were traumatized in their early years, they may think they can’t learn.

For people with bad educational experiences growing up, an ordinary training room is a scary place.

What to do about it:

• Make the trainees welcome with small talk.
• Set ground rules in the course about respecting what others say.
• Encourage discussion and that everyone gets a chance to speak.

Worried about looking stupid in front of their peers

Fear of looking stupid in front of colleagues or the boss is natural.

Throw in the office ‘joker’ who loves to make fun of others, and you have an environment where people will feel very vulnerable.

Your trainees may be apprehensive if their boss or peers are also in the training session.

For example, it’s hard to sit in a leadership course with your boss talking about leadership communication skills when your boss is known to communicate poorly.

What to do about it:

• Review the content of the training and the attendees and think about what awkward situations might arise and how you will handle them.
• If possible, ensure the trainees and their bosses are in a different session so awkward situations don’t arise.

Worried about how the training will affect their job

When the training is around new systems or policies, your trainees may be worried that their days at the organization are numbered if they can’t learn or adapt.

The fear may be irrational, but it is there. Think about the rumor mill and what rumors might be going around.

It doesn’t matter if the rumors aren’t true. People will still believe them.

People can quickly jump to conclusions and pass those conclusions on as facts.

In the 90s, when I trained a whole load of managers on the new (for then) EFPOS tills in a large retail organization, one of the older managers was grey with fear when she walked into the training room. She was worried her job was at risk if she couldn’t learn the system.

Of course, she could learn, and she soon recovered her usual confidence.

What to do about it:

• Explain the purpose of the training.
• Emphasize that people are on a course because they don’t know the content. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be there.
• Put the trainees at ease by answering all the questions patiently, and if someone is struggling, say, ‘It’s a bit tricky to learn, I struggled with this bit myself when I learned it’.

Anxious about falling behind in their work

Most organizations are pretty lean post covid. A day of training is a day not getting on with day-to-day work. This may cause some distress and worry to your trainees.

• How will they catch up with their work?
• Will they have to work late or do extra hours?

If your trainees are worried about their other work, they won’t be concentrating on the course content.

What to do about it:

• Be clear about when the breaks are and stick to them. This means your trainees know when they can pop out and check on their day-to-day work.
• Ask your trainees to only check their phones in the breaks and give them enough time to do so.
• If someone does have an emergency and misses a bit of the training or leaves early, don’t make it a big deal. Let them know you’ll catch up with them later about anything they missed.
• Be clear about the benefits of the training to the participants.

Worried about a physical issue

Trainees may be worried about being able to see or hear, toilet breaks, or whether they can eat regularly.

No one wants to share that they need to visit the loo once an hour, that they are menstruating and need to go and grab a fresh tampon, or that they are going deaf.

And yes, I have seen trainers ask women to ‘hold on’ until the break and learners make loud jokes about why a woman is taking her handbag to the loo.

Allergies can also cause concerns especially if the allergy is serious. People could have allergies to nuts, citrus fruit (even the zest or droplets in the air), strawberries or pretty much anything else.

You want your trainees learning the material, not worrying about bathroom breaks, allergies and not being able to hear.

What to do about it:

• At the beginning of the course, check out whether everyone can see and hear where they are or whether they need to move to a different seat. If they do, normalize it.
• Clarify that the trainees can pop out if they need a comfort break. They don’t need to ask.
• Check that you know everyone’s dietary requirements and tell everyone when the breaks are.
• Point out that you’ve provided biscuits, fruit or snacks and tell the trainees they can snack on their own food if they get hungry.

Social anxiety

Many people suffer from social anxiety and may be anxious about the social interactions and communication expected on a training course.

Fear of judgment and being the center of attention can induce anxiety. Even being looked at by others could cause an issue.

“Social anxiety disorder is an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. This fear can affect work, school, and other daily activities.” — Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just Shyness, www.nimh.nih.gov

Role play is something that people commonly dread, so if you include role play, be sensitive about asking for volunteers.

What to do about it:

• Be welcoming and encourage respect, empathy, and understanding within the classroom.
• Have some easy ice-breakers using pairs or small groups to allow everyone to get to know each other.
• Normalize anxiety by saying it’s common to be anxious in a course. Share an example of when you found a course anxiety-inducing.

Dyslexia & Dyscalculia

Dyslexia is when people have a challenge with reading, and Dyscalculia is a difficulty with maths.

For many adults, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia were not picked up in schools and continue to cause a problem.

“If anyone ever puts you down for having dyslexia, don’t believe them. Being dyslexic can actually be a big advantage, and it has certainly helped me.”-Richard Branson, Virgin CEO

Your trainees with Dyslexia may be worried about being asked to read aloud or understanding written information in workbooks. They may worry about falling behind in front of the other students and about failing written tests.

Learners with Dyscalculia might be worried about getting math problems wrong in front of the class or following instructions. Anything to do with discussing numbers may be a cause for concern.

What to do about it:

• Ask if people are OK with reading out slides and excerpts from workbooks or pick people you know have no issues.
• Verbally summarize content written in slides, on whiteboards, or in workbooks so your trainees aren’t relying on reading.
• With anything to do with numbers, comment that some people are great with numbers and that some people struggle, and that’s perfectly normal.
• Use lots of graphics in your course materials so you are not relying solely on words and numbers.

Summary

If your trainees are anxious, worried, and thinking about something else, they won’t learn.

They’ll also have a horrible experience in your course, which no trainer or leader wants for their students.

A small amount of thought and preparation will ensure that all your learners will enjoy and benefit from your training or presentation.

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