| ideas_for_managing_discussions.docx |
Your responsibility as the moderator of a workshop is to lead participants in an orderly discussion of topics and questions, to manage that discussion so that everyone gets a chance to be heard, and to tend to the rhythms and flow of the dialog so that at the designated end time, the conversation feels complete. The group as a whole deserves your full attention.
A discussion is getting out of hand if everyone is talking at once, or if one person consistently claims the floor and/or speaks more often than others at the expense of more reticent participants.
A “difficult” person is anyone whose verbal and/or nonverbal behavior interferes with accomplishing the discussion’s purpose. That is, specifically,
Here are some strategies for managing discussions.
I. Move away physically from your chair or place of standing.
Take participants’ attention in another direction. Change their focus, and you change the rhythm of the discussion.
If one person is dominating the discussion, go and stand behind that person’s chair. Say respectfully, as you move, that X has made good points, and you need to hear from others. Take another comment or two and then, literally, move on.
II. Use a writing exercise to change the group’s energy.
Call a time-out, make sure everyone has paper and pen, and ask each person to write for a moment.
WRITE DOWN an answer to the question under discussion. e.g.,
o “…the ONE thing that’s most important to me is ….” or
o “… the ONE thing that no one has said yet is … .” or “
o … the LAST WORD on the subject at hand is ….”
NOTE 1: Writing time interrupts the noise of everyone talking at once, or some people dominating the discussion.
NOTE 2: Keep the writing time short, so that the group doesn’t lose the energy there is in the discussion.
NOTE 3: Call “time” when you see that most people have finished writing or, if their writing is taking too long, say, “take a few seconds to finish that thought…” (pause)
NOTE 4: Start the “de-brief” by asking someone who hasn’t spoken to speak first.
III. Give the last few minutes of a discussion or a session to participants to “wrap it up” for themselves.
o WRITE DOWN “your best answer” to a summarizing question. Invent it on the spot, or prepare it in advance. Give participants 2 or 3 minutes to write.
POSSIBILITIES:
o Then DE-BRIEF. Use 3-5 minutes to ask each person for a last word, summarize what they’ve written, or read what they’ve written. Acknowledge each contribution by saying, “Thank you.”
o Decide whether or not you are going to collect participants’ papers and tell them in advance.
A discussion is getting out of hand if everyone is talking at once, or if one person consistently claims the floor and/or speaks more often than others at the expense of more reticent participants.
A “difficult” person is anyone whose verbal and/or nonverbal behavior interferes with accomplishing the discussion’s purpose. That is, specifically,
- someone who dominates the discussion by talking too much; or
- someone who distracts the group’s attention by making jokes, or comments or by answering their phone, or texting; or
- someone who doesn’t talk.
Here are some strategies for managing discussions.
I. Move away physically from your chair or place of standing.
Take participants’ attention in another direction. Change their focus, and you change the rhythm of the discussion.
If one person is dominating the discussion, go and stand behind that person’s chair. Say respectfully, as you move, that X has made good points, and you need to hear from others. Take another comment or two and then, literally, move on.
II. Use a writing exercise to change the group’s energy.
Call a time-out, make sure everyone has paper and pen, and ask each person to write for a moment.
WRITE DOWN an answer to the question under discussion. e.g.,
o “…the ONE thing that’s most important to me is ….” or
o “… the ONE thing that no one has said yet is … .” or “
o … the LAST WORD on the subject at hand is ….”
NOTE 1: Writing time interrupts the noise of everyone talking at once, or some people dominating the discussion.
NOTE 2: Keep the writing time short, so that the group doesn’t lose the energy there is in the discussion.
NOTE 3: Call “time” when you see that most people have finished writing or, if their writing is taking too long, say, “take a few seconds to finish that thought…” (pause)
NOTE 4: Start the “de-brief” by asking someone who hasn’t spoken to speak first.
III. Give the last few minutes of a discussion or a session to participants to “wrap it up” for themselves.
o WRITE DOWN “your best answer” to a summarizing question. Invent it on the spot, or prepare it in advance. Give participants 2 or 3 minutes to write.
POSSIBILITIES:
- “Dear [MODERATOR’S NAME]” (use this when you want people to sign their notes. Letter-writing is a form of communication )
- “… the most important thing I learned is …” (likely to generate an intellectual / analytic response)
- “… the one thing I want you to know about ___ is … (likely to generate feeling statements.)
- “… the one thing I forgot to say / didn’t get a chance to say is …”
o Then DE-BRIEF. Use 3-5 minutes to ask each person for a last word, summarize what they’ve written, or read what they’ve written. Acknowledge each contribution by saying, “Thank you.”
o Decide whether or not you are going to collect participants’ papers and tell them in advance.