Design Small Group Work for Better Value (Facilitation Friday #12)
Don't let this common meeting or workshop format be a frustrating experience.
I don’t know what we’re supposed to do.
Do you know what we’re supposed to do? Does anyone?
How many times has this been your experience in an online breakout room or an in-person small group?
What is supposed to be a more engaging conversation or learning format can easily become a frustrating time block that falls short of producing valuable insights.
Here are seven tips to prevent this. I draw on them whether designing a think-pair-share, a table activity for 8-10 participants, or a breakout conversation involving dozens of people.
Note: The term small group is used throughout this essay. The guidance provided is intended for your consideration whenever you move people from one large group into smaller configurations, be it online or in-person. How you apply the tips will vary based on the composition of your groups, overall number of participants and groups, and time involved.
1. Clearly articulate the why of any breakouts or activities.
When an activity’s purpose is not provided or is glossed over, I sometimes wonder if the presenter or facilitator made the choice strategically or out of format fetish.
Clearly articulating the purpose of a small group activity or conversation helps: (1) link what participants are about to do with the meeting or workshop outcomes; (2) connect the activity to what has already transpired; and, (3) potentially win the support of participants who otherwise might question what you’re asking them to do.
Occasionally, the insight or learning we want participants to discover requires them not knowing too much about what is about to happen. In that case, simply edit your introduction to provide the minimum information people need to engage.
2. Provide detailed instructions, verbally and in writing.
Even if you provide impeccable verbal instructions, some people won’t completely recall what they are to do. Everyone benefits—but visual learners in particular appreciate—from having written instructions available: a handout at a table, a slide on a screen, text in a chat window, or a shared online document.
One of the most important instructions is what people should do first. If people are to introduce themselves, specify what info their introduction should contain.
To engage more introverted participants from the onset, I often instruct groups to have individuals reflect on their own and note a few responses to a specified question before beginning any discussions. Participants can then share one of their responses as part of an introduction.
In rare cases when an assignment is fairly simple, but I want to add an element of mystery or surprise, I will not offer verbal instructions. Instead I provide them in writing in a sealed envelope at each table, on a slide, or on an online whiteboard or document. It is always rewarding when someone grabs the envelope and people at the table lean forward, eager to hear what they are about to do.
3. Include a facilitator when desirable.
I find groups benefit from having someone serve as facilitator if any of the following are true:
they will work together for at least 20 minutes;
they have to make a group decision; and/or
their assignment involves an activity, multiple questions, and/or some subsequent debriefing.
I also default to using facilitators in virtual breakout rooms if the quality and content of those conversations is critical to achieve a session’s outcomes.
Regardless of how substantive the desired facilitator involvement, I provide them with their own written instructions and some basic do’s and don’ts. If their role is significant or could be confusing, I may gather them briefly to discuss their responsibilities.
You may find it useful to suggest groups assign or obtain volunteers for other roles. Two common ones are recorder (someone taking notes) and reporter (someone who will report the group’s thinking). While often combined, they really are two different functions, and individuals might prefer doing one but not the other.
4. For complex conversations or activities, facilitate a trial run with everyone to model the way and/or schedule an early check-in with groups.
We can’t always anticipate what might confuse groups. Trial runs and early check-ins help us manage the unexpected and increases the odds that small groups will be productive.
In a trial run, keep all participants together and facilitate a quick conversation or activity comparable to their main assignment. Answer any questions that surface before moving participants into the actual activity or discussions.
If you will do an early check-in with the small groups, announce this before dismissing people lest you later have to fight for their attention. I tend to use check-ins if the small group work is for 20-30 minutes or when their assignment has multiple steps.
Example: “A few minutes in, you’ll hear a whistle blow. At that moment, please pause your conversations momentarily so I can answer any questions or provide any clarification on the assignment.”
5. Make it easy for groups to ask for more guidance or time to finish.
Identify and explain simple ways for people to get your attention. Ideally use something that allows a group to quickly signal you without completely stopping its conversation.
For virtual sessions, I usually tell people to message me privately if I am wanted in their breakout. For in-person sessions, hand-raising works, but I sometimes have groups insert a paper flag into a table stanton if they want me to drop by.
When you have a lot of groups, it can be hard to know who is finished and who may need more time. My typical approach is to assign groups a number (on their instruction handout or in the table stanton). I post a flipchart page with all the numbers. When a group finishes, someone crosses out their group number, providing me (and everyone else) with a clear progress indicator. You can do something similar online for hybrid or virtual sessions.
6. If groups will report out, provide a notetaking sheet to help them prepare and a sample of what a successful group report contains.
Reporting out can sometimes devolve into what feels like a perfunctory rehash of everything a group talked about or sharing vaguely articulated points that others outside the group may struggle to comprehend.
I generally provide a notetaking worksheet with suggested categories for the thoughts to capture. For the actual report—whether it will be verbal highlights or notes on a flipchart or whiteboard—I provide a samples report (handout, slide, or flipchart to help groups understand the desired level of specificity (not this, but this).
Before any verbal reporting occurs, I also ask reporters to adhere to a time limit I provide so that we can hear from each group. Modeling an ideal group verbal report—both in content and length—can be useful, particularly when you have more than a few groups sharing. Use a countdown clock or some other time indicator to help reporters stay on track.
7. Float among groups throughout the activity.
While tempting to use this as time to catch your breath or take a short break, it’s best to remain engaged with participants as much as possible. That said, once groups are deep into their work, I may take a few minutes to quickly attend to other matters.
Bottom line?
Facilitation is about making things easier. Meeting and workshop design needs to include all the support—both big picture and analytical detail—that small groups may require in order to have more successful experiences with activities, exercises, and self-managed breakout conversations. We want any challenge to come from the content and the conversation, not because the activity was insufficiently structured or inadequately explained.
Getting in Action
Think of small groups you’ve experienced when participants were confused and/or the conversations were somewhat ineffective. What support could the facilitator have offered to prevent that from happening?
Think about what you know about those you most often facilitate. How might you tailor your design and introduction of small group work based on this knowledge?
Develop a few questions assessing the value of small group work that you can draw from for meeting or workshop evaluations.
Related Reading
Design and Facilitate for Growth and Learning (Facilitation Friday #10)
© Facilitate Better and Jeffrey Cufaude. All rights reserved.
To affordably license this content for reprint on your site or in electronic or print communications or to contact me regarding customized facilitation skills workshops or consultations, complete this form.