Participants Have Questions. Make Sure They Get Answered. (Facilitation Friday #50)
Strategically incorporating multiple opportunities during the session makes it easier to ensure participants' are answered.
While some workshop participants are content to soak up whatever unfolds, many come with a specific question they hope to get answered. Doing so efficiently and effectively in a manner that privileges active learning is an important facilitation goal.
Here’s the related design thinking question this post addresses:
How might you turn the traditional end of session Q&A into something more engaging, productive, and inclusive, as well as incorporate more question-answering segments throughout?
Get a Head Start
It’s obvious, but whenever you can, collect participants’ questions prior to the session, either on the registration form or in a brief advance survey. When participants’ questions are collected in advance, common responses and themes can inform the topics to cover in presentation segments. Sometimes I call attention to doing so, “A few of you asked about ____. Here’s what you might do … “
If advance collection is not possible and your group is not too large, at the start of your session have participants note their question in writing and post it on the wall (in-person) or add it to a shared document (virtual). Do a quick scan as questions are posted so you can try and make relevant connections during any presentation segments.
When I have participants post questions in longer sessions or conferences, I ask them before each break or meal to remove their question if it has been sufficiently answered. This provides a nice visual pulse on our progress and can help inform my subsequent facilitation and presentation choices. When used in a 75- or 90-minute workshop, I have participants clear answered questions before you any final Q&A segment.
To help address participants’ questions, here are five simple approaches I frequently use. My descriptions of these approaches focus on in-person sessions, but many can be modified for a virtual gathering. They can be effectively incorporated at almost any point in a session.
If you have low vision or blind participants in your session, be sure to select approaches accessible to them and/or modify the instructions to add a verbal element where appropriate. Some approaches also involve movement so make sure your room set allows ample aisle and perimeter space for people to freely do so.
Five Engaging Approaches to Get Participants’ Questions Answered
1. Matchmaker Matchmaker
As an icebreaker or priming activity, I might ask participants to gather in a circle. If the group is around 20-30 people, one circle is fine. If you have more participants, divide them into multiple circles of at least 12-15 people. Pairs of straight lines with participants facing each other also works when space is too tight for circles.
Individuals in each circle or line state a question they hope to get answered or a topic they wish to discuss with others. Anyone who can answer the question or also wants to talk about the topic briefly moves forward or raises a hand. The questioner is tasked with quickly making note of these individuals. This process is repeated for each person in every circle. People are free to pass when it is their turn.
Invite participants to follow up with their “matches” during breaks, meals, and after the session.
2. Formal Case Studies
Participant questions and situations are good content for case study discussions. I usually select enough questions/cases to allow for 5-6 participants/case (divide your total # of participants by 5 or 6). Multiple groups can address the same case or question if desired or necessary.
You can assign cases to groups or tables or let people select informally. If not logistically cumbersome, I prefer the latter as people generally like the freedom of choice. I share a slide with a one-sentence description of each case study and a corresponding number. The same numbers are posted on walls around the room. Participants go to the # of the case/question that most interests them, and if a lot of people are already there, perhaps move to another one.
Groups typically need 6-10 minutes to discuss their case/question and identify 2-3 suggestions or responses. If time allows and you only have a few groups, verbal reporting could follow.
For a larger number of groups or when time is limited, ask them to legibly note their 2-3 suggestions. I usually provide a reporting out worksheet or have them key in their reports online using a survey tool or a shared document. Promise to scan all the sheets and share them in a PDF after the session.
Another option is to have groups could flipchart and post their ideas. People can then do a quick “gallery walk” of all the suggestions. Take pics of the posted flipcharts and distribute later in PDF form.
3. Informal Case Studies
In lieu of (or in addition to) formal case studies, I often post several participant questions or cases for people to address informally during breaks or even before the session begins.
I add a question/case to a tabloid size worksheet like the “rainbow” image in the instruction slide above. A half-dozen or so cases are posted (as are the instructions) and a small table is set with markers, pens, and Post-its ®.
As participants arrive for the session I invite them to respond to any of the posted questions/cases. At the start of the session I also explain the various ways we’ll try to get their questions answered and point out the posted informal case studies. Before any breaks, I remind them of the opportunity to share their thoughts for the cases.
This has a subtle networking effect as people mix and chat with each other while posting their responses or browsing the ones posted. Some introverted participants have told me they particularly appreciate it.
4. Peer Consultations
This is a simple personalized format with particular appeal to introverts. I often use it near the end of a half-day or full-day session when energy is waning and engaging every individual can be challenging.
Using a worksheet provided (see PDF), people describe a situation for which they seek input on how to handle. I instruct them to add some phrase or unique code at the bottom so they can identify their sheet later. This provides anonymity for the questioner.
People then randomly pass their sheet to any other person in the room. If anonymity is a really big concern, I might first collect all the sheets and distribute them randomly.
Individuals review the question or situation on the sheet they receive. If they have a response they note it in one of three spaces provided and add their name and email so the questioner can follow up with them. When done, they raise their sheet in the air and look around for someone doing the same to swap consultation sheets. If people don’t have a response for the consultation they receive, they simply raise it in the air to initiate a swap.
Repeating this process for around 10 minutes generally is enough time for each consultation question to get sufficient responses. At the end of the designated time, sheets are returned to their owner. To avoid this being too chaotic, I generally ask people to set their current sheet on their table. Everyone then moves among the tables until they find their sheet (remember, they put a unique code on it) to claim.
Three ancillary benefits of this activity are:
its individual focus creates more engagement from each participant;
the swapping and reclaiming adds some movement and physical energy to the process; and
individuals shift from learner to teacher or resource, an empowering moment, particularly at the end of a session.
5. Lightning Round
A favorite approach to use near a session’s end is a lightning round. It is similar to how sportscasts and political talk shows do countdown rounds to address a number of topics. The intense focus for a brief time period keeps participants engaged and allows you to address a healthy number of remaining questions.
My general approach is 6-8 questions with no more than 2 minutes/question. Displaying a timer on the screen or even an hourglass adds to the intensity and energy.
To gather questions for the lightning round, I explain how many we can address and then invite people who still have a burning question to note it on an index card and submit it to me. If questions were posted at the start of the session, you could also draw from the ones still hanging and presumably unanswered.
Announce the first question/case and launch your timing device (I often have a participant serve as monitor). You can offer a possible answer and/or invite participants to succinctly do so. If doing the latter it helps to first offer an example of how not to give an answer since time is so limited.
When time is called move to the next question. Repeat until you’ve exhausted your list. Remember, the goal during lightning round is not to discuss the questions, but to rapidly respond to them. If desired, you can provide a simple notetaking sheet (see PDF) for participants to capture the quick ideas shared.
Bottom Line
In The Workshop Survival Guide, authors Rob Fiztpatrick and Devin Hunt note the importance of frontloading sessions with immediate value for participants, a principle I definitely try to model in meetings and workshops I facilitate. Facilitators also help create more value in a session by ensuring as many participant questions as possible are answered. Strategically incorporating multiple opportunities during the session makes it easier for this to occur.
Getting in Action
How might you use or adapt one more of these approaches in a future meeting or workshop that you’ll facilitate?
What are a few other approaches you have seen (or used) to ensure participant questions are answered.
Which approach might make you most nervous about effectively facilitating it? How might you prepare to increase the odds you use it successfully?
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