Group Facilitation

Background

During my time at JMU, I was in a communication course that focused on learning how to lead group dialogue. We focused on the importance of active listening, adaptability, and how to guide the conversation as a facilitator. We were divided into groups and tasked with leading a group discussion in a real world setting.

The challenge

Design & facilitate a 90 minute group dialogue

  • Participants: Retired community members & first year Communication Studies Students

  • Goal: Lead a conversation that encourages participation from all group members

My group members and I started drafting a process design. We brainstormed what questions would guide the conversation in the right direction. With the wide age range of our participants, we needed to provide opportunities for all members to share their unique perspectives. We planned specific times for each section we wanted to discuss and ran a practice facilitation with our classmates.

Our Topic…

Exploring the Political Divide

Process

With a topic as taboo as politics, our group recognized that we would not be able to come to a “solution” at the end of the discussion. Instead, we wanted to focus on giving the participants an opportunity to learn from each other rather than debate. To do this, we need to carefully create questions that would inspire meaningful dialogue. Here are a few of the questions we came up with:

  • How have changes in media consumption habits, including the rise of social media and 24-hour new cycles, contributed to the increasing political divide in our country?

  • To what extent do you feel that this spread of misinformation is connected to the country’s growing political divide?

  • One of the outcomes of polarization is a lack of sense of unity in an American identity. What impact does this have on our country?

Key Takeaways

HOW IT WENT

On the day of the facilitation I was feeling the pressure of being the leader in a group with participants who were older than me. However, it was more successful and rewarding than I could’ve imagined! The participants were receptive to my questions and sparked discussion beyond my expectations. I was able to think quickly and adapt my questions to the direction of the discussion. After this experience, I feel confident to lead future group dialogue in the work place and beyond.

WHAT I LEARNED

Throughout this process, I learned that one of the most important qualities of a leader is the ability to participate in active listening. While it seems like something that we practice each day, in the role of a facilitator I learned that sometimes the most impactful way to lead a conversation is by saying nothing at all. The feedback we got from participants was that it was an enriching & rewarding experience.

Check out our blog about the experience!