How can you lead large group discussions like a pro?

First place to start: acknowledge any emotion that comes up (fear, apprehension, don’t know if I am able to, …) and reframe it so that: 1/ you know what you’re getting yourself into 2/ most importantly, why it is important for you 3/ what value add it brings your audience, what questions it answers or problems it solves 4/ so that you can create a plan of action that will calm your nervous system and gets you focused and most importantly: excited!

Especially as someone leading this discussion you need to have clear and precise understanding of your topic and set the expectation at the beginning. Along with that you need to steer conversations back to the track in case the discussion is going towards something it was not meant for. Always make sure to communicate that we need to respect people involved in the discussions.

If it's possible let all group members be aware of the topic ahead of the discussion. This allows deeper thought and research. It makes the discourse more interesting and thought through. Then generate rhetorical questions that will define and refine the direction you intend the discussion to flow.

Absolutely adapt the format and venue to your topic and to your audience. Is your discussion an open forum? Is your audience more the artistic or intellectual type? Or does the topic invites seriousness and gravitas? Do you have experts speaking? a panel could be a good format for this purpose. Do your research. What venue/format did other organizers choose for a similar topic?

Ground rules are crucial if you want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate. A suggestion: depending on the format you have chosen, you can also ask the participants themselves to suggest ground rules that can be agreed by everyone.

Make everyone feel part of the discussion, so that they can feel free to engage and express opinions. Don’t be afraid of opposing views, this is what create a richer environment of discussion, collaboration and co- creation. Part of your job as a facilitator is also to be a moderator and ensure every opinion is heard and respected, even if it’s not agreed upon.

As the saying goes, there's never a boring conversation as one where everyone agrees. Know for sure that there will always be diverse opinion so be prepared to embrace the outcome of the conversation to help you foster the purpose of the discussion. Also, acknowledge each school of thought and avoid controversial, racial or religious insinuations. It will be good to let the group know this upfront. Otherwise, it will degenerate to unnecessary verbal abuse, which will frustrate you and defeat the actual purpose of the discussion.

At the end of the discussion, you need to evaluate the entire process to determine if it met the initially set objectives. If it's possible determine the number of different perspectives on the discussion (example, True, False, Maybe). Let at least one person from that school of thought give a summary closing statement on their position. This helps all participants see that there are a number of perspectives to the discussion. You can wrap up by thanking everyone for their time and participation. If you are a subject matter expert in that field of discourse, then give a professional perspective to it and wrap up. That way everyone learns.

Asking your participants for feedback is a win / win! 1/ for them, it’s a form of thank you for participating note + a way to continue the conversation while making their opinion valued and taken into account. 2/ for you, it’s a smooth way to follow up with your participants without any pressure, but only asking them a favor!