¿Cuáles son algunas técnicas efectivas para mantener una discusión en el buen camino?

I now work to co-create these expectations in some way - whether through working with a planning team, chatting with folks in advance, sending out surveys or even just asking for feedback. Co-creation does a few things: it creates shared ownership so if you have to bring folks back to them in the room you're coming back to what THEY want. It also can serve to help each person have what they need to participate fully, and actually serve to co-create more inclusive cultures over time.

For me, the role of the facilitator is ALL about the rest of the room. Not about me. I support the groups I'm working with to identify the focus of the session, agree on ways of working, helping everyone come to a consensus on what 'good' looks like and what progress will look like. Also, checking in to understand what everyone needs to be present and get the most from the session. There is a risk that just because someone is physically in the session/meeting, then they are mentally there too... so providing an opportunity for people to 'check in', share where they are at & what they need, can be hugely effective.

Keeping discussions on track is one of the key skills of facilitation. We try to create agendas, but we also want to be flexible and restrict conversation as little as possible. Set an agenda that is directional toward the goal of the discussion, but be adaptive when new ideas come into the discussion that change the context. Be firm when people vary from the intention of the discussion and park discussions that go to deep or are orthogonal to the agenda.

Facilitators serve. We know that there are certain expectations from the sponsor or management and we also want to know the expectations of those we are engaging with. Keeping in mind the time factor, we open up a discovery of expectations, to get a common understanding of the purpose, direction, boundaries, guidelines and the process. We ensure this gets everyone contributing in a safe environment while capturing the same as large visuals that remain as a map to refer as long as we are on the journey. We also observe and listen to get a feel for the unexpected expectations, motivations and emotions at play. And that's how the adventure begins...

First, it's important to understand that people, based on the privileges that they experience will either feel more or less inclined to shape discussions. Black, indigenous and people of color, women, and other minorities are less likely to speak up in a group setting in general. When people steer discussions in a different direction than is intended, I gently interrupt and re-set the boundaries for the discussion, restating the purpose of the discussion. I then reinforce how I'm eager to hear from those in the room who haven't spoken yet. This helps not only to set the group on track again for the discussion, it also creates a more balanced and inclusive environment for people from underserved communities to speak up.

Have clearly defined goals and refer back to them when the discussion gets off track. Share how much time is left for discussion. Ask the group if they'd like to keep discussing the tangential topic. If yes, ask if they're willing to take an initially defined talking point off of the agenda. If yes, ask which one and how much time they'd like to spend on the off-track topic. Share the positive and negatives of going "off topic" with the group. Let them make the decision if they want to return to original agenda items. Know who's driving the agenda. If it is participant driven, then letting them make decisions on "off topic" items is appropriate. If the agenda is driven by someone outside of the group, better to stay on task.

Active Listening. If we practice this and do not prepare our response before we listen. It is also good to restate what the person speaking has said to indicate you are listening. If you misunderstood them they can offer you clarity. Win Win 🏆

“To be clear is to be kind” right? That quote can be attributed to about 12 different people. Perhaps there is something to it. When I made my first hire, I over-trusted and did a subpar job of laying out expectations. Because of this, the bar started high when there was exciting fresh new energy. But a year in, there weren’t clear expectations to fall on which quickly became an unsustainable mess. Here’s my favorite way to set clear expectations: get clear about your intention, and share with the people that it affects. Then, add the phrase “so that…“ to the end, and fill in the rest of the sentence with a currency that the group or individual you’re communicating with really cares about. Now your expectations are in their language.

I agree with the shared end goal to be determined and made known to all the participants. This will keep them focussed. For all participants to get motivated through out the discussion, the end goal should take care of their individual needs and interests. This can be done by allowing all participants to share their expectations.

In the role of a facilitator, it is crucial to embody active listening and promote the same among participants. This involves posing clarifying questions, restating key points, and acknowledging the contributions of others. These actions are instrumental in sustaining focus and fostering comprehension. If the discussion deviates from its intended path or primary goals, it's the facilitator's responsibility to gently steer it back on course. This may involve polite reminders to the participants about the established agenda and objectives, ensuring that the conversation remains in sync with its intended goals. Visual aids can also come to the rescue on occasions, serving as valuable tools to help maintain the discussion's focus.

Parking an idea or question is easy while parking a person is harder. When people raise up 'non-relevant' questions or raise up different issues to address or suggest a 'not for this' idea, we always acknowledge it, then explain why it is going to the parking lot for the moment, what and when you plan to address it and then ensure it is visually given a space in the lot. As a facilitator, we use creative ways to to do this and yet we need to take the time to observe the person, the emotion they bring into what they just expressed, and how they reacted to the parking lot suggestion. The reason is to prevent someone from clamming up while ensuring there is collaborative progress. For us, the purpose and the people matter.

I really like this approach. It’s respectful and keeps the focus on agenda as well as acknowledging their contribution. I would summarise at the end all of these contributions and agree next steps with the contributors. It will help with engagement and inclusion too.

A facilitator's biggest challenge is to avoid chaos in the meeting room and to make sure at the end of the meeting that everyone has a fair chance to voice their opinion. Some people have a strong presence and tend to overpower the room and talk for hours. The facilitator's role in this case is to allocate a time frame for each participant to make sure all angles have been exposed objectively. The facilitator will then collate the data contributed at the end of the meeting, and a recap is done on a platform that can be viewed by all participants. This will eventually lead to a very healthy atmosphere within the meeting room, and ultimately, the best decision will be made based on a balanced and accurate amount of information.

Better and more modern than the “parking lot“ would be to ask somebody in the group to tell Siri or Google to remind them to bring that topic back up at a fitting time. In my experience, parking lots are where ideas go to die. So if you want the idea to live on and take roots, give it a specific time and place. Not just a metaphorical place like the “parking lot.”

Here are two, super practical ways to turn “probing questions” into powerful questions that people will be more open to responding to. First, try to avoid asking questions with superlatives. For example, “what is your favorite part about working here?” Could become something like “what is one of your favorite part about working here?” This is both more inviting and more open. Secondly, avoid asking “why“ questions like the plague. They typically put somebody’s brain in a defensive mode, which is generally not conducive to building trust and exploring possibilities. Instead, ask questions that only begin with “how“ or “what“.

As a facilitator, sometimes it's hard not to manipulate the facilitation because of your own perspective. If you want to steer the session in a certain direction, open questions are your way to go. By using open questions, you can steer gently without becoming partial. Also, you can use open questions to refer back to the main goal and common objectives to find common grounds during a conflict.

I think I'd call this 'being curious'. As a facilitator, I'm impartial and there to support the needs of the group. I aim to listen and be curious, hoping any reflections or questions I share can help the thinking and workings of the group.

Everyone loves the start. No one loves the stop. Facilitators know this, acknowledge it and with a limited time to complete the adventure, we resort to tools & techniques that ensures everyone is on board. Two ways that always work for me, are 1. Make it sensorial 2. Make it a game When participants feel that time is not enough, it's because they are experimenting, collaborating and accommodating personality styles. By introducing roles in each small group, and revealing the process, the participants become co-facilitators to support the journey. As a facilitator we must also understand the changing importance of the parts and adapt the timing and the play for a richer outcome. And yes, sometimes you have to make some noise! ;)

While setting time limits can be frustrating for participants, when used well they can help folks have structure to flow. If they know we are taking the role of timekeeper, that means they can drop into the activity/experience and hopefully end up in a state of engaged flow with themselves or fellow participants.

I would suggest setting the stage before getting started. If we are implementing a way to consider other ideas or notions (such as 'parking lot', or burning question board), explain it so the audience knows the rules of engagement. Then also provide a next step when the facilitation or dialogue is time sensitive. For example, if there's still tons of questions, but there's 2 minutes left, wrap it up and tell the audience who they need to contact with any other questions or comments afterward to ensure they are addressed even though time is far spent.

I would also suggest that everyone is clear on the purpose of any session/workshop. Perhaps even ask for feedback on agenda and approach. Share any documents and material as a pre read. I have attended workshops where they wanted us to complete surveys etc beforehand which was then discussed and shared on the day. Slido is a well known tool that many like to use as it’s quick and anonymous.

In my experience understanding the purpose of the discussion. If it is on topic and the audience is all with you, then allow it. As an experienced facilitator make up it up in other areas. If more one person and leading off topic, thank the person and let them know you can discuss in the break with them further.

It is important to understand the audience and their background. Sometimes I found that audiences are distracted from the discussion and need to back them by using some techniques e.g. giving relevant examples, icebreaking, eye contact and so on.

Assertiveness is important. Be clear, yet considerate. Speak up and say "This is important, and to meet our goal of this session, we'll need to set this aside for a time where it can get the attention it deserves." If being assertive is out of your comfort zone, be courageous.

Dealing with someone who tries to railroad the conversation can be challenging, but I like to use some of these toolst help: 1. Active Listening: Show that you value their input by actively listening to their points. This can defuse their need to dominate the discussion. 2. Encourage others to speak by using phrases like, "I'd like to hear from others on this as well," to create a more inclusive atmosphere. 3. If the person persists, consider addressing the issue privately after the meeting. Express your concerns and work together on a solution. 4. Allocate specific time slots for each agenda item, and stick to them. This can help prevent any one person from dominating the conversation.

One thing I have found helpful in zooming in on the essential points is to prepare a list of key questions that must be answered/issues that must be resolved by end of session. They make for milestone markers segmenting the session into focused bits of Q&A time.

Keeping a discussion on track in a Session is easy till the time people get really expressive and stubborn about their Points. This, sometimes, creates a hot bubble, which needs to be busted to ensure a commonly accepted Conclusion. So here is what I do: 1] Lead with some close-ended questions, if the discussion needs to be ended 2] Lead with some open-ended questions, if the discussion needs to be redirected 3] If these 2 don't work, the next best thing is a Parking Lot (with common consensus) 4] If I am aware that the discussion is heavily debatable, I use Time-based speaking, thus encouraging Points over Emotions 5] Sometimes, I even use pre-set instructions, where only Practically applicable points or Just words are to be used as input.

Regarding a challenging topic, I have often adapted a method where everyone is given their own time to share their point of view while others actively listen without interrupting. Finally, after going through the round, we have discussed together and written down ideas about the next step. Everyone has made their voices heard and everyone has portrayed the feelings and views of others.

Consider starting the discussion with a short grounding exercise to help participants centre themselves and sharpen focus from the outset✨️ Make space for different voices to be heard and to foster deep listening, so that the group are encouraged to listen attentively to understand and connect over their shared intention for the discussion✨️