HOW TO CONDUCT A DISCUSSION IN A TALKATIVE TEAM? MODERATION TECHNIQUES

Each of us remembers at least one such meeting: it was loud, we touched on a million topics, a few people gave speeches like nobility at a diet, we ended without specifics, and then everyone started glancing at their watches and returned to their laptops…

What to do to make discussions concrete and fruitful? How to stop talkative people and encourage quiet participants to speak up? The following moderation techniques have been personally tested and have helped save many team discussions 🙂

I like it!

A common meeting nuisance is the phrase ‘I agree with the previous speaker…’ When participants repeat the same statement with minor modifications, it prolongs the decision-making process and adds little value. We recommend a moderation technique inspired by the ‘like it’ button from Facebook. When a participant agrees with someone’s statement, they raise their hand with a thumbs up. Simple, right? The method allows you to quickly check how many people share a particular view (the majority? half? a few?), and additionally engages participants who are not currently speaking. Note: when introducing this technique, it is worth it for the moderator to set a good example. This is the fastest way for participants to start using it.

“Microphone”

Only the person holding the designated object (marker, mascot, folder…) has the floor. If another participant wants to speak, they must wait until they receive it.
This classic moderation technique works well if the group tends to conduct several threads of conversation simultaneously. It is worth noting that the “microphone” should be available to everyone and not monopolized by the louder participants.

Parking

In a multi-threaded discussion, topics often arise that only concern some of the present people. Developing them in the forum would be a waste of time for the others, but cutting off the speech may make someone feel offended. The moderator can write them down as keywords on a special flipchart, known as the “parking lot.” Interested individuals will return to them after the meeting and arrange a conversation in a smaller group. Similarly, we can note down questions (e.g., about detailed data) to which we do not currently know the answers, so we can check them later.

Burning matchstick

If we want everyone to speak but are concerned that it will take too much time, we can use the matchstick method. Originally, everyone has as much time to speak as it takes for a matchstick to burn. If we do not want to risk triggering the fire alarm, we can replace the matchstick with a less atmospheric but equally effective stopwatch/hourglass. I have repeatedly verified in workshops that 3 minutes are enough to identify a problem, briefly describe a proposed solution, and provide three arguments in favor of its implementation. That’s a lot of content!

To the point!

Finally, a moderation technique that is often proposed by the participants themselves during the workshop contract stage, in one form or another. The principle of ‘To the point!’ involves establishing a word that signals ‘we’ve strayed from the topic, let’s get back to the main issue!’. We usually choose an unusual word that is unlikely to appear in our discussion by accident. It works great, provided it is used with sensitivity.

What would you need..?

The ‘to the point’ principle is democratic: any participant in the discussion can use it. Meanwhile, ‘What would you need’ is an emergency tool for the moderator to give direction to an unconstructive statement. If someone is complaining about a complicated process and it doesn’t look like they will finish quickly, you can ask:

What would you need to make this process more transparent for you?

This way, we shift the focus from complaining to finding solutions.

To-do list

It is worth recording the conclusions from the discussion on an ongoing basis in the form of tasks (or preferably – products that will result from them: e.g., documents, recommendations, notes) with a responsible person and an approximate deadline. For example:

Recommendations for the 3 best media houses + pricing, Kasia W., September 15

This draft action schedule should, of course, be refined after the meeting and distributed (in the form of a summary, so-called minutes), but the very act of creating it focuses the team on the topic.

Finally, I have an invitation for you!

On June 21 at 10:00 AM, we are organizing a webinar titled ‘What NASA Research Can Tell You About Effective Teamwork?’ If you want to know the answers to the questions:

•  What kind of team should astronauts be to cope with the cosmic reality? 
• What qualities of people and the team make it possible for them to collectively handle difficult situations in critical moments? 
• Is creativity needed in a team of astronauts?

Sign up by filling out the  registration form!

See you!

Article author: Zosia Augustyniak