How can you encourage all voices to be heard in a large group facilitation?

I find asking for an opinion or perspective or experience to quiet participants helps them come out - i.e. not asking for the correct answer but kind of "what do you think" question! Asking all to make a choice - if face to face, people wave green or red cards dependig on their choice - then deliberately pick on a quieter person to explain their choices. If online, show of hands, or selecting choices on quiz and making it mandatory for everyone to take the quiz then ask reasons for choices - picking on quieter ones. Creating smaller groups also enables shy ones (who may not want to speak in a bigger crowd), to speak up.

I often start with an activity that is participatory and low risk which can break the ice, especially for people who take more time to feel comfortable speaking in large groups. Another technique is to use a Mentimeter or Slido poll and then ask individuals to share why they selected certain choices. I also walk around the room and get closer to the speaker so that they feel they are responding to me and not to the large audience.

Everyone who walks in the room will have a slightly different expectation on the purpose of the workshop and where we'll be by the end. It's important to try to collect these perspectives so we can actually align on what really matters. I like to ask everyone to take a moment to think about what they want to be different by the end of the workshop, then depending on the size of the group, ask each individually to talk it through, or if a bigger group, get them to write on post-its and put them up on a wall. We then take some time to discuss and align, and if we've got post-its (and even more time) run a quick theming and prioritisation exercise, so we're clear on what we need to achieve by the end of that workshop.

The LEGO? Serious Play? methodology encourages active participation and idea-sharing through hands-on building with LEGO bricks. In sessions, everyone, regardless of their role, gets to contribute, fostering inclusivity and allowing quieter individuals to express themselves comfortably. LEGO models serve as visual representations, aiding in understanding complex concepts. Facilitators guide discussions to ensure all voices are heard, promoting a culture of respect and collaboration. Participants share the stories behind their creations, facilitating deeper discussion and idea exploration.

Like any communication, structure is important, and helps manage and fulfil group objectives. Participants will have certain expectations; take some time to draw these out and engage participants in agreeing a way forward.

In my experience, I find that setting a clear set of boundaries and opportunities for everyone to participate is important, rather than just listening to the loudest, or the most talkative person inside the group. You tend to find that individuals that may not have the loudest of voices, 99% of the time have the best ideas.

Manage the energy in the group and encourage everyone to give their opinion through playing games that address your outcomes

If the content leads to self-development I find it important to share that it is essential for all to participate because all voices are important in this room and sharing and listening should be done by all of us, because: 1) You get more out of the experience if you seek input from others- this is done by sharing 2) You help others by telling your stories and getting them to tell theirs 3) Through sharing you will see that you are not alone or you may find words or language you never knew before

It's very powerful to have everyone in the room responsible for adhering to any ground rules, not just the facilitator. Naming and giving the group the power to keep each other accountable to the ground rules allows more group ownership of the workshop/session and gives a sense of empowerment to the group because after all, it's their session!

Setting expectations for the flow of the training and or meeting is key. I also believe that engaging participants in conversations about topics they love, such as food or favorite movies, is an excellent way to create a comfortable and inclusive environment. This approach helps break the ice and encourages participants to open up and connect with one another on a personal level. Additionally, providing various options for participation, such as messaging through chat, using collaborative tools like jam boards and Slido, and utilizing breakout rooms, allows individuals to engage in ways that best suit their preferences and comfort levels.

This can be a big barrier in facilitations. I always love to start any facilitation with an individual post-it note exercise, this helps everyone get a “brain dump” of their ideas before being influenced by the group. As you review post-it notes, you can begin consolidating using “same-or-different” with the group. The outcome is a cluster of prioritized and categorized ideas, free from group bias.

My favourite way to do this is through the use of Liberating Structures, designed literally to create space for voice you can elicit thought, contribution and value from everyone in the room.

In terms of virtual group facilitation, it is important to start by sharing 2-3 clear behaviors that you expect from the group to create a safe space. This makes it easy for the participants to clearly understand what is needed of them and how to cultivate inclusive environments. As you move along to engage your audience its important to consider the diversity of the group. You may have non-native English speakers in the group, introverts, people with impairments; to engage them, ensure you're offering various channels to participate in the conversation and stay engaged: polls, encourage chat usage, dedicate time to come off mute, use break out rooms. This helps to ensure that everyone walk away with some value out of your session.

Some thoughts supporting inclusion and different working styles: Sharing discussion prompts well ahead of time (1+ days); providing channels where people can continue to share their thoughts on a topic after the initial discussion; doing silent/individual reflections first; and forming discussion groups by some shared affinity (such as identity) or level of positional power so people within a group may feel more free to speak their mind.

There are lots of ways that a good facilitator can guide and balance share of voice. A good agreement or clarification at the outset and active management throughout a workshop goes a long way. On a more practical level using post its or other mechanisms to let people share ideas feedback individually before it is discussed as a group leads to far richer dialogue and a wider breadth of ideas.

You can use micro-structures to make it easier for people with diverse communication styles to participate. One example is using a liberating structure called 1-2-4-All, in which you start by giving folks a couple minutes of solo thinking time to write down their input. Next, you can invite people into pairs, then small groups, to share their ideas. Finally, you can bring attention back to the full group (plenary) and invite discussion. These kinds of microstructures can be a quick way to encourage engagement, even from folks that are hesitant to speak up in large groups.

Here’s something I keep in mind when I’m facilitating a discussion and my goal is to encourage more participation: pause. After you invite contributions, don’t just call on the first one to raise their hand. Especially if they tend to take up space easily. Pause so more contributors have a chance to raise their hands, and give space to those who don’t speak as much.

Para encorajar os clientes nas sess?es de Design Thinking, eu utilizo sempre a premissa que precisamos estar todos alinhados, alguns exemplos: 1) Nos convites de reuni?o, sempre está escrito o que abordagemos naquele dia, o que é esperado dos participantes. 2) No momento da facilita??o, eu apresento em qual etapa estamos e qual nosso objetivo no final. 3) Refor?o que o ambiente é seguro, n?o podemos criticar a ideia do outro, podemos complementar, ou sugerir com o: "e, se" 4) Tanto na facilita??o online, quanto presencial, tem uma "cola" com as perguntas que precisam ser respondidas naquele dia. 5) Ter uma boa comunica??o e conhecer técnicas de quebra-gelo também s?o fundamentais. 6) Ter empatia, ajuda as pessoas se sentirem acolhidas.

Asking people to write down their thoughts anonymously can be hugely helpful. I always explain that spelling and grammar don't matter when we do this, but ideas and questions that people might want to write are very much valued. I think this makes the contributions more equitable

I like putting people into rotating small groups to allow for everyone to get a chance to speak. I also like to stand near people who are quiet or nervous speaking in public to lend support.

Il est probable que le groupe devienne vite bruyant et que ceux qui parlent le plus fort finissent par prendre le lead (même inconsciemment). Pour cela il peut être intéressant de travailler sur la capacité d'écoute collective. Une règle simple peut-être annoncée en début de rencontre/événement. "Dès que je sens qu'on ne s'écoute plus, je lève les bras en l'air et je me tais. Si vous voyez quelqu'un le faire, faites-le aussi." Le silence reviendra (y compris avec +50 personnes) et permettra de donner la parole à ceux qui étaient "noyés" dans le bruit. En plus, c'est dr?le.

I've used many ways to ensure equitable participation, such as visual mapping and contributing ideas via posted notes. This allows people with shy voices or language barriers and shy/introverts individuals to express their ideas and contribute to the discussion.

It's important to have some iteration of 'give equal airtime' set as expectations and ground rules at the onset. Then, it's very easy to say something like: "Let's first hear from someone that hasn't spoken in a while" when the same person raises their hand for the umpteenth time.

Some voices will be quieter than others. Breakout groups give the facilitator the opportunity to identify these, and, where appropriate, present anonymised comments to the group. Once the quieter voices see that their comments resonate with others, they'll be more encouraged to share.

Ensure that there's equal shared talking time and participation. All member's options and views matter and should be respected. All members should feel safe to share and engage in a group setting.

When planning workshops it is so important to plan time to follow up. Set time aside to correspond to delegates, completely actions and then see if they have completed actions. A gentle nudge a few days after a workshop goes a long way to getting things done.

For any type of workshop that is focused on skill building, consider having participants choose one action they will take by the end of the week. Then, though it might be administratively burdensome, follow up individually through an email, Slack message, etc., asking about their specific commitment. This is likely to result in a much needed reminder about their action item but also furthers their perception of the value to did and will continue to provide.

Follow up after the meeting to ensure that concerns raised during facilitation are addressed and that all voices are considered in the subsequent decision-making process.

Cette étape est souvent oubliée ou négligée. Mais revenir sur les engagements, pour s'assurer qu'ils ont bien été suivis, ou les actions mises en places, est très important pour que tout le monde se sente écouté, impliqué dans le projet et que les résultats soient présents rapidement.

My favorite saying for facilitators is, "dance to the music being played." Sometimes this means going off topic, exploring that rabbit hole, making time for human emotions. I learned this by watching a facilitator who, as 9/11 was unfolding on the tv screens, was attempting to 'stay on track' with our planned agenda. Build the confidence to know that you can weave and adapt but still come back to deliver the salient learning points.

If we were to look specifically at facilitation of remote sessions some of the sections of the article need to also assess whether the tool (like Zoom or teams) they plan to use makes this more likely to foster the right environment and behaviours or not. One tool that I would recommend checking out that I’ve used is Braided Communications (NB: I am not on commission or affiliated at all with the product, I just really like it so feel free to check it out) It is specifically designed to support and include a wide range of neurodivergent individuals and allows individuals to consider their responses and automatically allows all “voices” rather than expects people to be loudest or fastest to raise their hand.

I like to have sessions that stimulate all of our 5 senses. I find that it helps the participants to have a more balanced experience. For example, Smell: I include candles or essential oils in a difusor. Taste: I have mints everywhere so that whenever they need to refresh or eat something before the break, they can do so. Hearing: background music that promotes peace and concentration. Sight: whenever I can, I set up in a way that they can have a connection with nature. Touch: I always give them something to write on.

Always be listening carefully. Notice who is doing all the talking and notice who might not have shared. Even in small group discussions, this can happen. I always default to pairs or small groups as opposed to finger pointing in a whole group. Finger pointing can feel terrifying for some people. You can appoint a small group representative to report back to the whole group on what was discussed. If you notice someone within a group is not sharing, gently insert yourself into the group and ask that person a few open ended questions. Alternatively, ask the dominant person to ask questions to the quieter person/people.

One of my favourite skills, is to pull threads. Its tough but fun. What you want to do is take one person's story of mental health, and ask another person to share about that. Then take his perspective on how men suffer, and ask the woman to both comment on that and then add her perspective on how patriarchy affects women's health. And so on... its like you're weaving a story.