how to listen to group dynamics

Listening Challenge Day 003

Today's question comes from Rachel, who asks Oscar, "I'm pretty good at listening in one-on-one conversations yet when it comes to group dynamics, I'm so focused on the content being discussed in the meeting that I forget to take into account the group dynamics when I'm hosting"?

how do I listen for the dynamics whilst I'm listening to the content?

Rachel, consider these three things when it comes to listening to group dynamics.

1. Where is there silence?
2. Is the group, speaking about symptoms or systems?
3. Where is the group focused?

1. Silence

During the next 7 days, just notice where the silence is in the group. Keep a tally of how many people in the group are silent in the first half and the second half of the meeting.

Usually, a few people dominate the discussion, usually subject matter experts or people who need to speak to think.

dialogue and group dynamics. 80% of speaking will come from about 20% of the people who are experts in that particular topic at any one time.?

For the first week. Rachel, just keep a track of it. Just notice it - don't do anything about it.

Week Two

Pose a question to those who haven't spoken, and make sure you get that in the first half of that period of time allocated for the meeting rather than waiting until towards the end. When it arrives at the end

their opinion or their perspective may feel like a hand grenade

Ask them what themes are they noticing or what things hasn't the group considered?

When the conversation is at the thematic level, they are able to voice their opinion through themes rather than their personal opinion, which may create a little bit more psychological safety and confidence for them.

2. Symptom or system

Is the group discussing symptoms or are they talking about systems and their implications?

Neither is correct or incorrect, consider which one is relevant to the outcome of the meeting.?

Now, when we talk about symptoms, we're talking about smaller sequential, transactional impacts. These are critical to building momentum and making progress.

Equally, if all you do is talk about that, you may not be making the impact that you want.

Week One, just keep a tally and be curious about the patterns rather than the specific numbers. Where is the group at - symptom or system?

Week Two, bring some other perspectives into the group conversation.?Ask a few broader questions to the group

• What does this mean for another department??
• What does this mean for other projects??
• What does this mean for other people?

That will start to get the people thinking from a different dynamic.

The questions you pose when you're thinking about moving to a systemic orientation, and when you're thinking about incremental progress - ask,

What's the one thing we need to agree on to make progress?

3. Group focus

A lot of group conversations tend to be very internally orientated the project, the organization, the department, the team, the product, the service, the issue?is that useful for the content? or Is that useful for the outcome??

You can pose a series of questions that broadens their perspective while outside the organization, you can ask,?

• What does this mean for our customers??
• What does this mean for citizens??
• What does this mean for the competition equally?
• What does this mean for regulators?
• What does it mean for governments???

This will broaden the perspective of the team.?

Now, if the team is way too far into the future in their group dynamic, and it's not serving the purpose of the conversation, ask questions

• what does this mean for us tomorrow??
• what does this mean for the next milestone?
• what does this mean for the output we're trying to achieve??

Rachel these questions will provide you a better sense of the group dynamics and more importantly, not just what's present, but equally what's absent.

Given the 125/900 rule, you speak at 125 words a minute, but you can think at 900, that number is exponential when you are in a group meeting. If you're not leaning into group dynamics and listening carefully to those people who haven't spoken up, you're missing the majority of the group dynamic.?

Rachel, I'll be curious to see how you go and apply this and what the results.?

If you've got a question about listening in the workplace, whether that's individual group discussions face-to-face or online, just pop a message in the comments below?

If you would like to have early access, to the next book how to listen - discover the hidden key to better communication visit https://www.oscartrimboli.com/nextbook/