Facilitation Preparation Skill Three
Social Awareness (a.k.a. stepping in, stepping out)
As the facilitator, you help to set the tone and maintain it throughout the session.
Pay attention to general room and logistics:
- What time is it and how much time is left? (Are people looking at the clock?)
- Who has spoken? Are there individuals who are dominating the conversation? Are there others who are quieter and who might have more to say?
- Are there topics that have been thoroughly covered already, which don’t need any more input? (You may notice people checking out or looking around or on their phones/computers)
- Are there other topics the group has yet to discuss?
Observe individual and group dynamics:
- Do some participants appear anxious, worried, or reticent? Might this be evidence of something happening underneath the surface?
- Consider asking one of the questions that might raise or unearth an important issue for discussion.
- What role have high-power individuals (e.g., lab leaders, lab managers, faculty members, administrators) played in the conversation so far? How does this compare to lower-power individuals (e.g., graduate students, postdocs, assistants)?
- Consider using some of the suggested questions for bringing in those who haven’t participated yet, or as much as others.
- Has the conversation mostly focused on what is going well? Do people seem nervous to share what is going less well? [6]
- Consider raising other aspects of the topic or some of the other suggested questions.
There are ways you can “step in” or “step out” of the discussion to help cultivate a balanced, thorough, and inclusive discussion while also avoiding dominating the conversation:
Stepping in
You may need to intervene when a conversation veers off course or when a norm is violated. [2] It is often useful to have the ground rules available to reference. Here are common situations and how you can respond:
- Escalating personal argument
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Politely and firmly refocus the discussion on the group’s shared topic and remind the participants that personal disputes should be handled separately.
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- Lack of participation (signs are: not speaking, little eye contact, few or no questions or followup)
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Ask open-ended questions to uncover disengagement. Invite direct input, highlight the space as open and creative, and reassure participants that all perspectives are welcome without judgment. [6]
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- Unjustified statements
- Encourage explanation by expressing curiosity. Paraphrase their point and ask for reasoning (“That’s an interesting take--can you share why you think that’s the best approach?”)
- Overly positive, with a narrow focus
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Acknowledge successes and prompt further discussion on challenges. Play “devil’s advocate” by introducing missing perspectives to help the group explore areas for growth. [2]
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Stepping out
After stepping in, it’s just as important to “step out” so you do not dominate the discussion. Being too involved may cause participants to direct their responses to you rather than deliberating among themselves. Stepping out can reduce a the power imbalance and encourage peer-to-peer discussion. Try:
- Eye contact: heavy eye contact with participants might lead them to want to speak directly to you, rather than to each other.
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Consider assuming an outwardly “thinking” position, where you focus on your notes, the whiteboard, or other areas of the room rather than the participants’ sightlines.
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- Words / gestures: Try to maintain a low profile in the discussion. Even well-meaning efforts to summarize what has been said might make you a more powerful member of the conversation than other members of the group, or lead participants to look to you for your feedback or insights more than is helpful.
- Remind participants that your goal is to guide a helpful discussion, and that their focus should be discussing the day’s topic with each other, not reporting information to you.
- Keeping your words to a minimum while you gesture for someone else to speak is sometimes enough to reinforce this approach.