Tips for facilitating quality dialogue
We share below some of the approaches we take and questions we use in our facilitation.
Actively encourage participation. Ensure a variety of voices and views are heard:
- What thoughts/reflections have others got on these questions?
- Does anyone have an alternative view to xyz?
- I notice that the reaction to the questions is captured by ‘first mover advantage’, is there anyone with a different perspective? Or could I invite someone to play devil’s advocate here?
- Invite quieter members to speak. Ask directly for their opinions and if they have any questions. Don’t overdo it and make them feel uncomfortable
Create an environment for listening and generative dialogue:
- Ask a participant to reflect back or paraphrase what they have heard their colleagues say
- Ask them to initially refrain from sharing their view
- Don’t try to explore each question, invite views on sets of questions: “what reflections/thoughts did this set of questions raise/spark”?
Ask probing questions to illicit assumption/beliefs/motivation & consequences:
- What assumptions are being made about xyz here?
- How could these assumptions be limiting how we think about this question and/or the limiting the potential of the organisation/people?
- How could holding this belief be impacting people’s sense of meaning at work?
- How could holding this belief undermine the potential of the organisation?
- What do these (implicit) assumptions/beliefs protect the organisation against? How does holding this view protect the business? What does this belief protect against? [There are the hidden benefits of maintaining beliefs. Called payoffs or secondary gains, these are things that a person or organisation could lose and miss if they gave up a belief. It is important to realise that most, if not all ‘limiting’ beliefs, carry out some positive function, even if this leads to ineffective behaviour and unwanted results.]
- Help people to connect to ‘why’ something matters to them, usually it needs 5 ‘Whys’ to get to a proper Why. For example: why does addressing climate change matter to you? Why does caring about future generations matter to you? etc.
Bridge and help the group make connections:
- Help the group to follow the discussion and connect ideas by recalling earlier discussions or ideas. e.g. “Great thought….that seems linked to what we discussed earlier about x. What is the relationship between x & y for you?
Shift perspectives
- If a group gets stuck at some point in a discussion, try to shift the perspective and invite them to look at the questions from another angle. e.g. Is there another lens through which we could look at this question?
Avoid being defensive don’t seek to ‘resolve’,
- People can get defensive – arguing with them won’t win them over – be curious and bring others in if they are starting to dominate
- Allow space for the participants to discuss their differences
It can be helpful to run the workshops with two people – with one person facilitating and the other bringing the provocation, allowing the facilitator to hold the space without being tempted to defend the provocation.
For more on dialogue see: