By Steve Adubato, PhD

Last week, I criticized a moderator who didn’t understand his role in facilitating a panel discussion, but instead committed a major communication faux pa by talking too much and listening too little.

This column offers some tangible advice about facilitating a large group discussion by breaking up audience members into smaller working groups, which is an excellent communication and teaching tool on many levels. It gets everyone working, engaged and involved and makes it harder for people to hide, check out or simply not participate with the larger group. Further, it encourages leadership by requiring members of the smaller groups to step up and take charge, gather feedback and represent the group’s findings by communicating to the larger group.

What are some of the best ways to communicate in small groups?

• Before members of the group start sharing their ideas, it is important that people are properly introduced to each other. Don’t assume you know who everyone is or where they are coming from. If you are in a working group, take the initiative by suggesting that everyone introduce themselves or share an anecdote or personal observation that says something meaningful about them.

• If someone in the group says something you absolutely disagree with or you think is off the wall, don’t immediately criticize by saying, “Bob that is the dumbest idea I have ever heard.” Rather, see it as an opportunity to move the conversation forward by asking a question; “Bob, why do you see it that way?” Or, “Bob, do you have an example that would help us all better understand why you see it that way?”

• Make sure you take notes—not copious notes, but the kind that allow you to look back and recall something significant communicated by another group member. It could be as simple as; “Mary’s funny story about having to fire someone she really liked.” Or “Why Jane resists change.” Don’t count on your memory. Count on these bulleted notes or triggers to allow you to put the group’s work in perspective.

• Decide early on who will be the spokesperson for the group. I’ve seen many working groups make smart decisions and come to great conclusions, but when the time comes to communicate to the larger group, they realize they’ve reached a dead end because no one is prepared to talk. They often scramble, assigning the role at the last minute, which only ensures an ill-prepared presentation. Another option is to have more than one person communicate on behalf of the group and assign a group facilitator who can say things like; “Jim is going to be talking about the three greatest challenges we faced while Betty will identify the three goals we’ve set for the group over the next six months…”

• Practice presenting to the larger group, before actually having to do it. Do a dress rehearsal and make sure you time it. If you’ve been given a 10-minute time limit to present the working group’s findings, don’t assume you know what 10-minutes is. It’s very common for most people to underestimate how long their group presentation is, so make sure you identify if you have this problem before it actually counts.

Finally, no matter who presents on behalf of the group, establish the kind of team rapport that allows for each team member to jump in and compliment or elaborate on a point being made by another team member. This allows for a more conversational, informal and comfortable presentation.

Remember, much of our success in the world of work is a product of how well we work with other people and this is often determined by the way we function in smaller groups.