Troubleshooting

for Facilitators of Learning Teams

The Team Keeps Getting “Off Task”

  • Refer people to the agenda, norms or purpose of the meeting
  • Ask members if they feel the current discussion is helpful or necessary
  • Point out the behavior
  • Ask if the current conversation is important to everyone or if it can be postponed until after the meeting
  • Take a break. Start back on the agenda after the break.
  • Structure your conversations by using processes for reading and sharing

Low Group Energy, Interest or Attention

  • Rotate roles
  • Involve everyone in the development of the agenda for the next team meeting
  • Increase your own energy or pace
  • Take a short break
  • Ask the group if this is working, helpful and on track
  • Ask the group what they would like to do
  • Adjust the activity by changing to a more active process
  • Ask members if they have any suggestions as to how to do things differently

Only Part of the Group Participates

  • Ask if others have information or opinions to share
  • Structure the discussion so that everyone gets to talk
  • Ask if everyone feels connected to the discussion.
  • Point out that only some people are contributing, and ask why
  • Ask if the current conversation is important to everyone

One person Dominates the Discussion

  • Call attention to the agenda and timeframes
  • Break eye contact. Stop giving him or her focused attention
  • Give the person a time limit
  • Summarize what the person has said and move to someone else
  • Before the next meeting starts, pose a standard for the length of comments. For examples: “Let’s hear from a few people for no more than 2 minutes each.”
  • Propose a ground rule at the beginning of the session that everyone “monitor their air time.” Explain that for some, this means talking less; for others, it means talking more.
  • Use a 2 minute timer or miniature hourglass and pass it around as people are speaking. Participants may only speak as long as the time limit. No longer and no shorter.
  • Pass around a “talking stick” and participants many only speak when they are holding the talking stick.

Talking off the Subject

  • Ask participant to relate what they are saying to the current agenda item or topic.
  • Ask if the team can come back to their point and record it on a “parking lot” sheet.
  • Ask others if they have anything to add to what they person said
  • Stop them. Tell them it’s not related to the topic now. Bring it up later under a different part of the agenda.

Having Side Conversations

  • Invite them to share what is being said
  • Stop the conversation, be quiet, and look at the people talking
  • Ask them to please stop side conversations
  • Repeat the topic under discussion and ask if everyone can focus on having just one conversation at a time. Say, “Let’s have one conversation,” or “Let’s all focus on the same thing.”
  • If the team has ground rules about side conversations, point out that some members are breaking the ground rule

Being Constantly Negative or Antagonistic

  • Acknowledge their points of view
  • Make a special point of thoroughly paraphrasing their view the first couple of times they speak. Stick very close to their exact wording.
  • Ask if there is any part of the work that they feel good about
  • Ask for their opinions about what is needed. Record the opinions. Ask the group to respond.

Non-participation

  • Talk to them privately at another time. Find out their concern.
  • Call on them by name.
  • Thank them when they do contribute
  • Turn to them when the agenda moves to something that you know they can address with confidence, conviction or expertise
  • Early in key conversations, have everyone respond briefly in turn to a specific cue question intended to stimulate discussion
  • Use a structured conversation protocol that gives everyone a turn to respond

Repeating the Same Point Over and Over

  • Acknowledge the importance of the point and the person’s passions, advocacy or determination
  • Demonstrate that ne or she has been heard and the point recorded
  • Explain how and when the point will be dealt with
  • Ask directly if the person can “let go of it for now.”

Adapted from: T. Justice, D. Jamieson (2006). The Facilitator’s Fieldbook Second Edition. New York, NY: AMACOM.