How To Facilitate A Roundtable Discussion

ROUNDTABLE DESCRIPTION:

A roundtable is a facilitated discussion that gives each participant the maximum amount of group input on a given subject of common interest in a short amount of time. 

 

GOAL & OBJECTIVES:
To facilitate a meaningful group discussion that is engaging and helpful

o       By identifying areas of common interest

o       By keeping a fast pace

o       By drawing as many people into the discussion as possible

o       By wearing name tags or using name plates

DOS & DON’TS

Effective roundtables:

o       Keep the discussion moving use time limits

o       But give plenty of time for discussion,

o       Each topic is clear & solicits specific feedback

o       Discussion includes and involves multiple people

o       End at the high point of the discussion

Not so effective roundtables:

o       There’s not enough time for discussion  

o       Conversation dies out before a new topic begins

o       Topics aren’t clear about what feedback they want

o       Discussion focuses on 1 or a few speakers leavening others out

 

TIME: 60 Min      

 

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

Whiteboard or flip chart
Markers
Pen & Paper for all

  SET UP:

Chairs in a circle
Tables are optional.  (Ironic isn’t it)

DIRECTIONS: In 1st person

Welcome 2 Minutes

Welcome everyone my name is ___________ from ___________ 

The goal for today is to facilitate a meaningful group discussion that is engaging and helpful.

We will attempt to do this by
o       By identifying areas of common interest
o       By keeping a fast pace
o       By drawing as many people into the discussion as possible

This is a group discussion so remember:
o       To talk to everyone in the group not just the facilitator.
o       To keep your comments brief and to the point
o       That everyone is welcome to share so please feel free to ask or share whatever you think will be helpful

Collect discussion points 5-8 minutes
Take out a sheet of paper
I’m going to give us 1-2 minutes to brainstorm all of the possible topics that we can discuss.
As you think of a topic say it out loud and write it down on your paper
This way you will be able to play off of other peoples ideas
Remember we are going for quantity not quality right now so whatever comes to mind say it
On your mark get set go

After the 1-2minutes are up
Take a look at your list of topics and highlight the top 3 topics that you think would be the most beneficial for you to discuss.
Go around and have everyone share their top three discussion topics
Put a check mark by a topic for every time it is mentioned again
The topics with the most check marks are the topics that you will discuss.

Discussion Topics 5-15 minutes per topic
State the topic in the form of a problem to solve.
Thought (If there are more than 10 people) in the group you may want to discuss thoughts in smaller groups of 3 -5 people so more people can share their thoughts. Then after a few minutes bring everyone back together and share the highlights of their small group discussion.
Capture the ideas and answers to the proposed problem on the white board.
Allow the group as a whole to discuss these options

Transition to new topic
If you split into small groups to discuss a topic you may want to have the group split into new groups to encourage more interaction. 
Repeat process

Closure 5 Minutes
 Let’s go around the circle and share a keyword or phrase that describes this round table for you?
In the final minutes share either a Eureka! (Something that you learned) or a HMM! (Something you will be pondering) from today’s discussion.