Resource Guide for Discussion Facilitators

This guide is for Illinois Speaks monthly meeting facilitators. Illinois Speaks is a small group discussion program founded in November 2015 aimed at strengthening the democratic process through community dialogues across the state of Illinois. Discussion topics differ from month to month and across regions and are often related to current events, questions and issues arising in a community.

Illinois Speaks also provides microgrants for public events throughout the state. For micro-grants information, please go here. If you are an Illinois Speaks microgrant partner who would like to establish a monthly meeting series in your community, you can reach out to zerline.thompson@ilhumanities.org.

Why small group discussions?

Creating a welcoming atmosphere

On this count, details matter. Facilitators have many opportunities to create a welcoming atmosphere at their Illinois Speaks events. From carefully drafting an invitation, to arranging the room, to ensuring the venue is accessible to those with disabilities, to having light refreshments available, to being conscious of body language — one’s own and those of the group — all are moments you can help make participants feel welcome.

Be intentional about who you’re inviting in order to bring in a variety of experiences and perspectives.

The meeting space should allow for everyone to make eye contact with one another and for all to be heard without having to shout.

Circulate a sign-in sheet while inviting newcomers to introduce themselves.

Meeting planning & organization

Strive to set a tone for the discussion that welcomes everyone by stating explicitly that diverse points of view are expected and encouraged, and that all views should be engaged with civilly. Establish mutually agreed-upon ground rules for your series and review them at appropriate times.

State the topic of the discussion and what some possible outcomes of the discussion might be. For example, what might participants hope to learn?

Keep track of the discussion by taking general notes.

Work hard at assuming nothing about what others may think. Before diving into everyone’s views on a given issue, you may want to ask why people consider it to be important in the first place.

A few days before the group meets, feel free to circulate a news article, editorial, literary work or excerpt, short film or piece of music to help focus the conversation or emphasize an aspect of an issue at hand. If you would like assistance finding materials or just want to discuss an item, feel free to contact the program coordinator at elliot.heilman@ilhumanities.org or 312-374-1552.

If you end up with a larger turnout than expected, don’t hesitate to break the group into two or more smaller groups.

Not everyone will respond to discussion topics and questions in the same way. Be open to the different approaches that participants may bring to the discussion.

If you’ve invited a guest speaker, introduce that person and their expertise, but plan to have them speak for a short time so that they can join the group in conversation rather than having to lecture.

When dealing with highly controversial questions, plan to allow for lower risk engagement if that’s where the group is most comfortable. For example, on political or religious issues, not everyone may be open to speaking directly on their own views, but may be open to discussing past experiences.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the discussion format, or to prepare questions and opportunities for participation that lead to creative forms of engagement.

How to wrap up

In bringing the event to a close, plan to discuss with everyone what the next month’s meeting topic should be.

On some topics, participants may want to know how to take action. Facilitators can help with this in different ways and planning is key.

You could prepare a list ahead of time identifying groups working on an issue and share that with the group. You could also allow time at the end of an event for the group to share their suggestions for relevant organizations. Help the group stay focused on the conversation at hand by noting at the start of the meeting that you will allow time for suggestions at the end.

How will we know if our meeting series is successful?

The first way to assess a meeting is in relation to the topic or question the group set for itself. Was it thoroughly probed? Did participants seem to engage deeply with the issue? Did anyone indicate they had learned something?

Were there any surprises? Was an essential question in the view of the participants something different than what the group had initially set before itself?

Other general guidelines for facilitators include making sure the conversation is accessible to everyone. Did everyone understand the themes in play and the vocabulary employed? Did everyone have an opportunity to contribute? Any or all of these can indicate a successful event.

As the facilitator, you can help everyone become conscious of how the discussion has developed simply by observing when turns and advances have taken place and acknowledging those.

It’s important to keep in mind that not every meeting will be at full capacity, and that occasional smaller turnouts are not necessarily a sign of public disinterest.

IL Humanities