I like the word cadence, it has a rhythm to it… which is how I’m using it here. Workshops should have a certain rhythm to them.
Often, workshops or Socratic based lectures tend to favour people who are quick thinkers who like to “think out loud”. But as we’re well aware not everyone thinks in the same way or at the same speed. A “think out loud” type of engagement can be discouraging to quiet, more introspective types who prefer time to think before they speak, leading them to disengage. I’ve found that many of my GLC participants are of a more introspective nature especially when we are early in the module cadence and there is doubt about psychological safety.
So to level the playing field, to avoid those who think by talking dominating discussions I’d suggest you design a cadence into your workshop that respects all thinking types. One rhythm I like is the three musketeers I.e. “one, four, all”
- Start by giving everyone an individual activity. Give time to collect individual thoughts and write them down.
- Follow that with a small group activity – typically four in a group to maximise the amount of time speaking and balance listening . You might have people share the results of their solo thinking in pairs or with a small group at their table. In a Zoom call you can do this with breakout rooms.
- After the group has discussed, you might have each group share parts of their thinking with all (in a Zoom meeting this would be everyone on the call).
You can repeat this cadence as necessary, depending on the length of the session. It gives people space and time to take a breath and to share and prepare. It respects the diversity of thinking types you might find in a group, and it’s a great way to keep energy high and flowing during a longer session.
Here are some alternatives:
- Give people an agenda or something to think about or work on in advance of the meeting. Realistically, this will only work towards the end of a learning module where participants can understand the value of preparation and you can utilise group affiliation as motivation.
- Break your session into several shorter mini-sessions , so people have time to sleep on the ideas and reflect, and can then consider how things work together to reach a more natural, unforced, conclusion
- Create opportunities for people to work in parallel. For example, create a tine for reflection. E especially of topics not directly related to the discussion but that participants might want to follow up on later.