Leading Better Group Discussions
A Difficult Group Experience
I had attended a few group meetings and we were on the 7th session. The topic was on a very sensitive and delicate subject. As usual, we watched a video which gave multiple examples of the topic. The examples were very deep and shocking.
After the video, we had a group discussion. Everyone was very quiet, afraid to speak on their viewpoint. I found the courage to answer one of the questions. My answer included that we all have a choice.
The group facilitator said, ‘But do we have a choice?’
This was supposed to be an open discussion, I thought. The question challenged my perspective, and in the moment, it felt difficult to engage without feeling personally unsettled. The next few minutes I tried to justify my point of view and as I shared, I realised my emotions were coming through more strongly than I intended. After the meeting, I was most disappointed in myself for being triggered in this way.
A New Role: Supporting Group Discussion
Recently I was asked to support a group discussion. My background in leadership and having chaired many meetings made me so excited to lead a group discussion. Over the course of 8 sessions, I led the group in discussions by asking thought-provoking questions.
I was careful to be as open as possible and tried to ask questions that sounded either neutral or positive. I avoided negative questions as I did not want to ignite a negative discussion, like my previous experience. Over time I refined my skill. I must have done a good job, as I received lots of positive feedback about how the questions were so thought-provoking and that the discussions were really insightful.
Reflecting on Team Meetings
I have attended numerous team meetings and have also written meeting minutes. A few times I have attended a team meeting and it has felt very prescriptive. We have an agenda, the person chairing the meeting goes through the agenda, offers a brief chance for discussion, and before we know it, the meeting had ended.
One time, I contributed some positive news on how the waiting times had decreased. Although the update was mentioned, the delivery felt muted, and the positive impact I had hoped to highlight didn’t quite come through. It was delivered in a way that felt rushed and lacked the enthusiasm I had envisioned when I first shared the news. I was deeply saddened as when I had mentioned this to them I had given it so positively. However, it seemed like it was just another piece of news.
My Experience Chairing Meetings
I have had the opportunities to also chair meetings. Each time I have refined my skill and learnt from the past.
One time, the whole team was at the meeting, including two Senior Managers and an app developer. We had been given a new app to work with but had received no formal training. We had an opportunity to meet with the app developer to ask any questions we may have, and had invited the whole team to join. The whole team joined as they wanted to understand more about the app.
I was the lead person chairing the meeting. The app developer wanted to bring in a new function of the app and was informing us of how useful this would be. I assertively let them know that this was a great feature, however it would be best if we can use the app how we were using the previous app. The newer function could be rolled out at a later stage.
There were numerous people, and I made sure that people had an opportunity to speak. Later, one of the Senior Managers expressed how well I did at chairing the meeting.
What I’ve Learnt About Leading Effective Meetings
Through my experiences of chairing meetings and attending meetings, I have learnt some key things about how to lead an effective meeting:
An agenda is good but do not be too rigid
Having an open discussion without judgment
Creating space where everyone feels seen and valued
Questions that are positive or neutral (avoid negative)
When chairing a meeting, do not rush, speak at a steady pace