Tips To Improve Your Skills

Facilitating Breakout Groups

When to Use Breakout Groups

To brainstorm ideas that will be considered for the whole group.
To shift the energy of the group to allow for more individual discussion and sharing.
To give participants an opportunity to stand or work with different people than they are seated with.
To help participants deepen their understanding of a concept or topic.

Preparation for a Breakout Session

Plan the breakout group task in advance. Keep the task simple and meaningful. Be specific about the question or questions to be discussed.
Set up the room for the breakout group in advance. If the groups are in the same room, allocate the space so each group has a place to meet. If they are recording on flipcharts, make sure you have the flipcharts in place with supplies (markers, tape, cards, etc.) so each group can begin the task as soon as they are formed. If possible, have wall space or a flipchart stand for each group, as this will focus the discussion.
Prepare the flipcharts with grid lines to use as a recording template. For example, if you want each group to discuss four questions, divide the quadrants and title each area. Placing the heading on each flipchart will help the participants focus on their task.
Provide maps to other session locations. If groups are going to other rooms for breakout, it is good to have a map and provide specific instructions on how to get to the breakout room.

! Hot tip: Set up flipcharts with all supplies in advance

Instructions to Breakout Groups

Give clear instructions before splitting participants into groups. Once groups are formed, it is very difficult to gain their attention – provide guidance on the breakout group process before splitting into groups.
Set time limit. Announce how much time you are allocating to the task. You may want the group to select a facilitator, recorder and report out person before they start the task. This can be the same person or three different people.
Be clear about expectations of results. Let the groups know what the end product is that you are expecting and if a report will be part of the groups work.
Provide verbal and written instructions. If you give the instructions verbally AND in writing, there is more of a chance that the task will be done according to the plan and that you will get the information you are looking for. A flipchart or power point slide with the instructions will provide those people who are not just verbal listeners another option to connect to the task.
Model the task first. Modeling the task in the large group before providing the instructions is another deeper level to ensure the breakout groups understand the task. If you have six topics to discuss, you may want to consider facilitating a large group discussion on one and then doing the other five topics in breakout groups.
Supply all the information to each group. If your breakout groups are going to separate rooms, provide a template of both the instructions and the questions for each group.
Engage everyones participation. Set the goal for participation by stating that you want everyone to participate in the discussion and add to the wisdom of the group. If you are using the same breakout groups for multiple activities, you may want to rotate facilitator, recorder and reporter leadership to get more people involved.

Splitting Participants Into Groups

While counting off may seem simple, you would be surprised at the number of times the facilitator does this incorrectly.

! Hot tip: If you want 5 groups, ask participants to count off 1 through 5.

Here are some other fun ways to split people into breakout groups.

Colored balls drawn from a container.
Something you can observe (same type of shoes, wearing the same colors)
Some characteristic that they have in common (such as pet owners, readers, puzzle solvers, exercisers, etc.)
If you have several stations for each group, you can ask them to go to the station that they are psychically in tune with. There are times that you will want to be strategic in breaking up the group. For example, you may want to split agencies up or put participants that have an historical conflict in different groups. Sometimes you will want to assign the group membership in advance.

Starting the Discussion

Sometimes when people form groups, they wait for others to start the discussion. You as a facilitator can announce who will start the discussion. For example, the person with the brightest colored clothing or the person with the most freckles will begin the discussion.

When Group Discussion Proceeds

Be available as a resource. Some groups have questions once they begin the task so be available to clarify.
Observe the group discussion – Is everyone participating? Are some people dominating the discussion? Do people seem comfortable with each other? Is the seating arrangement working? Is everyone able to see the flipchart? Who is recording and facilitating? Are they generally on the topic?

! Hot tip: Remind each group individually to stay on task.

Observe the progress of each group. If you see one group that is not engaged in the task or is falling behind the other groups, use a gentle reminder to nudge them along.
Check time needed for each group. If all groups are finished except one, ask that group how much time they need to finish and then you can announce to the total group that you will start in ___ minutes, This will give an opportunity for a stretch and takes the focus off the group that needs a little more time.

Group Reports

A reporter is key to creating the breakout report. Make sure to include the need for a reporter in the instructions.
What length? Give each team an idea about how long the report should be. Make sure to allow time for question of clarification and discussion if appropriate.
Use the best ideas. You may want to take a few of the best ideas from each group to keep the conversation exciting and fresh.
Prepare ahead with the reporter. If you have a chance to work with a reporter ahead of time, you can let them know the kinds of information you are expecting in the report out.
Anonymous posts. You may want to collect ideas from all the groups on cards to post to a sticky wall. In this way, the ideas are disassociated with those who wrote them and they can be considered on their own merits.

Discussing Results

Once all the groups have reported out you may want to hold a reflective discussion on the results. Some questions that may be asked include:

What stood out for you?
What are some common themes?
What is the value or significance of these ideas?
What did we learn from this discussion?
How might we use these ideas in our work together?
What idea will be useful to you personally?

Let the group know if you will be documenting the results of their discussion and when they can expect the written version.

Group Recorder and Facilitator Training

Sometimes you will want to train breakout group recorders and facilitators in advance. Normally this is a case where the discussion is critical and you want to ensure recorders capture the appropriate data to be used later. Some tips for training recorders and facilitators for these critical meetings are:

! Hot tip: For high-risk meetings, test procedures in advance.

Prepare written step-by-step procedures as well as a script for the breakout group recorders and facilitators.
Prepare a one-page checklist of questions to be asked for facilitators that do not want to work from a script.
Host a training session within one day of the event.