Serious Play Forum

[Ariel Fligler]

Hi All,

I have a session coming with 20 people where the customer insists working as one group.

I was thinking on following the “pair programming” method from software engineering where two people program together, hence, building in duos. It could be individual building and then combining to a single model on which talking and story telling in the group will take place. Hence, each round will consist of 10 couples presenting.

For the negotiation and combined model I thought of the following process taken form CPS (creative problem solving) idea selection – have 2 participants negotiate with another two. Then the four of them will negotiate with another 4 and so forth until the great finale where the two groups negotiate.

Has anyone had an experience working this way ? any other suggestion on how to facilitate 20 people as one group ?

Subject of the session is Strategy for the team.

Thanks in advance for any insight,

Ariel

[Eli De Friend]

Hi Ariel,
Thanks for your question.
My first comment would be that you should not try to manage a group of 20 participants if you are just one facilitator – it doesn’t make sense. Try to find someone else, preferably LSP-qualified to support you.

With regard to managing the size of the group, I think what most of us do is to distribute participants into tables of 4-6 (4 being better than 6) and provide opportunities for tables to present their stories to each other and for participants to switch tables, after a sharing of stories.

As far as I can see, the idea of gradually halving the number of groups / doubling the number of participants per group would just slow down the process. Try to use the World Café principle of keeping at least one host at each table throughout the process, while allowing others to move around at given points in the workshop.

Yes, it is possible to run a workshop with 20 people single-handed, but why would you put yourself through that sort of stress, when you have so many colleagues here who could support you?

All the best,

Eli

[Eli De Friend]

Hi Ariel,
Thanks for your question.
My first comment would be that you should not try to manage a group of 20 participants if you are just one facilitator – it doesn’t make sense. Try to find someone else, preferably LSP-qualified to support you.

With regard to managing the size of the group, I think what most of us do is to distribute participants into tables of 4-6 (4 being better than 6) and provide opportunities for tables to present their stories to each other and for participants to switch tables, after a sharing of stories.

As far as I can see, the idea of gradually halving the number of groups / doubling the number of participants per group would just slow down the process. Try to use the World Café principle of keeping at least one host at each table throughout the process, while allowing others to move around at given points in the workshop.

Yes, it is possible to run a workshop with 20 people single-handed, but why would you put yourself through that sort of stress, when you have so many colleagues here who could support you?

All the best,

Eli

[Ariel Fligler]

Hello Eli,

Thank you for the timely and detailed answer.

Alas, I am far far away and there are only 2 (including me) LSP facilitators here.

Best,

Ariel

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