Folge 31 – Breakouts – Fundstücke der Facilitation Rundschau

"This is why I believe in the concept of ✨CHALLENGE BY CHOICE✨ Create the invitation for breakout rooms, and provide alternative options if it might not be someone’s cup of tea that day. 🤩 Instead of automatically moving people into breakout rooms, give them the option to click the join button or not 🤩 Explain upfront that those who do not join can reflect individually on the breakout room questions by journaling to light background music in the main room 🤩 Ask people to rename themselves with a ** or something similar at the front of their name so you know not to put them into breakout rooms for that round 🤩 Invite those that don’t want to join breakout rooms to walk around their space and reflect on the questions in a more kinesthetic way!

"😵‍💫 So what's the deal with breakout groups? Well, turns out they can be quite exhausting, mentally and socially. Unlike in a large group where you can hide, you cannot escape interaction a group of 2-5 people. Some participants may resent being forced into an exchange, or feel overwhelmed by a quick succession of highly interactive breakout activities. This is especially true for those for whom the social battery drains faster: neurodivergent folks who are masking, introverts and those with social anxiety, or anyone already experiencing overwhelm and fatigue."

"What does that mean in practice? - I run the exact workshop parallel for all groups. - I limit or remove the mutual sharing altogether. Instead, I work with illustrations and walk-throughs. - I do not work with changes to the groups to encourage the fostering of psychological safety. - Any input from my side is presented to the plenary so everyone has the same information. - I have an opening and closing element with everyone involved to create a sense of overall belonging."