Silent listening
List of methods / Facilitation
Silent listening is a group facilitation technique, often used to avoid reporting back and to encourage multiple perspectives to form at an early stage in conversation. Silent listening is not a passive process but an active process where the speaker is given the opportunity to outline their case in their own time and listeners take notes. It is a process that means that listening of itself becomes a "radical act" [1] but without the need for prior coaching. The deliberate application of the method also means that the impulse to listen only for the sake of responding is curbed since immediate response is not an option. Like most complex facilitation techniques it creates a process from which the behaviour arises, rather than trying to define the behaviour.
Ritual Dissent is improved (and any risk reduced) if preceded by a round of silent listening and silent listening is a crucial component of the method itself.
Prior knowledge
No prior knowledge or theoretical understanding is needed to practice this.
Preparation and requirements to use this method
Facilitation skills Required
The core of the Silent listening method is simple and can be applied to a range of different methods and approaches without requiring extensive facilitation skills. Specific methods that include Silent listening might require an additional set of skills, and an understanding of the principles ofcomplex facilitation is helpful in understanding the contexts where it can be best applied.
Preparation
No preparation is needed assuming at least three groups with a minimum of 3/5 participants working in each.
Participant Onboarding
No participant onboarding or prior knowledge is required on the part of the participants.
Workflow
The method is normally used after smaller groups have completed a task to either describe what is happening or come up with proposals about what should be done. In process facilitation each group would normally report back to the group as a whole, here we have multiple groups giving feedback in parallel. These instructions assume three groups, but you can extend to any number but going much beyond seven gets tedious. So in larger groups you might run this with three clusters of five tables to handle fifteen groups overall or similar
| STAGE INSTRUCTION | COMMENTARY & TIPS |
| Each group is asked to appoint a spokesperson and if the group is large (say over ten but this is not rigid) an observer | |
| Each spokesperson then moves to the next group moving clockwise or anti-clockwise | Do not move to the next stage until you have everyone in the right place! |
| The group is told that they must listen in complete silence while they hear the presentation, once complete the spokesperson much be completely silent and the group should then talk about what was said as if the spokesperson had left the room and was no longer there. | You may have to enforce this, preventing any questions of clarification or similar |
| The spokesperson presents the work of their group for a maximum of four minutes and then fall silent and listen to what is said, if there is an observer they are silent throughout, only permitted to take notes | How long this takes place is really a judgement call - look for signs of falling energy levels |
| Once complete the spokesperson moves onto the next group and is not permitted to talk about what was said | Again it is likely you will have to enforce this |
| Once the full round is complete the spokesperson, and observer if appointed, go back to their original group. The facilitator points out that they have heard n responses to their idea, the original group has heard n proposals and they should now be told to ask themselves one of the standard questions | Again there is no hard and fast rule on how long this should carry on. |
| The process may be repeated with up to two more revisions, or move directly into ritual dissent |
Do's and Don'ts
This technique is used to examine the situational assessment and/or proposals of each group - not their hidden motivations or attitudes. Groups should be given a general warning about ad hominem feedback and told to comment on the idea, not the person.
Virtual running
Default is to state that it cannot be until we have developed and tested practice. If it can be run virtually then we describe it here.
References
- ↑ Time to Think: Listening to Ignite the Human. N. Kline
Articles
Specific articles can be referenced here
Blog posts
None listed yet
Cases
None listed yet
In a virtual environment
The method has been conducted in virtual settings with success over a range of platforms.
See also Virtual facilitation