Chairing group discussions is something I really enjoy doing. As a past EA group organiser, I’ve facilitated several introductory and in depth fellowship meetings. Currently, I often facilitate discussions for a group of (non-EA) volunteers at my local library to talk about issues and themes they encounter during their volunteering. The groups usually consist of 8-15 people at a time. Over the years of facilitating and attending group discussions chaired by others in EA and non-EA spaces, I've learned that a "nice" discussion environment often doesn't just happen. It's something you have to create actively. In this post, I want to share a few practical things I've picked up along the way about how to make group discussions feel safer, more balanced, and more enjoyable for everyone involved. Not all things may be applicable to your group, setting, goals, or the vibe you are going for. These are just the things that work for me: take what seems useful, adapt it to your context, and leave the rest.
Setting the Stage
I've found it really helps to set the stage for the discussion. I try to start calmly with an informal check-in or by simply thanking people for coming. I also try to be explicit about what the discussion will look like. When people know what to expect, it eases nerves. For me, that often means stating the topic, then outlining the components of the meeting and the order in which they'll happen (e.g., "I'd like to first do a short introduction round, then have a discussion around the topic, and I have an exercise for us to do in small groups after").
When starting the discussion, I also like to frame it based on the purpose I have in mind. Examples:
- "The topic of this meeting is X. I thought we could share the different experiences we've had surrounding X and what has been challenging or what has worked. Does anyone have an experience they'd like to share?"
- "The topic of the meeting is X. I know/suspect that people in this group have different opinions on this. I thought we could explore together how everyone thinks about it. Is there anyone who can share their thinking so we have a starting point?"
- "The topic of the meeting is X. I know you did some readings about this, and I thought we could explore them further. Is there anything that stood out to you in the readings?"
During the Discussion
The way I like to chair discussions is by focusing more on facilitating conversation within the group rather than providing a lot of information myself. In that process, I've learned that it's usually better to address small process issues early and lightly than to hope they resolve themselves. How I facilitate:
Deepening and steering the discussion:
- I ask questions to deepen the discussion (e.g., "Can you say more about why you think that?") and steer it (e.g., "We've talked about X and Y. Bob mentioned Z—maybe we can talk about that a bit more. Bob, can you elaborate on what you said?").
When there's consensus:
- When everyone speaking agrees on something, I ask if there's anyone who disagrees or thinks differently about it. If not, I sometimes ask for reasons people might think differently about this.
When there's tension:
- When tension arises because people have different viewpoints, I acknowledge that I see people in the group think differently about something. If useful, I say that's interesting and invite the group to explore underlying assumptions or experiences. If such an exploration isn't useful for the discussion at hand, I summarize the different opinions, propose to move on to a different topic, and ask a question to start off that topic.
When energy is high:
- When energy is high and multiple ideas come up, I slow things down by summarizing or writing things down. I then either pick one we'll talk about first or ask the group to pick.
Welcoming silence:
- I welcome silence. When no one speaks immediately, I tend to wait a little longer than feels comfortable. Often, someone will speak up once they've had time to think. If not, I'll reframe my question.
When multiple people speak at once:
- First, I wait a very short time to see if it will sort itself out. If it does, I make sure to circle back to the other person who was speaking and ask about what they wanted to say.
- If it doesn't sort itself out quickly, I tell people to pause, say that I notice multiple people are speaking, and ask one person to continue. I circle back to the other people who were speaking after that person is done.
When the conversation goes off topic:
- I usually allow it to drift off a little bit if it seems like a useful conversation. I'll then say that I see we've drifted off topic, say I'd like to talk about the topic again, and ask a question to get on-topic conversation started.
When there are side conversations:
- I'll say that I notice multiple people are speaking at once, say that I'd like to keep the conversation central, and ask one person to continue speaking.
- There are different ways to have group discussions. For example, a group can discuss the topic amongst each other with a facilitator to step in when problems arise in the dynamic and to deepen and steer the conversation. In other discussions, a facilitator can be more like a teacher: sharing knowledge and having a more question and answer discussion format. I don’t think either of these is wrong. I personally enjoy the first format more and try to structure sessions that way.
- Sometimes it can happen that the discussion starts taking on the second format, while you want the first. In that case, I often redirect questions or statements made towards me and ask other people in the group to respond.
- Note: there are situations where I think it is useful to respond to the question for group knowledge or group dynamic. In those cases, I answer instead of redirect.
When one person dominates:
- I repeat the point that person was making, say I wonder how other people think about this, and ask the group what they think.
- I often ask the quieter person to speak if they started speaking at the same time as the person who is speaking a lot.
When things are going well:
- If the group is speaking on topic and none of the above issues are happening, I let them continue their discussion without intervening.
A Final Note
None of this requires perfection. Discussions will still be uneven, quiet, or chaotic at times. What I think matters most is showing up with a focus on collaborating, learning from each other and enjoying yourself. I’ve noticed that if I head in with this attitude, it usually ripples through the group.
