Let’s hear from everyone

90 second serial share. Image created by Brian Tarallo

Whether it’s called a go-around, round robin, or serial share, the format is the same: one person kicks off with an uninterrupted block of time to share their perspective, followed by the next person, and so on until everyone shares their ideas. 

A few tips: 

• Include in your instructions, “Whoever kicks us off, they get to point right or left, and that’s the direction we’ll go around the room.” This is MUCH better than the “popcorn” style where whoever wants to talk talks, and you end up having to track who’s spoken and who hasn’t.

• Timebox the share. In general, I like 90 seconds, but do the math: if you have a group of 50 people, 90 seconds will take 75 minutes! You might want to shorten the time block. In reality, few participants need the full time block to say what’s on their mind. 

• For those few participants that DO go over, use a chime, bell, or simply raise your hand to indicate that time has elapsed. And inform participants that’s how you’ll let them know in advance of using it.

• Inform participants that this isn’t the time to debate or agree or oppose or weigh pros and cons: this is a time to speak your mind and hear where people stand. 

• Have a graphic recorder on hand to make note of what people say!

If you’re interested in other ways you can bring voices into the room, let’s talk. https://calendly.com/brian-lizardbrain/45-min-discovery-call