Open Forum Process

The facilitator groups participants into table-sized teams (5-8). If people are already sitting at tables, just have them work in those groups.

The instructions to each group are:
Select a facilitator (to keep the group on task and make sure everyone gets a change to talk), a scribe (to write down the group’s questions), and a spokesperson (to ask the group’s questions).

Discuss:

• What you heard
• What your reaction is
• What questions of clarification you have
  Prioritize your group’s questions and be prepared to ask the top priority question.

Give the groups a specific time to do this work. Typically 10-20 minutes, depending on the complexity of what has been presented and the overall time available.

When the small groups are ready to ask questions instruct them to limit their questions to “one at a time” and not multiple part questions. The facilitator randomly moves from group to group to be sure that as many groups as possible can ask their question. If the panel is made up of more than one presenter, ask the spokesperson to name the person to whom they are addressing the question.

The Open Forum panel is made up of the topic expert or experts. Instructions to the panelists include encouraging them to speak from the heart and from their personal experience. If they don’t have an answer to a particular question, it is fine to say, “Great question! I hadn’t thought about that.” The facilitator then records the question on a “parking lot.” At the end of the Open Forum, the leader lets the group know how/when the parking lot questions will be addressed.

The question and answer part of the process typically takes about 20-45 minutes.

Open Forum is a tool for clarifying what has been presented, not for figuring out an action plan, so questions should focus on getting more detail on the “what” rather than on the “how.” The facilitator’s job is to identify “how” questions and guide the groups towards a focus on “what.” The “how” (or action planning) will be more effective if everyone is clear on the “what” (the vision of success).