Moderating

made easy
 Introduction

Moderating well involves a tightrope-walk be- Legend to symbols:

tween empathy and control: Those who moderate
well neither push themselves into the foreground Tips and Tricks
nor withdraw completely from discussions. In Practical application
short, a moderator helps a group to achieve a
result. But how is this done? Attention!
Keep this in mind to avoid mistakes
This handbook shows you a variety of moderation
methods and techniques in a way that is brief, Information
compact and practical. You will get to know the Footnotes and additional information
different reaction and control possibilities as well
as how to handle difficult constellations of groups Examples
and conflicts. You will see that moderating is quite Helpful examples and best practice
easy when you know how!

Our handbook collection:

▶ Analytical Thinking http://analytical.mb-prm-box.de
▶ Business Field Analysis http://bfa.mb-prm-box.de
▶ Productmanagement http://prm.mb-prm-box.de
▶ Moderation http://moderation.mb-prm-box.de
Content

1. Basics 4 4.1.2 Partner interview 25

1.1 The characteristics of a good moderator 5 4.1.3 Lie portrait 25
1.2 The tasks of a moderator 6 4.1.4 Standpoints 25
4.1.5 Picking an object 26
2. Basic elements of successful moderation 7 4.1.6 Single-dot inquiry 27
2.1 Good moderation begins with good preparation 8 4.1.7 Graffiti 27
2.2 Means of moderation control 11 4.2 Getting into the subject 28
2.2.1 If you ask, you can lead 12 4.2.1 Brainstorming 28
2.2.2 Active listening 14 4.2.2 Flashlighting 29
2.2.3 Summaries 15 4.2.3 Index-card inquiry 29
2.3 A confident manner 15 4.3 Working on the subject 30
4.3.1 Mind-mapping 30
3. Moderation phases and methods 16 4.3.2 “Six Thinking Hats” method 31
3.1 Greeting, warm-up, introduction 18 4.3.3 6-3-5 method 32
3.2 Getting into the subject 19 4.3.4 Working in small groups 33
3.3 Working on the subject 20 4.4 Action orientation and OPL 35
3.4 Action orientation and OPL 21 4.4.1 Writing a letter to oneself 35
3.5 Conclusion 21 4.5 Conclusion 36

4. Presentation of individual methods 23 5. Handling difficult situations 38

4.1 Introduction rounds and warm-ups 24
4.1.1 Introduction using matches 24 Postscript 42

3
 1. Basics
If you are leading a workshop as a moderator, ba-
sically adopt a moderate, temperate and neutral
attitude. Do not take sides with any individual or
If possible, do your take any opinion on board. Do not evaluate any of
moderating in pairs.
the participants’ comments. Let all participants
This enhances the quality
of the workshop. have their say without favor. Never state that one
participant is right and another is wrong. You can
and should, of course, contribute to the contents
yourself, for instance by asking questions: “Could
it be that the following solution might achieve the
aim?” or “Have you forgotten one other possible
communication measure?”
Moderating means guiding a creative process.
You as the moderator offer the methodical instru-
ments and procedures for creating opinions while
the participants provide the contents.
The aim of your moderation must always be to
promote the opinion-forming and decision-mak-
ing processes of the group and, in this way, to
4
control it so that it always has the feeling of having
worked out all the solutions and measures alone;
even if your personal aims have been fulfilled all
along the line.
A tip to start you off: whenever possible, moder-
ators should always work in pairs. A moderation
session lasting several hours generally puts too
great a load on the concentration of a single mod-
erator and there is a risk of a drop in quality dur-
ing the day.
Language:
Are you receiving me?
▶ Use short sentences
▶ Address your audience personally
▶ Use catchy keywords, pictures and
comparisons
▶ Do not talk too fast, and allow yourself
speech pauses
▶ Talk with modulation: now lower, then
louder, now faster, then slower, ...
1.1 The characteristics of a good moderator
In addition to the various methods of moderating
that will be described individually in the follow-
ing chapters, there are a few essential basic rules
for moderating. The “roots”, so to speak, without
which successful moderation cannot be carried
out.
As a moderator you should:
▶▶ collect opinions without commenting on them
▶▶ be able to put yourself in another person’s
position
▶▶ be able to establish contact between the
participants
▶▶ be able to integrate/activate all participants
▶▶ never lose the central thread
▶▶ manage time
▶▶ be able to identify, address and defuse
conflicts
▶▶ distribute speaking time in a fair way
▶▶ be neutral and leave your personal opinions
at the door
▶▶ avoid evaluating
▶▶ be able to guide the group to a result
▶▶ create a positive working atmosphere
▶▶ ensure transparency of the process and As a moderator you never
represent your own opin-
in the results
ion, so always stay neutral.
▶▶ never lose sight of the workshop goal
▶▶ be able to listen
▶▶ have a talent for improvisation and motivation
▶▶ have social and personal competence
▶▶ offer rules for the game
▶▶ be able to summarize and structure
▶▶ achieve the workshop goal and conclude the
session in a positive way
This may appear to be quite a daunting list at first
sight, but with the right procedures and the right
tools, good moderating is child’s play.
5
 1.2 The tasks of a moderator
Basically, a moderator has to manage two tasks
simultaneously. On the one hand he or she offers
the group a variety of methods for working on a
Try out various styles
problem or question while, on the other, laying
of moderating in order
to discover and develop down the rules for interaction and making sure
your own personal style. they are observed. The moderation style which
you choose in order to manage both these tasks,
whether directively or non-directively, will de-
pend on your own personality in the long run. Feel
free to try out various styles and tools, possibly
discarding those which do not suit you. Over time
you are sure to develop a unique style of your own
with which you can moderate successfully and in
masterly fashion.

6
Basic elements

Moderating made easy

…of successful moderation

7

Practice makes perfect:
Go through the entire work-
shop a couple of times in
advance – talking aloud
is best. If possible, take a
look at the rooms before
the workshop.
A visible manuscript
has another benefit:
your audience can see
that you have prepared
yourself and will recognize
you as an expert presenter.
8
Basic elements of successful moderation
2.1 Good moderation begins with good Also always remember to have a watch with you.
preparation Never rely on having a room with a clock, which
In this case, the reverse also applies: if a work- also shows the correct time. So have your watch
shop is prepared without care and understand- with you and place it on the speaker’s desk so you
ing, it cannot be successful. You should thus can watch the time without the audience notic-
always prepare each workshop carefully and indi- ing. Do not look at your wristwatch or your smart-
vidually. Preparation includes both the organiza- phone. This would give the impression that you
tion of the workshop, the shaping of the working are in a hurry and not really here for your audi-
atmosphere at the location and the actual prepa- ence, hoping that your presentation will be over
ration of the contents. soon. Your audience should have the impression
that you are there for them only, and that you will
Always use a manuscript stay until all questions have been answered.
Your manuscript should be as short as possi-
ble, and as long as required – in the end you are
the one who has to work with it. Choose a type-
face you can read well. Whether you use cards or
sheets is at your own discretion. You should feel
secure, and you should be certain not to lose your
thread with your manuscript. And if you should
forget to tell some small detail: Nobody but you
knows that it was intended to be part of your pres-
entation – so don’t worry, as long as you have told
all important points.
Define a target
If you don’t define a target you will not be able to
reach it. So the most important step is to define
the target of your presentation before you even
start to think about which content may be impor-
tant.
▶ Which target do you want to reach?
▶ Do you want to inform or train colleagues?
▶ Do you want to motivate? Or do you want a
decision to be reached?
Depending on what you want to reach, you will
prepare your presentation in a different way and
push it in another direction. And be sure of one
thing: Your audience does not only hear your
facts. When an audience rates a speaker, subject
matter only counts for one fifth. The major part of
the rating - four of five parts – is based on emo-
tion! So: Think well, what you will say, and how will
you say it.
Do not only look at your arguments and facts.
▶ Which image would you like to have with your
audience?
▶ The boring guy?
▶ The one who puts you to sleep, who cannot
make you understand what it’s about?
▶ The one who is always making everything so ex-
tremely complicated?
▶ Or maybe it is better to be the one who makes
it interesting, who makes listening fun and who
makes you understand everything?
It’s in your hands.
Of course the definition of your targets also
depends on who your audience is. Therefore it
is important to know who will come to your
presentation and what you have to expect there. Be sure of one thing:
It is important to inform yourself about your au- Your audience does not
dience and where you will give your presentation. only hear your facts
9

Be in the meeting room at
least 30 minutes before the
beginning of the workshop.
10
Preparation of the organization includes
questions and considerations such as:
▶▶ Where is the workshop to take place?
▶▶ Is a visa required to enter the country?
▶▶ Are vaccinations or inoculations necessary?
▶▶ Take intercultural information into account
▶▶ When is the workshop to take place?
▶▶ Are there any regional public holidays
shortly before or after the workshop?
▶▶ Book room and reserve moderator’s
briefcase, pin board, flipchart etc.
▶▶ Who is to participate in the workshop?
▶▶ Must I send invitations or will the country
itself do the inviting?
▶▶ Remember to take enough visiting cards
▶▶ Plan your travel
▶▶ Book flights
▶▶ Book hotel
▶▶ Find out routes to and from airport
In order to create a pleasant atmosphere for
working in, you should observe the following
aspects:
▶▶ Make sure that the room is in a quiet area.
It should also be light, friendly and wherever
possible not open to observation from outside
▶▶ Furniture not required for the workshop
should wherever possible be removed from
the room
▶▶ Be on the spot at least half an hour before the
workshop begins. You will then have plenty
of time to prepare the room, pin up the first
placards and welcome the participants
When preparing the contents you should think
about the following and take the necessary action:
▶▶ Send out the market-analysis questionnaire
and the transparencies of examples in good
time to allow your hosts to prepare themselves
unhurriedly
▶▶ Internalize and practice your introduction to
the workshop
▶▶ Look for possible warm-ups, group sub­
division and team-building measures from
the enclosed index cards in order to be ready
and able to implement them at any time
▶▶ Go through all additional information
contained in the individual modules as well,
in order to always be in a position to give
extended presentations
2.2 Means of moderation control
As the moderator you are in control of the work-
shop. This means that you will be leading and
guiding the group. So it is important that you be-
come familiar with various control methods and
vary them in the course of a workshop.
Formulate your questions
The following three techniques are intended to briefly and clearly.
help you do this:
▶▶ Asking questions
▶▶ Active listening
▶▶ Summaries
11
 2.2.1 If you ask, you can lead
Asking questions is one of the most essential
and important tasks of a moderator. Even if this
sounds quite simple at first, there are many things
to consider.
Here are a couple of examples of good questions:
▶▶ “Which communication measures might work here?”
▶▶ “Are there perhaps any other sensible paths we might follow?”
▶▶ “Can we move on to the next segment?”
And of course a couple of examples of how not to do it:
▶▶ “You surely agree with me that lobbying is not suitable in
this case, don’t you?”
▶▶ “Should we waste any more time on this topic or can we
perhaps press on?”
12
The way in which a question is put can produce
very different results. Questions can manipu-
late a group but they can also provide help to-
ward selfhelp for the group. They can prescribe
paths or simply suggest them, they can intimidate
participants or motivate them, depending how
the question is put. It can be basically stated that
good questions are those which are put in an un-
derstandably short and clear form. Never narrow
the field of possible answers or pose purely rhe-
torical questions. Good questions activate the
knowledge and participation of the people asked
and arouse curiosity to hear the answer. Bad
questions, on the other hand, are questions that
are too easy to answer or do not lead to a sensi-
ble result.
This is frequently the case when you, as the mod-
erator, are not pursuing any particular goal with
your question. You should also avoid manipulative
or suggestive questions.
Finally, a couple of useful tips on posing ▶▶ Think about the precise definition of the
questions: aims of your questions
▶▶ “Demanding” questions stimulate the ▶▶ Put contributions which are obviously
knowledge and the experience potential leading away from the actual question
of the participants or problem into an “ideas store”
▶▶ Address your question to the entire group
as a whole. You should only ask individual
participants direct if they singled them out
▶▶ Give questions addressed to you back to
the group. This can provoke a discussion The group contains all the
leading to the desired goal answers – you just have to
winkle them out
▶▶ Always stay cool, calm and collected even if
the occasional question from the participants
seems to you to be stupid or audacious.
▶▶ Try to engage participants in a group dialog
by asking targeted questions.

13
 2.2.2 Active listening
Active listening is the second important means
of control which is at your disposal. Active listen-
ing is understood to be the art of restraining one’s
own thoughts and feelings and concentrating
Control the discussion in exclusively on what is being said. To do this you
the desired direction by must adopt the perspective of the speaker and
active listening. put yourself in his or her position. Active listening
basically consists of two parts: listening and re-
flecting. Once the speaker has had his or her say,
you summarize what has been said and bounce it
back into the group. You can either reflect the con-
tent in its entirety or invite further discussion on
tendencies.
Active listening allows the group to be guided in
almost any direction. What is important is that
you should always listen closely and should not
be thinking about the next topic or your own an-
swer while the participant is still making his or her
contribution.
Active listening is quite strenuous and the be-
ginning and takes some getting used to. But you
will soon discover that, with a little practice, it is
quite easy to implement, and that many misunder-
standings can be nipped in the bud by the use of
active listening.

Ask a friend to tell you about his last holiday. As soon as you have the feeling that you cannot remember any
more information, interrupt him and reflect what he has said back to him. Ask your friend to correct you as
soon as you say something that he didn’t say or mean that way. Then ask him to continue. At the start you will
certainly have to stop your friend after three to four sentences, but after a short time you will have improved
your concentration capacity in this direction.

14
2.2.3 Summaries
Whenever participants have reached important
intermediate stages and results, you should, as
the moderator, draw a conclusion. This not only
increases the recall capacity of the participants
but also gives you yet another opportunity to
emphasize particularly important things.
2.3 A confident manner
A convincing and confident manner is essential
to motivate workshop participants. Here are a
couple of simple tricks for you to use:
▶▶ Prepare yourself carefully and well. Think
in advance about which questions might be
asked about which subjects and prepare for
yourself a list of possible answers
▶▶ You should also be prepared for not everything Good preparation
ensures that you, too, will
to proceed as planned. Think up some
feel calm and relaxed
“spontaneous” reactions you could produce
if this happens
▶▶ Seat yourself on principle within the circleof
participants. In this way they will feel that you
are a partner-oriented moderator
▶▶ You need not always stand on the same spot.
Feel free to move around. This generates
calmness and composure
▶▶ Keep eye contact with all participants.
This will make it easier for you to identify
the moods and interests of individuals
(rejection, agreement, questioning)
15
 ▶▶ Never address the pin board, always turn ▶▶ As a moderator you should always be open,
towards the participants when you speak honest and natural. Participants will notice if
▶▶ When you are speaking, do not look down you act out of character or start to play a part.
at the floor, up at the ceiling or out of the win- Stay the way you are, put your entire personal-
Always be natural as a mod- dow. This signifies boredom and insecurity. ity into your moderating and you will see that
erator. Participants always
There is no more certain way to lose the not only you but also the participants will
notice if you act out of char-
acter or start to play a part. participants’ attention enjoy what is going on
▶▶ Make use of your hands for well-dosed ges-
tures. Do not hide your hands in your trouser
pockets. This gives the impression of arro-
gance and sloppiness. If you do not know what
Always remember: You can to do with your hands, pick up a pen or a sheet
be nobody but yourself! of paper. But make sure that you don’t start
playing with what you are holding, because
participants may also interpret this as uncer-
tainty or nervousness
▶▶ Wear comfortable and conservative clothes
in which you feel at ease. In this way you will
make it easier for your listeners to concentrate
on essentials, while you yourself will emanate
greater calmness and more conviction

16
Moderation
Moderating made easy

Phases and Methods

17
 Moderation phases and methods

3.1 Greeting, warm-up, introduction moderator make will be decisive for the hours or
During this phase the group should start to get to days to come. So take plenty of time to prepare
know each other, barriers should be broken down for this phase, look at the index cards with the var-
and a first feeling for one another should devel- ious warm-ups and keep a few of them within easy
Starting a workshop play- op. Let the workshop participants find their own reach just in case. The better and the more open
fully may disconcert many places and settle down. There is no need for strict this phase is, the better and more open will be the
participants but generally
seating arrangements. If you feel the need to mix participants’ discussions of the actual topics.
leads to more open cooper-
ation during discussions. the group more, do this during one of the warm-
ups. Otherwise use this period to ask participants Possible methods to employ at this phase are:
about what they expect to gain from the work- ▶▶ Introduction round
shop and its aims. It will also be necessary to lay ▶▶ Partner interview
down the rules for the group’s work and to have ▶▶ “Getting-to-know-you” games
these confirmed by the group. The agenda and ▶▶ Mood barometer
sequence of the workshop are presented, and if ▶▶ Dot or card inquiry
there are any participants’ wishes or questions, ▶▶ Call-reply procedure, etc.
Try a variety of warm-ups
these are included. In short, all organizational
and start-ups over time.
Make a note of which work matters should be clarified at this point in time.
better and which not so Perhaps you consider this phase of the workshop
well.
to be unimportant at first sight, but you can be
certain that it is anything but unimportant. Dur-
ing this phase you set the direction for the entire
workshop. The first impression which you as the

18
3.2 Getting into the subject The workshop is intended to help sort out all these
The second phase of the workshop is concerned ideas and thoughts a little and to take a step back-
with presenting the reason for the workshop. wards in order to be able to take a holistic look at
▶▶ What was our reason for holding this everything and not fritter away our efforts.
workshop? Take time to define the
aims of the workshop
▶▶ Which topic is to be gone into? Possible methods: precisely. Only then will
▶▶ What is the problem? ▶▶ Brainstorming you be able to achieve
▶▶ Flashlight a result that satisfies
everybody later on.
Here there should be enough time to precisely ▶▶ Index-card inquiry
describe the “as-is” situation, and to clarify how ▶▶ Call-reply procedure
this situation is to be changed. What exactly can
and should the workshop contribute toward this?
At this phase it is especially important not to give
participants the feeling that they are obviously un-
able to solve their problems alone. And that the
reason for the workshop now taking place is sole- You only have one
chance to make a
ly and alone their inadequacy. You should, rather,
motivating start: Use it!
emphasize what progress the participants have
already made and what great ideas there already
are.

19

Give as much of your atten-
tion as you can to each
participant and try to adopt
his or her wishes and ideas.
Store up ideas throughout
the entire workshop so that
you do not lose a single
thought.
20
3.3 Working on the subject
This phase will certainly be the most time-inten-
sive part of the workshop, for it is now that we
go into the actual subject, illuminate it from all
angles and discuss it together. Ideas have to be
worked out, solutions to problems found, dis-
cussed and prioritized. At this phase the deci-
sion is made whether and, if so, which activities
should be planned and implemented in future. In
this phase it is particularly important to discover
the thoughts and ideas of the participants. You
should really try to let each participant have his
or her say and to always give the participants the
feeling that they and their ideas are important.
Should the participants need to discuss or pose
questions on a topic that would lead you too far
away from the subject of your workshop, put
these questions into an “ideas store” and come
back to them at a later point in time. But take care
not to forget these topics!
Possible methods:
▶▶ Open discussion
▶▶ Working in small groups
▶▶ “Six Thinking Hats“ method
▶▶ 6-3-5 method
▶▶ Mind-mapping
3.4 Action orientation and OPL
Once it is clear which activities are to be planned
and implemented, the actions in this phase of
the workshop take on very concrete form: Who
does what by when? Now is when you come to an
agreement with the group and its individual mem-
bers on milestones, dates and possibly “jours
fixes”. The best way to go about this is to use an
open-point list (OPL) to note down all the tasks,
deadlines and responsibilities.
Possible additional methods:
▶▶ Catalog of measures
▶▶ Plan of action
▶▶ Letter addressed to oneself
3.5 Conclusion
This part of the workshop is characterized by a
short summary of what has been worked out and
achieved, giving room for a positive, motivating
Keep a written record of
outlook. In this phase you can, once more, coordi- all the results during the
nate and compare the expectations or questions workshop. This will not only
give you the basis for your
posed at the beginning and see whether they
workshop minutes but also
have been realized or clarified respectively. Now define the result of the
is also the time for the participants to give you, workshop for all partici-
as the moderator, their feedback. Listen calm- pants.
ly to what the participants have to say and thank
each speaker for his or her feedback without com-
menting on it. Never start justifying yourself or
explaining. A piece of feedback should under no
circumstances be subjected to comment. Even if
this phase marks the beginning of the end of the Most participants will
retain a very strong
workshop, do not let your concentration wander.
impression of the conclu-
Do not give the impression “Let’s just wrap things sion of the workshop – so
up – and that’s that”. once again you have to
give everything you’ve got!
21

Never comment on the
feedback you receive even
if it is sometimes hard
not to.
Try out various methods
– if possible, rehearse the
workshop in advance with
your colleagues.
22
Just as was the case with the beginning of a work-
shop, the conclusion is more important than you
may think, because the participants will leave
your workshop in the mood which this part of it
creates.
And you can be sure of one thing: no matter how
well the work on the topic has gone, any sign that
you have taken offence or shown pique during the
feedback round will mean that the group leaves
the workshop in a negative mood.
Possible methods:
▶▶ Review the mood of the group
▶▶ Compare targets
▶▶ Feedback methods
You have now gained a first impression of the var-
ious phases and the moderating methods used
in them. The next step will give a closer presenta-
tion of individual methods so that you are not just
familiar with their names but will also know when
and how to employ them.
Just knowing about them is, of course, not
enough. Before moderating a workshop, you
should have tried all these methods out at least
once; a dinner with friends or a brief meeting with
colleagues both present ideal opportunities to do
this and are also guaranteed to be fun.
Presentation

Moderating made easy

…of individual methods

23
 Presentation of individual methods

4.1 Introduction rounds and warm-ups 4.1.1 Introduction using matches

Introduction rounds and warm-ups play an impor- A box of matches is passed around the group.
tant role in every workshop they are often under- The person receiving the box strikes a match and
estimated and thus not well prepared. But they introduces him- or herself to the group. When the
are, de facto, decisive for the success or failure of match goes out, the participant passes the box –
a workshop. With the help of well-prepared intro- and thus the right to speak – on to the next per-
Uncertainty at this phase
duction rounds you will create a pleasant and re- son.
can cost you the entire
workshop. Either do not laxed atmosphere right from the start, giving the
let people notice your participants the feeling that they are important. Please ensure that nobody burns their fingers
nervousness or be wholly
This can certainly not be done with such laid-back and that you do not set off the smoke alarm! If in
open about it.
phrases as “Now let’s just introduce ourselves, doubt, ask first whether you are allowed to burn
shall we?” The introduction rounds and warm-ups matches in the seminar room.
are also used to smooth away the participants’
insecurity, reserve and shyness and to simplify
communication between them.

In order to actually achieve this goal you should be

able to utilize quite different methods. You will also
find all the methods presented in what follows in
the form of an index card in the envelope so that
you will always have them at your fingertips.

24
4.1.2 Partner interview
The participants select a partner or you can pair
them off, and they find a space of their own in the
room. The two partners interview each other for
about five minutes.
It is possible for each of the interviewers to think
up their own questions, or you can suggest a cou-
ple of possible openings:
▶▶ „W“What were you thinking about on your
way to this workshop?”
▶▶ “What would you do if money were no
problem?”
▶▶ “Where would you like to be living in
5 – 10 years’ time?”
▶▶ “What do you expect or want to get out of
this workshop?”
▶▶ “What was the last thing that made you
laugh heartily?”
After the interview phase, the participants each
present their partners.
4.1.3 Lie portrait
The lie portrait begins in the same way as the
partner interview. But there is one decisive dif-
ference at the introduction stage. The interviewer
reports to the group the three or four most inter-
esting individual facts about the person he or she
has interviewed, but one of them is a lie that has
been made up. The group now has to guess which
of the facts is the lie.
4.1.4 Standpoints
This method shows up common features with-
in the group and can also be used for dividing
the participants up into small groups. You as the
The “standpoints” method
moderator determine four locations within the is also useful for dividing
room and tell the participants which place signi- participants into small
fies what. groups.
25
 4.1.5 Picking an object
You lay out 10 – 15 different objects such as a
book, a ball pen, a soft toy, chocolate, a coffee For example:
cup, an apple etc. in the middle of the group.
Everybody in turn picks out one of these objects You ask the group what their favorite
with which he or she identifies or which has some breakfast drink is, giving them the
personal association and tells the story that goes following possibilities:
with it. ▶ By the window: coffee
▶ By the door: tea
▶ In one corner: milk
▶ In another corner: cocoa

Further questions might be:

▶ “Which of these four animals would
you most like to be? A dog, a cat, a
horse or an eagle?”
▶ “What sort of lunch do you like most?
Meat, fish, vegetarian or vegan?”

You can also ask “agreement” questions

concerning the subject of the workshop
which can then be answered with
“Yes/ No / Perhaps / I don’t know”.
26
4.1.6 Single-dot inquiry
The single-dot inquiry permits a joint evaluation
of the expectations or also of the moods within
the group. You as moderator formulate a question
related either to moods, evaluations or expecta-
tions such as “How high are your expectations of
this workshop?” The group participants are then
asked to state their evaluation of the matter. This
is done by sticking an adhesive dot to a scale or
table previously produced. Subsequently you can
either give a brief summary of the mood image
thus produced or you can allow the participants
to explain their dots themselves depending on
whether or not you wish to keep this inquiry more
or less anonymous.
If the adhesive dots are distributed anonymous-
ly, please make sure that you use the same color
for all dots. For graph designs the possibilities
range from a continuous scale via intersecting
coordinate to a thermometer or barometer. Just
give your imagination a free rein.
4.1.7 Graffiti
In place of the single-dot inquiry you also have the
possibility of working with so-called graffiti. This
means that you start a sentence which each par-
ticipant must finish. You can also write your part “Single-dot inquiry” is
sentences on a placard so that each participant particularly well suited to
beginner moderators. It is
can see them and you do not have to constantly
easy to understand and
repeat them. can be prepared well.
Such sentence beginnings could be:
▶▶ “When I think of the workshop I’m participating
in today, I…”
▶▶ “The best thing that could happen would be
if…”
▶▶ “On my way here I couldn’t help thinking that…”
▶▶ “If I had a day off work today, I would…”
Whether your questions relate exclusively to the
workshop or whether you would like to get a bit
more personal is something you should decide
spontaneously.
27
 4.2 Getting into the subject
4.2.1 Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a familiar and popular method
of finding ideas and solving problems. The knowl-
edge of the individual group participants is bun-
dled, unnecessary discussions are avoided and
the variety of solutions is widened via variations.
To do this, you as moderator present the topic or
problem and make sure that all the participants
understand it. Then the members of the group are
called on to present their ideas one after the oth-
er. Each idea is written down by you and displayed
where everyone can see it.
This collection phase goes on for as long as ideas
continue to flow. If no more ideas are called out,
you declare the brainstorming to be over. Short
pauses for thought are quite normal, so wait a lit-
tle longer before you really wind up such brain-
storming sessions. Subsequently, the feasibility
and implementation of each idea is discussed.
28
Observe the following rules during brainstorming
sessions:
▶▶ During the collection phase, evaluations or
criticism of the ideas put forward must at all
costs be avoided
▶▶ The aim of brainstorming is to collect as many
ideas as possible – the number of ideas is
decisive, not their quality
▶▶ It is desirable to establish links to and further
developments of existing ideas
One disadvantage of brainstorming is crystal
clear: dominant “shouter-outers” tend to inhib-
it contributions from more reticent participants.
So if you are already slightly acquainted with the
group and know that it contains a few shy partic-
ipants, you could be recommended to prefer the
following method known as “flashlighting”.
4.2.2 Flashlighting
Flashlighting functions in a similar way to brain-
storming with the sole difference that the ide-
as are not communicated by being shouted out.
Each participant is given the possibility of putting
forward his or her statement or idea. Everyone
gets a chance to speak for a maximum of one min-
ute. If participants do not wish to speak in a giv-
en order you could introduce a so-called “speech
stone” (e.g. a tennis ball or a small soft toy). Only
the person holding the speech stone may talk. Af-
ter each spoken contribution, the speech stone is
passed to another participant until it finally ends
up back with you. This method, too, involves writ-
ing down the ideas and contributions and making
sure that what is said is not commented on, criti-
cized or evaluated.
4.2.3 Index-card inquiry
As with “flashlighting”, this method ensures that
everyone gets to give his or her opinion.In this
case, however, in writing.
This has, of course, one decisive advantage for you
as moderator: you do not have to write everything
down. In this method, you distribute index cards
before presenting a topic, a question or a prob-
lem. Participants reply by writing down their ide- The most suitable method
as and thoughts on the cards. Each card may con- for beginners is “index-card
inquiry”. “Flashlight”,
tain only one thought. As soon as the participants
however, is livelier.
have finished, collect the cards, pre-sort them a
little and pin them up on a pin board according to
topic groups or contents. Subsequently the ideas
are again discussed from the viewpoints of fea-
sibility and implementation. Should you use this
method to inquire into questions on a particular
workshop topic, you could get the participants to
check, at the end of the workshop, which ques-
tions have been clarified and answered. The indi-
vidual cards should then be removedfrom the pin
board by the authors in each case. You should col-
lect any questions remaining as a “topic store” for
future workshops or for other purposes.
29

Selection of the right
method for working on
the topic depends heavily
on the composition of the
group. You are advised to
prepare two different meth-
ods and decide intuitively
which variant to use.
30
4.3 Working on the subject It is important that you position all the ideas and
thoughts in appropriate contexts and clad them
4.3.1 Mind-mapping in the correct concepts. This is sometimes by
The method of mind-mapping is recommendedfor no means easy and calls for further inquiry; do
sorting the ideas from a brainstorming or flash- not hesitate to do this. Consider the production
light session and for putting them into an overall of such a complex mind-map as a piece of group
topical context in order to derive activities from work.
them at a later date. You begin mind-mapping by
writing down the central topic, problem or ques-
tion in the middle of a piece of paper and drawing
a circle around it. From this center you now draw Key Key
main branches each of which represents a main Key
aspect of this topic. Write a key word on each of
Aspect
these lines to serve as a reminder. Other subor-
dinate key words are now added to these main Aspect
Key
key words by drawing branches and sub-braches
from the main branches.
Topic
Key
Aspect
Key
Aspect
Key
4.3.2 “Six Thinking Hats” method
The “Six Thinking Hats” method is intended to
generate ideas and solutions to problems via a
change of perspective. For this purpose, hats of
six different colors are available, each symboliz-
ing a certain direction of thought. Instead of hats
you can, of course, also use colored index cards.
▶▶ The white hat stands for “collecting informa-
tion without evaluating it”. The wearer of the
white hat is only interested in facts and figures
▶▶ The red hat focuses on feelings and intuition.
The wearer of this hat may express feelings
and intuitions without taking long-term deci-
sions into account or having to justify his or
her ideas
▶▶ The person wearing the black hat points out
possible errors and omissions, casting a crit-
ical glance at the idea. He or she summarizes
all that can go wrong and where these prob-
lems lie
▶▶ The yellow hat indicates optimism and posi-
tive views. The wearer of this hat concentrates
very consciously on the advantages which
accompany an idea
▶▶ The green hat strives toward new ideas and
creative activities. So the person wearing this
hat is looking for new ways without actually
coming to terms with the existing idea
▶▶ The blue hat, finally, focuses the control of
methods and procedures. The wearer of this
hat sets out the topics and problems that have
to be thought through and takes over the role
of moderator
It is up to you whether you keep firm hold of the
blue hat or intentionally select another perspec-
tive. You can also use the hats individually if a
discussion is concerned, for instance, exclusive-
ly with conjecture that takes no account of data
and facts. But you can also distribute all the hats
among the participants for a certain time in order
to carry out an interactive role play.
31
 4.3.3 6-3-5 method
This method is a kind of brainstorming in writing,
or “brainwriting”, and serves to go deeper into
ideas and thoughts that have already been devel-
oped. As its name implies, this method involves
6 participants who are given 5 minutes to write
down 3 solutions to a problem. And this is how it
works: each participant is given a sheet of paper
divided up into 6 x 3 boxes. Each of the 6 partic-
ipants puts his or her first idea into the first col-
umn, his or her second in the second etc.
6 Participants 108 Ideas 30 Minutes
32
After 5 minutes each person passes the sheet
on to his or her neighbor in the clockwise direc-
tion. The neighbor looks at the ideas of his pre-de-
cessor, relating his next ideas to them, develop-
ing them further or even putting down new ideas.
When all the sheets have done the rounds, each
participant will have noted down as many as 18
ideas. Thus the group will have generated a max-
imum of 108 ideas in only 30 minutes. In order to
employ this method sensibly, the analysis phase
should definitely have been completed and the
problem precisely defined beforehand. Despite
its name you can, of course, also use this meth-
od with fewer participants. Sometimes it is even
worth doing it with yourself alone!
4.3.4 Working in small groups
Working in small groups is always a good idea if
the workshop is intended to deal with various dif-
ferent aspects of a problem or a question. Pre-
cisely in those cases when many topics and tasks
call for more intensive deliberation so that plena-
ry discussions with all participants are neither
possible nor necessary. You should, however,
think carefully before using this method as it is not
suitable for every situation. Should you decide to
adopt it, you should observe one or two points to
enable working in small groups to be beneficial to
all participants in the end.
▶▶ Forming the groups
Depending on the situation and background,
you can employ a variety of procedures or
games to form the groups. If their composition Working in small groups
is not dependent on the interests of the par- takes up a lot of time –
ticipants, you can allocate members by count- plan your time schedule
carefully!
ing them off, by drawing sweets of the same
type or color or by using index cards of differ-
ent colors. You can also use the “Standpoints”
method (explained under 4.1.4) here. The only
important thing is not to be without a sugges-
tion for forming groups, as otherwise a lengthy
and tiring discussion on the various possibil-
ities will invariably commence. Whatever you
do, each participant should finally be clear
about which small group he or she is in and
that nobody is left standing around in a state
of irritation or disorientation.
33
 ▶▶ Job to be done
Once the participants have been sorted into
their small groups, nothing is worse than
nobody really knowing that they are now
The result jointly worked supposed to do. So give each small group
out by the group contrib-
utes toward identification
clearly defined instructions on the job to be
with the workshop and done. You should also specify a well-consid-
motivates work toward ered timetable so that the participants are
achieving the goal.
neither put under pressure nor reduced to
boredom after ten minutes because they do
not know what else they can do with their
time.
The instructions should also always include-
the noting down of results. When the groups
get together, each should be able to present
respectable results.
34
▶▶ Working atmosphere
When planning small groups you should en-
sure that an adequate number of rooms are
available for the group to divide up into. These
rooms should be provided with all the nec-
essary working materials so that no valuable
time is wasted looking for a flip-chart or felt
pens etc.
▶▶ Presentation of results
To enable all participants to benefit from the
group work, the results from the individual
small groups should be presented. This can be
done, for instance, via a short presentation to
all participants or by exhibiting the pin boards
containing the written results. If you decide
on brief presentations, fix a time frame at all
costs and make sure this is adhered to.
4.4 Action orientation and OPL
Quite independently of whether, at this stage,
you are working on an action plan, a catalogue of
measures or an OPL, always make sure that you
determine those respon-sible in each case and fix
the timing. At the end of this phase everyone must
be clear what he or she has to do, to research or to
implement by when.
4.4.1 Writing a letter to oneself
At first sight this method may perhaps appear
somewhat disconcerting, but you can use it to
motivate group participants and to remind them
of their own responsibility to implement the work-
shop results. To do this, distribute empty sheets
of paper and envelopes, calling on the partici-
pants to write a letter to themselves. Participants
are to pretend that a year has passed and that
they are writing to themselves in the future. They
are to imagine that they have already achieved the
goal they have been set and are now feeling their
way into this new situation.
What does it feel like to have reached your goal? In
this way participants will orient themselves per-
sonally toward the goal and motivate themselves
for the tasks ahead of them.
You as moderator can offer the following help:
▶▶ Have the evaluations of the workshop turned
out to be true?
▶▶ What does it feel like to have reached yourgoal?
▶▶ Was it possible to adhere to the timing discussed
at the workshop?
▶▶ What sort of project is now to follow?
These letters “may”, of course, contain quite per-
sonal wishes and targets. Once the participants
have finished writing their letters, they put them
in the envelopes, the envelopes are sealed and
addressed to the writer in each case. Finally you
collect all the letters and post them a year lat-
er. You should also write a letter to yourself, of
course!
35
 4.5 Conclusion
You should make use of this final but enormously
important phase to briefly summarize once again
the results of the workshop and possibly clarify
any final questions. If you pinned the expectations
and questions of the participants up on a board at
the start of the workshop, now is the right time to
see whether these have been realized or clarified.
You could also carry out another mood review
and ask participants how they feel after the work-
shop. At all events you should thank everybody for
participating, either as a group or individually and
personally, just as you wish.
One thing must not be left out during this phase
whatever happens: a round of feedback. Feed-
back is, of course (and you should always real-
ize this), not always so easy to provide or accept.
Handling criticism openly is sometimes difficult
for both sides, too.
36
So you should be familiar with and also apply a
few basic rules on giving and receiving feedback:
▶▶ Feedback is always based on a certain behav-
ior or result and is the expression of a very
personal and individual perception. What one
person may criticize about your style of com-
munication may be what another finds best
about it
▶▶ Feedback should always be usable – so it
should only relate to those types of behavior
or habits which the recipient can actually al-
ter. This should be explained to all those giving
feedback right at the start
▶▶ It must be clear to both sides that every indi-
vidual can only describe the effects that types
of behavior have on him or her, and not how
they were intended. Any two people will ex-
perience the same behavior of a moderator in
different ways – so you will never be able to do
everything right for everybody
▶▶ Should your moderation methods be criticized,
do not try to justify or defend yourself. You
should, rather, accept the other person’s opin-
ion and, should you so wish, learn from it
▶▶ Always show gratitude for any feedback ex-
pressed, even if it does not perhaps meet your
expectations. Everybody would, naturally, rath-
er hear good than negative feedback, but it is
precisely negative feedback that can help you
to discover the effect you have on other people
and to make an even more assured and compe-
tent impression next time

37
38
Handling
Moderating made easy

difficult situations

39
 Handling difficult situations

One unfortunate aspect of moderating is that diffi- Here are a couple of “antidotes”:
cult and unpleasant situations may now and then ▶▶ Indicate the common goal of the workshop
arise. It is then essential to identify the problem ▶▶ Remind participants of the rules of the game
Take every interruption rapidly and to discover what has caused it. Keep set out and agreed on at the start
seriously and keep calm. calm in such situations and evaluate them as a ▶▶ Turn a possible interruption caused by an in-
Often interruptions can challenge not as a problem. Even if you have to re- dividual into a topic: ask the group what their
be dealt with by inquiring
into their causes.
act individually to each situation, of course, there opinion is. You can depend on the fact that the
are still a few basic hints and tips on how you can others will generally also feel disturbed
master such moments. ▶▶ Change your method if you find one single
individual constantly taking the floor (change
to “index-card inquiry” for instance)
▶▶ Take the “interrupter” seriously and ask for a
Always remember that
concrete complaint. Once this has been for­
continuing the workshop mulated you can also ask the interrupter for a
is more important than solution e.g. “How would you suggest that we
placating a participant
proceed?”
who interrupts it.
▶▶ Never lose your sense of humor and be pre-
pared to give unconventional answers. Fre-
quently the group’s response to an unexpected
answer is bigger than the disruption, and you
will always have the “laughers” on your side

40
▶▶ Should you, however, be confronted with ba-
sic personal criticism of yourself, you should
announce a break and arrange a bilateral chat
with your critic. Talk to him or her openly and
honestly about his or her behavior (preferably
with an “I”-message) and inquire about motiva-
tion to participate and personal targets. Being
taken seriously and given the opportunity to
express frustration will often suffice to re-es-
tablish constructive cooperation with one an-
other
▶▶ If despite all your efforts a person who has of-
fered frequent criticism should demonstrative-
ly leave the room, let them go. Do not attempt
to chase after them or try to persuade them to
return. You can be certain that it is not just your
style of moderating that has annoyed this per-
son
What should you do if…
… a participant keeps looking at his/her watch? Confront him/
her with his/her behavior in the form of an “I”-message and ask politely
whether anyone else needs a break.
… participants become restless and carry on too many private
conversations? Interrupt the workshop with a small riddle or game,
then return to the topic
… a mobile phone rings now and again? Remind participants in a
friendly but decisive tone of the rules of the game and suggest that you
are quite prepared to take the next mobile call personally and offer the
owner’s apologies
… a participant refuses to participate in one or other of the
games or modules? Unfortunately there is not much you can do in
such cases: you can remind such a participant of the aims of the work-
shop or ask for a better suggestion. You could also invite him to take
over your role for 15 minutes. Experience has shown, however, that
all such efforts are generally in vain. Should you find that you have one
such participant in your workshop, simply accept it and continue to
work with the other participants. 41
 Postscript

42
For one thing is quite certain:
Good moderating gets better
and better the more you do it!

43
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