What are some ways to promote self-reflection and learning in a large group?

As part of my organizational culture and development practice, I use the intrapersonal-interpersonal-organizational approach for my learning and development strategy. Rooted in facilitating self-reflection and cultural humility through activities that encourage identity-based perspective-taking, participants use intrapersonal reflection as a foundation to share and engage with each other interpersonally to explore the myriad of ways nuanced concepts such as culture, inclusion, and belonging are interpreted and experienced. This dialogue-based approach models the collaborative practices needed to facilitate participatory organizational change.

Diving into strategies for promoting self-reflection and learning in large groups! 🌐✨ Here's my take: 1️⃣ **Feedback Fridays:** Designate a day each week for open feedback sessions, creating a safe space for constructive criticism and commendations. 2️⃣ **Peer Spotlights:** Spotlight team members who demonstrate a commitment to learning, encouraging emulation and appreciation within the group. 3️⃣ **Themed Learning Weeks:** Devote specific weeks to targeted learning themes, sparking diverse discussions and collaborative knowledge-sharing. 4️⃣ **Digital Idea Boards:** Establish an online platform for sharing insights, articles, and personal reflections, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas.

Additionally one should consider progressive and sequential exercises that add depth and context to group learning. Start broadly, narrow your focus, then broaden your discussion to see how consensus solutions play out in different scenarios.

At the end of the class, ask each person for their one key takeaway. If the group is very large, then you can do it by table and have each table summarize and report back to the entire group.

Break away from the generic, conventional, copy-and-paste information. Share Though-Provoking insight, that is not cookie- cutter. Insight that the audience may not even WANT to hear, but probably NEED to hear. While you don't want to intentionally be OFFENSIVE, don't be afraid if what the audience NEEDS to hear, offends them. As a Speaker, my experience has taught me that it is very difficult and almost impossible to EMPOWER People, without OFFENDING them. Self-Reflection and Learning often start with hearing what you DON'T want to hear.

Offer a reflection prompt(s) based on the subject matter of discussion and provide the background that it is a prompt only (no wrong answers). Be clear about whether or not there will be the expectation to share to reduce anxiety. I generally let people know that sharing is optional, but also a heads up that I am comfortable with sitting in silence for a bit!

Agree, clear purpose, examples and advises previous the action is really needed, as a guide of what they have to accomplish. Also isn needed to identify actors that can start a dialogue as ice-breakers in the group so people set aside fears to speak or share their reflections.

Une manière très efficace de le faire consiste à procéder dans cet ordre pour les instructions : 1- POURQUOI le fait-on ? En donnant du sens à ce que nous allons faire, on donne envie, on relie cet atelier au but global de notre démarche, et on fait le lien avec ce que nous avons fait ensemble avant. 2- A QUOI devons-nous aboutir ? On donne alors une définition concrète du type de résultat à atteindre ensemble. Il s'agit de rendre tangible le livrable de l'atelier avec des précisions et éventuellement des exemples. 3- COMMENT allons nous faire ? Le Pourquoi et le Quoi étant clarifiés, les instructions sur le Comment trouvent leur place, et sont plus claires. C'est le moment de donner un timing précis, des rôles à chacun, et un processus.

After speaking at a large conference, a participant approached me and asked if I was a professor. I respoded, "Yes, I've taught for several years." He said he thought so - because of how I acknowledged and celebrated audience insights. Thank your participants for contributing. Paraphrase what was said (to confirm your understanding). Tell them what you like about the comment. And then expand upon it - connect the comment to other points or use it as a springboard to solicit more audience participation. We all love hearing gratitude and appreciation from our facilitators!

Pour favoriser à la fois l'autoreflexion et l'apprentissage, il est très efficace de distinguer les deux. En invitant d'abord les participants à débriefer : 1- sur les contenus appris (de nombreux processus collaboratifs peuvent y contribuer), et ensuite seulement 2- sur le processus qui leur a permis d'y arriver, et sur ce que ce processus nous enseigne. La réflexivité est décuplée en grand groupe, par la richesse des points de vue. En tant que facilitateur l'appréciation peut être donnée en recueillant quelques points de vue, et non seulement en les validant mais en les questionant. L'assistance grandit de ce qu'on fasse émerger de meilleures questions, au lieu de rester sur de "simples" conclusions.

Making people feel they have accomplish goals by their hard work and thanking them for that is really important. As well as recieving feedback, comments on what they think about the activity and their performance is also important, so the process gets done and they feel heard, which gives a possitive impact on them and on the facilitator so she/he can improve for a later opportunity.

When I use reflective questions, I like to have participants spend quiet time writing them down before sharing. Depending on the question and content they may share with one person, the entire table where they are sitting, or with the entire group.

Yes yes yes! This is the answer to the overall question. The answer is about prompting reflection by being intentional with your questions and prompts.

Agree, most of the participants will likely just scrtch the surface with some reflections, but adding complementary questions provides the group to reflect further and give everyone the opportunity to give wider and better answers and reflections.

Il est très pratique d'utiliser des processus collaboratifs déjà connus et documentés pour utiliser plus efficacement des questions et invites de reflexion. Le format 1-2-4-all permet de commencer par un temps individuel avant d'échanger avec son voisin, puis par groupes de 4 (ou à sa table), et enfin avec l'ensemble de l'assistance. Le format World Café quant à lui permet de procéder par questions consécutives, et ainsi de cheminer collectivement dans la reflexion. Dans tous les cas, puisqu'il s'agit de favoriser l'autoreflexion dans un grand groupe, on procédera à un debriefing avec l'ensemble du groupe, par exemple en demandant à chaque table les points clés issus de la conversation.

Rather than ground rules, I use "Principles of Engagement" to context my discussions that are typically rooted in cultural humility and exploration of identity-based perspectives. These include concepts to suspend (such as guilt, shame, and assumptions) and embrace (such as vulnerability, cognitive dissonance, and leaning into discomfort). Creating opportunities to lean into and explore these concepts skill-builds towards their awareness and application within organizations. It also manages expectations of "comfort" - and reminds participants that being uncomfortable is markedly different than being unsafe. Discomfort is required for growth and innovation.

You need to set up a safe and supportive environment at the beginning of the workshop or group work. If it isn't there, people won't participate in these discussions. Acknowledge all contributions and get them used to self-reflection early in the training even it they don't share at first.

Make sure to set the stage at the start that we will end with some self reflection and here is why…. I love mentioning what a gift it is to have “paid time” to think and strategize. I will cover many things but look for something you can apply in your role or your life. Another great tool is to utilize anonymous survey or polls inside the meeting to reveal how others think. You can create questions to reveal diversity of views or how similar everyone feels. Depending on your desired outcome - your questions will guide participants on a journey. People are more likely to share at the end when they know what others think/ feel. Establish psychological safety and give enough time to prepare. Nobody likes to be put on the spot.

Part of creating a supportive culture is demonstrating that vulnerability is okay—even celebrated. When leaders, facilitators, or other respected members acknowledge their challenges and what they've learned, it sets a tone and invites others to do the same. (But: be careful that it doesn't become performative or an effort by leaders to dodge responsibility for ongoing challenges.)

Here's some ways 1. Group discussions: Encourage open and honest discussions within the group where everyone can share their thoughts and ideas about a topic. This allows for different perspectives to be considered and encourages self-reflection. 2. Group activities: Engage the group in interactive activities such as role-playing, simulations, or group problem-solving tasks, where they can experience and reflect on their own behavior and decision-making processes. 3. Peer feedback: Encourage the group members to give and receive feedback from their peers, promoting self-reflection and learning from different viewpoints.

C'est généralement la partie la plus négligée ! Il n'est en effet pas toujours évident de mesurer l'impact des actions pédagogiques et de les ancrer dans la durée. Une pratique intéressante consiste à rendre l'évaluation ludique (diagrammes, questionnaires comportant une part d'humour) et à l'intégrer dans les ateliers. Notre but supérieur collectif est de tirer le meilleur parti du temps passé ensemble et lutter ensemble contre les resistances au changement ! On peut dès lors imaginer quelles seraient les meilleures façons d'ancrer le changement dans la durée. Après l'évaluation, il s'agira de s'entraider en organisant des groupes de pairs qui pourront se soutenir.

Just as everyone wants to be heard, everyone needs time to listen and contemplate what is being said or discussed. Provide the quiet space for reflection or discussion.

Offer a "just-right" amount of time for reflection in various forms...refrain from moving on to the next item simply because no ones speaks up in the first 5 seconds.

Encourage learners yo share ideas, they must be scared to make mistakes, they'll end up going forward with something they think is wrong whereas it is correct or they might think they understand whereas they don't, they must not feel like they are competing, that will make them yo share less as they'll be thinking of scoring more points than thier peers and end up being selfish and going home with things they think they're correct whereas they're wrong,teach them the difference between being right and being correct.