![]() ![]() In one unconference, the flip charts were an option not a default. Let people get what they need, choose the colours and numbers of pens they want. When we head to our group conversation, the flip chart is a tool belonging to the community, not the organisers.Ī pile of pens on the floor or in a box is better than pens already set out on the flip chart shelf. The best self-organised conversations I have attended have no formal presentation, and the conversation begins in a circle.The facilitator is humble, speaks for as little a time as possible and then aims to disappear. If you must present ideas, be direct about that – either talk or use as few slides as possible. Don’t lead from the front at the start if you are hoping for the group to self-organise the conversation in an unconference mode. ![]() It unbalances the group.ĭon’t grab the pen. This stifles self-organisation and undermined group collaboration. When they do use it, many mimic the facilitator’s behaviour – one person grabs the pen, stands up, and then leads the group, often writing their own ideas or versions of others’ ideas on the flip chart paper. I’ve noticed that when, later, in the same meeting, a large group breaks out into smaller groups, then can be a reluctance to use the flip chart as the facilitator has modelled control and not empowerment earlier. Even when they collect ideas from the audience, it is a status driven activity (“I’ve got the gun!”). When a facilitator locates a flip chart at the front of a room and grabs a pen, he or she is claiming status and setting up the flip chart as a tool for presentation. When the Facilitator or Leader Grabs the Pen It is hard to get these things right and there are better ways to do it. – not blocking the view of other people as you write – capturing ideas from a group in ways that truly reflect what they are saying – writing clearly and big enough using dark ink pens (Red is impossible to read in a large room) People in the audience soon switch off or zone out.Įven when a facilitator is being more interactive in their style, using a flip chart at the front of a room rarely works well. Their tiny, illegible writing seems to serve little purpose. ![]() I’ve sat in many a conference and workshop room and found a facilitator or presenter misusing a flip chart. Just a few rows of seats back and people will struggle to see and read what is on them. They don’t work well in a large room with a large group if they are being used by a presenter to present information to an audience. ![]()
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