There is a moment in every online session that I still find nerve-wracking.
It’s when I press the “Open All Rooms” button.
I’ve done it hundreds of times. I’ve never had a “bad” experience sending people to breakout groups. But as the gallery view screens start to disappear, doubt creeps in:
Were the instructions clear?
Is 5 minutes enough time?
Should I have put 3 people in the group instead of 2?
What if they are a total flop?
Breakout groups can make or break your session.
Done well, breakout groups can be golden opportunities for building trust and connection. They can increase engagement. And they are often the highlight of the session for your group members.
Breakout groups can also be extremely dull.
They can feel awkward. They can be problematic if norms and agreements are broken. And they can be the perfect excuse for people to high-tail it out of your session.
How can you set your breakout groups up for success?
That’s our Quest for this week🔎
👉 The 4 Magic Group Sizes article by René Neuheimer
👉How to Set Your Breakout Groups up for Success podcast with Myriam Hadnes
👉Breakout Room Fatigue post by Romy Alexandra
Plus ⚒️ Online facilitation expert Jan Keck shares his favorite tools
✨The 4 Magic Group Sizes by René Neuheimer
What’s the best size for a breakout group? Good question!
In this fascinating article, Facilitation School Co-founder René Nauheimer (and Quest Reader Hi René 👋) writes about how to choose the right group size for your sessions.
He charts group sizes on a continuum between intimacy and energy. And he walks us through why different groups are suited for different purposes.
Packed with interesting examples and research, it’s the most enlightening piece on group sizes that I’ve come across.
Read the full article 👉here.
How do you decide on the best group size for your breakouts?
🎙️How to Set Your Breakout Groups Up for Success Podcast
I was thrilled to be an invited guest on episode #197 of the workshops work podcast with seasoned facilitator and brilliant host Myriam Hadnes.
In this episode, I talk with Myriam about how to set your breakout groups up for success.
Here are a few things we cover👇
⏳What’s the perfect group size and duration?
🚫What are the biggest mistakes that facilitators make?
🆘What do you do when things go wrong?
We also talk about how to find your facilitator style, designing the first 5 minutes of your session, awkward silences, and more. If you want to jump right into breakout groups skip to minute 27:35.
Check out the full episode 👉 here.
Check out the other 200 episodes of workshops that work on just about every facilitation topic you can imagine 👉here.
🤦How to Avoid Breakout Room Fatigue
You’ve heard of Zoom Fatigue. But have you heard of Breakout Room Fatigue?
In this LinkedIn post from experiential learning specialist, learning experience designer, and psychological safety facilitator Romy Alexandra explores Breakout Room Fatigue and how to avoid it.
In the post she covers:
👉The top reasons why people drop off calls during breakouts
👉How to come up with alternatives to keep your group members engaged
Her advice? Be aware of HOW and HOW OFTEN you use breakout rooms. And give people options.
Check out the full post 👉here.
You can experience Romy’s exceptional facilitation live in Scaling Intimacy’s next Virtual Connection Lab on Jan 18th and in the Facilitating Experiential Learning Course.
⚒️ Toolkit of the Week
I was excited to come across this toolkit from facilitator, trainer, and experience designer Jan Keck on LinkedIn this morning. He shares his favorite remote facilitation tools, in-person facilitation tools, video streaming tools, and equipment recommendations. I’m definitely going to try out Aminated Overlays ✅.
Check out Jan’s toolkit 👉 here.
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