As I laid out materials for a recent workshop with a Japanese client, I was struck by how appropriate some of the materials were. đ
Having worked with this client before I was also prepared for a workshop of mostly introverted participants.
Itâs a safe generalisation to describe Japanese people as polite, respectful, and holding strong cultural values of community and harmony. Itâs rare to encounter anyone opinionated or abrasive, and itâs quite beautiful.
But this can pose a challenge when your objective is to draw on diverse opinions!
As an introvert myself, I can relate to this aversion to speak up and was sensitive to this while designing the workshop.
Below are my top three tips for facilitating a workshop full of introverts.
1. Make it Silent
Asking people to voice their opinions can be quite intimidating for introverts. Instead, ask them to write down their contributions onto post-it notes. This is more comfortable for quieter participants and a great way to capture their thoughts verbatim instead of relying on a note-taker. It allows you to later cluster themes that emerge. It also provides moments of blissful silence for your introverted attendees to restore their energy.
2. Make it Visible
Activities like Visualise the Vote (from the LUMA Institute of Human-Centred Design) ensure that no single voice or idea takes precedence. Itâs a great method to collect everyoneâs input, giving each person equal opportunity to indicate their preferences and opinions. And they donât have to say a word!
3. Make it Anonymous
When trying to capture diverse opinions in a psychologically safe way, an anonymous poll or Q&A can be your best friend. If youâve been to any industry conference in the last 5 years, chances are youâve used a platform like Slido. This type of platform isnât limited to huge crowds. Any group of 10 or more can provide the safety and anonymity for people to be completely honest without feeling put on the spot.
When dealing with introverts, you canât assume theyâll loudly voice their opinions. And as any workshop facilitator knows, a single participant with overbearing opinions can hijack a group conversation and bowl over quieter participants.
So, while the above approaches work well for introverts, theyâre also good for mixed groups. They democratise the conversation and give everyone equal airtime.
Stephen Hawking once remarked that âQuiet people have the loudest mindsâ.
By creating opportunities for quiet people to share their thoughts, you can glean tremendous value and insight.
