Last week, as a member of the National E-tailing and Mailing Organization of America (NEMOA), I conducted a breakfast roundtable for a group of small business owners. Typically at breakfast roundtables, you sit with one table of eight to ten people and stay there for the duration of the event. You are only privy to the conversation at your own table. I wanted to create an environment where people could engage in discussions around several topics, meet more people, and get the highlights of what others had talked about at the other tables too. Thus the “Roundtable Roulette” was born.
Preparation: My first question was about what topics to cover. To answer this question, I sent out a survey before the event, asking several questions about the top issues facing this group of small business owners. With the data, I was able to devise spot-on table topics and create table signage in advance.
Facilitation: I began by presenting the results of the survey and highlighting some of my observations (while they ate breakfast). Next, I explained how the “roulette” would work and introduced the topics in the following manner:
Explanation
Table Topic Discussions
Review
Notes and Facilitation Options
Be sure to gauge your group as the roundtable is going on. You won’t know how they are doing unless you walk around and listen in. You may need to adjust the time up or down depending on how long the “quick” introductions take. If folks are having trouble moving from “challenges” to “solutions” You might also need to specifically ask groups to come up with 3 concrete suggestions. You might also choose to have tables record their suggestions on a flip chart, tabletop whiteboard, or on index cards, so they can more easily be shared later.