Be Able to Check Their Own Understanding of What Has Been Said

26 / Let’s Sum Up
Description / This is a two-part activity which promotes the skill of summarizing as a very effective aid to clarity and coherence in communication between two people or within a group. (Summarizing is also a useful skill for people who have to take notes of discussions, meetings, interviews, and so on. Although the activity is not primarily designed with this in mind, it can be useful to train people who need this particular specialist application.)
Objectives / By the end of this activity participants will:

Be able to summarize information into a single, coherent response that incorporates the main points.
Be able to check their own understanding of what has been said.
Be able to use summarizing as an aid to maintaining boundaries on a discussion.
Recognize the value of summarizing as an important interpersonal skill.

Participants /

8 to 15 participants
Suitable for anyone who attends meetings or is involved in structured interactions such as interviews and who has some responsibility for clear outcomes, either in terms of understanding by all parties or in terms of producing a written summary

Time / 2 hours and 45 minutes
Resources /

Flipchart stand, paper, and marker for trainer’s use
One sheet of blank paper (8½ x 11) and pen or pencil for each participant
One copy of Handout 26.1 for each participant
One copy of Trainer’s Notes for trainer’s use

Let’s Sum Up

Resources
(continued) /

A wall clock within everyone’s view
Prepared flipchart (see Step 8)
Flipchart paper and pens for subgroups (see Step 5)
Adhesive tape or some other means of attaching flipchart sheets to the wall

Method / Step 1: Introduce the activity.

The ability to summarize is a very useful skill. It is important for people who have to write up notes of meetings, but it is also important for anyone who wants to increase the clarity—and thus the effectiveness—of meetings or interviews that they are involved in. It is not just a skill to use at the closing stages; used properly it can be an extremely effective way of moving forward purposefully without leaving contributors dissatisfied. It can also serve as a means of dealing with anger and boredom in small or large groups and is an effective way to deal (gently) with the person who won’t stop talking.
This activity is in two parts. The first part gives practice in extracting the key point(s) from a mass of information while the second part translates this skill into the discussion situation enabling people to practice it “on the spot.”
Steps 2 through 7 constitute Part One of the activity. Allow 1 hour.
Steps 8 through 12 constitute Part Two. Allow 1 hour, 45 minutes.
A refreshment break between the two parts would be appropriate.

Part One
Step 2: Issue all participants with blank paper and pens/pencils.

Make sure that all participants can hear you.

Method
(continued) / Step 3: Explain that you will read a short passage twice, at normal reading speed. During the first reading, no notes are to be taken, just listen for “sense.” During the second reading, notes may be taken. After the second reading, participants will be asked to prepare summaries.
Step 4: Read through the passage twice (see Trainer’s Notes).

Read clearly and distinctly at normal reading speed.

Step 5: Divide the participants into groups of between 4 and 6. Instruct each group to discuss their notes and to prepare, on a flipchart, a one-sentence version of the material they have just heard.

Allow 15 minutes. If you know you have skilled note-takers, regular discussion group leaders, etc. in your group, try to distribute them around the small groups to maximize learning from each other.

Step 6: Ask each group to take turns presenting its version to the full group for comments and questions by the group and trainer. Each group is to post its flipchart on the wall.

Ask each group to justify the thinking behind its version.
Questions you might ask:

Was each one of you happy with the final version?
What information did you leave out and why?
What were your criteria for deciding what to include?
Was there substantial agreement in the group? If not, where was the disagreement coming from?
Is the version on display a fair summary of the passage?

Take notes while this is going on so that you are ready for Step 7.

Method
(continued) / Step 7: Review the learning points that emerged during Step 6 in a final brief discussion.

You may like to suggest that participants jot down their own notes of this discussion to keep as a practical guide to identifying the key elements in a discussion. Suggestions for leading this discussion are contained in Handout 26.1.

This concludes Part One. Before beginning Part Two, make sure you have prepared a topic flipchart as outlined in Step 8.
Part Two
Step 8: Explain that Part Two involves the use of summarizing skills within a discussion group. Re-establish the groups used in Step 5. Reveal your topic flipchart. Ask for any more suggestions for possible discussions.

You will need as many topics as there are people in the largest of the small groups; i.e., between 4 and 6. They should be contentious enough to sustain five minutes of debate.
Groups may want to add work-based issues; if they do, first be sure that everyone in the group is happy with this.

Step 9: Explain that each group should appoint a summarizer. Each group will then have five minutes to discuss one of the topics. Begin the first round of discussions.

The summarizer’s role is to listen to the debate and, after five minutes, to present a summary of the main points covered. Notes may be taken.

Step 10: Stop the discussion after exactly five minutes. Ask each summarizer to present to his/her own group the summary of the main points of the discussion.
Method
(concluded) /

Ask the group to help and encourage the summarizer if she/he gets into difficulty. The next discussion should not begin until the summary is in a form that all members of the group are happy with.

Step 11: Explain that from now on the groups have between 45 and 60 minutes in which to:
Appoint summarizers (everyone should have a turn) whose role is not just to summarize but to draw the discussion to an end by using summarizing skills.
Conduct their remaining discussions (these can last between three and ten minutes, depending on when the summarizer chooses to intervene).
Agree on the summaries after each “round.”

Move around the groups and make sure that you work with each at least once as the summarizers work through their task.
Questions you might ask:

Was that an easy discussion to summarize? Why/why not?
Was it easy to intervene and summarize?
What was the effect of summarizing on the group?
Was the intervention at an appropriate moment? Why/why not?
What sort of interventions are working best? What sorts of phrases do they begin with?
Step 12: Reassemble the full group. Issue Handout 26.1 and deal briefly with any points arising from it or from the activity as a whole.

Do not make this session too long. The group will by now have worked quite hard and will undoubtedly need a break!

Let’s Sum Up

Trainer’s Notes

Passage to be read to the group at twice the normal reading speed:

In 1989, the XYZ Engineering Company made a video about the dangers of not wearing protective goggles at work. The video was shown experimentally at a number of in-house “Health and Safety at Work” courses.

The company’s Health and Safety Officer, Mr. Sidney Pollard, admitted to the Daily Journal reporter that the video proved to be so disturbing that, during the first course, thirteen employees out of an audience of twenty-five had to be helped to the company medical center to recover.

One scene was so realistic that a frightened welder fell off his chair and needed seven stitches. During the same scene, another worker fainted and had to be carried out.

Another full-color close-up resulted in a whole group of machinists being led out feeling sick and faint.

The company’s personnel department received complaints from worried and angry parents and relatives about employees waking up at night in a cold sweat and screaming.

Mr. Pollard told the Daily Journal reporter that the safety film was proving more dangerous than the hazards it was trying to prevent and it was, therefore, being withdrawn. “We are very anxious to stress the importance of eye protection to staff,” he said, “but at this point in time we have decided not to take any more chances. We’ve had at least one person keeling over at every course so far during the safety campaign and the video technician has asked for a transfer. We spent $20,000 producing this video so the results are very disappointing.”

Mr. Pollard would not respond to suggestions that he had been asked to resign by the board. The producers of the video, Mallet Productions, were not available for comment.

Handout 26.1 /

Summarizing Skills

Summarizing skills are not solely for secretaries of meetings. They can be used very effectively by anyone in any kind of meeting where discussion takes place. They can be an aid to clarity and they can often help a discussion move on if it is bogged down.

What can summarizing skills achieve?

They can link together a number of apparently disjointed contributions or pieces of information provided by other people, thus giving significance and relevance to them. This increases empathy.
Summarizing can help prevent lack of clarity or ambiguity, which can be of considerable benefit in counseling situations.
Summarizing can help to interrupt verbosity without offending and it enables the discussion to progress.
Summarizing can help to gain some control over the direction of a discussion or interview.

Useful phrases for beginning a summary

“So you…”
“What I’m hearing is…”
“I think you’re saying…”
“Are you saying that…?”
“Can I check my understanding of what has been said so far?”
“Can we see how far we’ve gotten?”

Useful tips on leading discussions

Here are some questions you might ask yourself during a discussion. They should help you to decide not only when a summarizing intervention is appropriate, but also what to include in a summary and what to leave out.

What is the purpose of the meeting? Is this particular discussion moving us toward the meeting’s objectives?
Has a decision been made? What is it and does everyone agree?
Is there a major point that is probably important to the group and therefore needs to be both included and sensitively worded in any summary?

If I had to sum up this discussion in one minute for someone who is not here, what could be left out without losing the “flavor” of the discussion?
Has something dramatic or unexpected happened? Why is it dramatic or unexpected? What does it say about underlying issues within the group?
Who is influential within the group? How tempted are you to concentrate on what she/he has said rather than on the others?
How can I omit this anecdotal contribution (i.e., the “What happened to me was…” sort) from my summary without losing the flavor it may be adding to the discussion?
Are these numbers/examples so crucial that to omit them would give a false picture?
How can I avoid quoting individuals in my summary? (Apart from leaving you open to charges of misquotation, it also gives possible undue weight to them at the expense of the contributions of others.)

Reproduced from 50 Activities for Interpersonal Skills Training

Sue Bishop and David Taylor, HRD Press, Inc., 1991

27 / Managing Meetings
Description / This is an introduction to committee work for people who have had little or no experience attending meetings in any capacity—chair, secretary, or member—and to give them confidence in understanding the rudiments of procedure and committee jargon.
Objectives / By the end of this activity participants will:

Understand the role of the chair in a discussion group/problem-solving setting.
Have experienced either chairing such a meeting or of being a participating member of such a group.
Have overcome the common anxieties experienced about committee jargon.
Have, as a handout, a personal glossary of terms used in meetings.

Participants /

5 to 30 participants
Suitable for anyone who will be involved with committee work and meetings

Time / 90 minutes
Resources /

Enough space and seating for the whole group to work together and for up to five groups of 4 to 6 participants to work separately
Pencil or pen for each participant
One copy each of Handouts 27.1 and 27.3 for each participant
One copy of Handout 27.2 for participants serving as observer in the activity

Managing Meetings

Method / Step 1: Introduce the activity.

If you have never attending a formal meeting, it can be an intimidating experience—just to be present as a member. What is expected of you? Will you be asked to speak? If you have a contribution to make, is there a formal procedure for asking permission to speak?
If you are asked to chair a meeting, is there a correct manner in which to open and close the meeting? How can you ensure that everyone has a chance to air his/her views? What do all the terms mean that you have heard being used?
This activity looks at some of the issues that make committee communication unique and helps take the mystique from the procedure of formal meetings. By examining the jargon used, many of the procedures will become more clear, and by working in small groups during the exercise part of the activity, course members will be able to practice the principles of participating in meetings.
Participants will be divided into small subgroups of 4 to 6 people and will be given a group questionnaire to complete. This will be a multiple-choice questionnaire, giving various definitions of a word or phrase used in committee parlance. Subgroups will be asked to elect a chair who will lead the discussion and help her/his group to reach a consensus on which of the options offered is the correct definition. An observer/secretary will be appointed to each subgroup, who will be asked to give constructive feedback to the chair and to the members regarding their roles in the exercise.

Step 2: Explain the roles of chair, member, and observer/secretary.

The person who controls the proceedings of a meeting is called either the chairman, the chairperson, or the chair, depending on the preference of the individual or the committee he/she serves.

Method
(continued) /

The chair’s function varies depending on the type of meeting: from information-giving meetings where the chair plays a dominant role similar to a speaker, passing on information to members of the meeting with very little input from anyone else; to problem-solving meetings where the chair’s function is to ensure that everyone at the meeting has a chance to share the benefit of her/his knowledge and experience and where the chair, too, is free to express her/his own views for consideration.
Meetings will vary from informal departmental meetings between co-workers of the same status where one is elected chair as a matter of convenience, to very formal committee meetings.
Members of meetings are important to the cooperative process of committee work, and the part played by every individual is crucial to a meeting’s success. All members should participate by not only giving the meeting the benefit of their views or experience, but also by listening to and respecting other people’s points of view.
Secretaries/clerks/notetakers of meetings are present to ensure the efficient organization and administration of the meeting, and to take notes from which minutes are produced. As with the chair, the role varies considerably depending on the type of meeting and the degree of its formality. The secretary may solely take notes; or may advise on matters of policy and procedure; or may not be only the notetaker, but also a fully participating member of the committee. For the purpose of this exercise, the observer/secretary will participate in the discussion while taking notes on the observer sheet provided.

Step 3: Distribute and review Handout 27.1.

Allow participants five minutes to read Handout 27.1. Make sure that they are clear about the roles of chair, observer/secretary, and members for the purposes of this exercise.

Method
(continued) / Step 4: Divide the group into subgroups of 4 to 6 participants.

Arrange the seating so that each subgroup can work in a “cluster,” undisturbed by other subgroups.

Step 5: Ask groups to elect a chair and an observer/secretary. Distribute a copy of Handout 27.2 to each observer/secretary.

If groups have difficulty in deciding this, for whatever reason, choose two people alphabetically who will be chair and observer respectively. (The trainer can use alternative devices for choice of roles.)

Step 6: Distribute one copy of Handout 27.3 to each participant plus an additional group copy for each subgroup. Instruct subgroups on the procedure and timing of the questionnaire.

Everyone has a copy of the questionnaire to look at, but only the additional copy held by the chair should be annotated at this stage.
Led by the chair, each subgroup will discuss the options offered to each question, and when a consensus view is reached, the chair will check the appropriate box on the questionnaire.
Subgroups will be allowed 30 minutes to complete their joint questionnaire. After this time, back in the main group, observers/secretaries will be asked to give their comments on how the “meetings” were conducted.
Finally, the correct answers will be given by the trainer, and participants will be able to annotate their own copies of the questionnaire, checking the appropriate boxes, so that they will take with them, from the activity, a correct glossary of committee terminology and definitions.

Step 7: Begin the exercise.

Give a time check after 25 minutes. Conclude the exercise after 30 minutes, whether or not all subgroups have finished.

Method
(concluded) / (Groups will have experienced the procedures involved. It is not essential that every word and definition be scrutinized by the subgroups for the exercise to be effective and learning points achieved.)
Step 8: Ask observer/secretaries for their comments.

They should follow their Observer Sheet (Handout 27.2). Lead a group discussion on any points emerging which should be followed up to help participants become better committee chairs/ members.

Step 9: Review Handout 27.3 with the whole group, giving the correct answers with any supplementary information as appropriate.

Participants may now check the correct boxes on their own questionnaires. The group can be given either this verbal information, or the Trainer’s Notes can be reproduced as a handout to supplement their annotated questionnaires.