The document provides tips for facilitating discussions, including paraphrasing others' comments, checking for understanding, giving positive feedback, expanding on ideas, energizing the discussion, playing devil's advocate, relieving tension, consolidating ideas, changing activities, and summarizing the discussion.

1. Tips for Facilitating
Discussions

2. Tips
• Paraphrase. Paraphrase.
– “So, what you’re saying is that we need to…”

3. Tips
• Check for meaning
– “Are you saying that….”

4. Tips
• Give positive feedback. Compliment
– “That’s a good point.”
– “I never thought of that before.”
– “Thanks for bringing that to our attention.”

5. Tips
• Expand and elaborate
– “Your comments provide an interesting point.
Let’s take this idea a bit further.”

6. Tips
• Increase the pace. Energize
– “Here’s a challenge for you. For
the next two minutes, see how
many ways you can think of
to…”

7. Tips
• Devil’s advocate. Disagree
– “I can see where you are coming from, but I’m
not sure that what you are describing is
always the case.”
– “Has anyone else had an experience that is
different from Jamal’s?”

8. Tips
• Relieve Tension. Mediate
– “I think that Lynda and Ron are
not really disagreeing with each
other, but are just bringing out two
different sides of this issue.”

9. Tips
• Consolidate. Pull together
– “As you can see from Mohammed’s and
Kathy’s comments…”
– “Who else can add to what Joyce, Fran and
Tim have already commented on?”

10. Tips
• Change the process
– “Let’s break into small groups and see if you
can come up with….”

11. Tips
• Summarize. Summarize.
– “I have listed four major points that have
come from our discussion.”