Introduction: Small Group Conversations Small groups are an essential building block to any future you want to create

Small group conversations are at the heart of Conversational Leadership, but there are several challenges to be overcome if they are to be effective.

Relationship and connectedness are the pre-condition for change.

Every meeting, every process, every training program has to get people connected first.

Otherwise, the content falls on deaf ears.

So small groups are an essential building block to any future you want to create.

Credit: Peter Block

These are some of the factors that we need to be aware of and take into account when thinking about conversations in small groups:

1. What Is the Optimum Group Size for a Conversation? More than five people and it is not a conversation
2. Groupthink The desire for harmony in a group can result in irrational decisions
3. Group Polarization The tendency for a group to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of its members
4. Social Loafing The tendancy to put less effort into a task when we are part of a group
5. Facilitator Bias ** A facilitator unwittingly influences a group
6. Losing and Giving Face The fear of losing face is a significant barrier to open conversation in many cultures
7. Social Silencing A phenomenon where people don’t speak up for fear of social exclusion
8. Psychological Safety ** A shared belief that within your team it is safe to take risks