On-the-Spot Questions and Topics

Drawing on the work of Christopher Phillips (2001) and others who have popularized Socrates café, groups of ten to twelve generate a question on the spot that will be the focus of an open, critical, and freewheeling forty-five-minute conversation.

Purposes

• To put the decision about the discussion topic under group member control
• To practice holding a discussion on a question of mutual interest without preparation or the need for additional materials
• To learn how to clarify areas of agreement and disagreement in discussions of questions generated on the spot by a group
• To structure discussions so that everyone actively participates

How It Works

• Each member of the group brings one question for possible discussion.
• People offer their questions and the facilitator writes these on newsprint.
• Questions tend to be very broad, open-ended questions that just about everyone can relate to, such as, “Why question?” “What is wisdom?” “What is home?” “What gives life meaning?” “How do you know when you know yourself?”
• By consensus or simple voting, the group chooses one question to be discussed.
• The facilitator can help reword or reframe this to make it clear and help people stay focused. For instance, Phillips (2001) shows how a question blurted out at the beginning of one dialogue—“How can a sensitive, intelligent person get stuck in a lousy job”—gets reframed as “What does it mean to be stuck and what, if anything, can done about it?”
• The discussion commences and facilitator and participants use key questions to keep the discussion going:
  • “What do you mean by that?”
  • “What's your definition?”
  • “How do you know?”
  • “How did you come to believe that?”
  • “What do you think?”
  • “What would you like to add to what we have already heard?”
  • “How certain are you about this?”
  • “As we come to the end of this discussion, what stands out for you and why?”
• Final questions might be as follows:
  • “What do you understand better as a result of this discussion?”
  • “What are you even more confused about as a result of this discussion?”
  • “What new questions came up for you?”
  • “What would be a good question to follow up the conversation we're finishing?”

Where and When It Works Well

1. When foundational thinking is required. These dialogues can be useful in organizational and community settings in which participants need to be reminded of the mission or core principles guiding their work.
2. With groups who don't know each other. Socrates cafés work best in public settings when people are strangers
3. When there are few time constraints. Everyone should be comfortable with not solving a problem or definitively answering a question. We do not recommend this approach in tense organizational situations in which a crisis needs addressing or for a high-stakes program review.
4. For team building. Generating on-the-spot, open-ended questions and topics helps build relationships.
5. To widen perspectives. This activity usually opens up new viewpoints on a problem.

What Users Appreciate

1. Topic control. Participants control what gets discussed, giving them a sense of empowerment.
2. Question refinement. Users often note that framing the question well beforehand makes for a better subsequent conversation.
3. The joy of freewheeling dialogue. The chance to participate in a dialogue with relative strangers about a mutually chosen topic is an exhilarating and enjoyable experience.

What to Watch Out For

1. Going off topic. A series of tangential comments can lead the group astray, so facilitator and alert participants must keep reminding everyone of the original question.
2. Uneven participation. These dialogues work best when lots of people participate. Use technique 48 (the three-person rule) when necessary and watch for body language and eye contact from those trying to join in.
3. Model questioning. As facilitator, almost all your participation should involve asking questions. This helps to keep the conversation moving, draws out more participants, and sets an example for others who may follow your lead.

Questions That Fit This Protocol

The kinds of questions that work best were noted in the “How It Works” section:

• “Why question?”
• “What is wisdom?”
• “What is home?”
• “What gives life meaning?”
• “How do you know when you know yourself?”

However, there are many similar questions that could be adopted.