The Three-Person Rule

This is an easy rule for participants to remember in large-group discussions.

Purposes

• To stop a small minority from monopolizing a large-group discussion
• To create opportunities for multiple people to contribute
• To socialize people into listening to several people before making a follow-up comment

How It Works

• The facilitator opens a large-group discussion by proposing a ground rule to ensure that as many voices as possible are heard: once someone has contributed something to the discussion he or she should not contribute again until at least three other people have spoken.
• This rule should not be in effect, however, if someone asks a speaker to clarify, explain, or expand on a contribution she or he has just made.
• As the discussion proceeds, facilitators monitor how the rule is being followed and, when necessary, step in to ask that it be observed.

Where and When It Works Well

1. With large groups. This is best suited to larger-group discussion.
2. To break an established pecking order. If a group has already established a predictable pattern of contributions, The Three-Person Rule can help disrupt this pattern to open up the process to a wider range of views.
3. To slow down the tendency to rush to judgment. This technique tends to introduce longer deliberative periods of silence that stop groups from rushing to premature conclusions or decisions driven by the most verbose.

What Users Appreciate

1. Removing intimidation. Those who feel intimidated by two or three powerful voices value the democratizing of the conversation.
2. Its simplicity. Facilitators and participants tell us they like the simplicity of the rule and how easy it is to understand and follow.
3. Time to process. Introverts and those who need more time to process information appreciate the extended time they enjoy when this rule is followed.

What to Watch Out For

1. People forgetting the rule. In this case you step in and remind them of it.
2. Awkward silences. Because a few confident and articulate extroverts no longer control group deliberations, there will be many more gaps in the discussion. You need to remind people that this is normal and that silent thinking and processing is crucial for informed discussion.
3. People feeling silenced. Extraverts sometimes feel this rule silences them. If this happens you need to rejustify why the rule is in place.

Questions Suited to This Activity

The Three-Person Rule can be adapted for discussion that happens in response to any kind of question posed.