Half of the art of speaking involves the art of listening. Some people prefer to listen before speaking. And others prefer to speak before listening. The job of the Facilitator is to ensure that Listeners get a chance to speak, and Speakers actually stop to listen. Here’s how:

• Set time limits for speaking and stick to them
• Make sure no one speaks twice until everyone has had a chance to speak
• Vary who gets to speak first by going around the table, starting with different people
• Call out the quiet ones specifically and prompt them to say what is on their mind. Most of the time, their initial impressions are correct, they are just afraid to express them.