Now compare this with the growing incivility of many public gatherings, most notably, the harsh and angry gatherings over health care convened last summer by Congressional legislators.  What happened is part of a growing “hyper-polarization” phenomenon in which poorly managed public conversations descend into shouting matches by a few dominators on either side of the issue. 

We have all been to such gatherings and they are frustrating. People who come for information don’t get it. Those who want to make a comment never get a chance to speak. Issues are neither clarified nor discussed. Good debate and deliberation is absent and the meeting either ends in chaos or goes on interminably.

It need not be like this. Public conversations take place all the time and are an important aspect of our culture and politics. Issues vary. It may be over road widening, sewer upgrades, signage, taxes, or consolidation of school districts. They may be convened by an elected or appointed official, hosted by a minister, held in a home, sponsored by several organizations, or officially noticed in the public record. 

If you are responsible for convening, sponsoring, moderating or facilitating a public conversation, here are a few simple guidelines that could make the difference between success and failure.

1. Organize the Room. Choose a time and place appropriate to the topic. Set up the room in advance. If it is a big meeting, you may need theater style seating. For smaller meetings it might be tables in an open horseshoe, chairs in a circle, or a set of restaurant like tables of eight or ten.

2. Purposes. Be clear on the intent of the gathering and make sure it is announced at the start of the meeting. Sometimes it is useful to frame the purpose as a question, for example, “How can we find adequate funding to clean and repair our park?”

3. Protocols. Announce a clear set of ground rules or assumptions on meeting behavior. These might include: “Everyone gets a chance to share their opinion before someone speaks a second or third time.” “Speak only to the topic at hand.” “Do not interrupt others even if you disagree with them.” Fashion specific ground rules to the anticipated challenges you expect at the meeting.

4. Create Good Openings. In Hawaii (where Loren and I come from), most public conversations must start with a prayer or chant said in the Hawaiian language. If that is not appropriate, it is often wise to have a credible and wise “elder” offer words of welcome and expectations for a good meeting. 

5. Presentations First. Many meetings start with a presentation on the topic at hand. Whether it is a single speaker or a panel, do not let these go on too long and limit the use of power points.

6. Separate Questions from Comments. As the meeting moves from presentation to discussion, be sure to take questions for information or factual clarification before taking comments. It is important that people have a reasonable technical understanding before opinions start flowing.

7. Defer Off-Topic Comments. Sometimes a member of the audience feels they have a captive audience and wants to talk about something not on the agenda. As this comment starts to unfold, stop the speaker, write the new topic on a flip chart, assure the person it will be taken up at the end of the meeting, and invite everyone else to stay around for the discussion.

8. Bring Positive Closure. No matter how easy or challenging, it is important to summarize what has happened at the meeting, clarify any next steps, and thank people profusely for their participation.

Peter S. Adler, PhD is President and CEO of The Keystone Center which helps organizations, agencies and corporations organize effective conversations on challenging topics. More information is available at www.keystone.org 

[1]  Norman Rockwell image courtesy of U.S. Government Archives, www.archives.gov/.../save_freedom_speech.html.