focus groups

I moderated my first focus groups with TRG yesterday! They were just short, internal group, not groups with real-world consumers and expensive recruiting costs, but I was in charge. I co-moderated some groups for Contemporary Dance Theatre in grad school, but this was my first time to do it as part of a real job.

There were two groups on men and two groups of women, and the women made moderating feel really easy. The men were more work. They spoke a lot less, so I had to do more to make them talk. I'd been told not to be afraid of silence, but I may have taken that advice a little too seriously. I assumed that what felt like long silences to me were probably only a few seconds in reality. Apparently they felt even longer to Glenn, who was sitting behind the mirror for the most difficult of the four groups. But, Glenn and I had time to talk between groups, and I thought about his feedback when I went in for the next group, which he said was much better.

Although they weren't perfect, I think the groups went pretty well for my first time moderating. I really enjoyed leading the discussions. Maybe it's because I'm quiet. I often feel like I don't contribute my fair share to conversations. But in a focus group, I'm in control. I don't say much, but I steer the conversation and facilitate discussion. It's a rare situation, because I know I'm an important part of the discussion even when I appear to just sit back and listen.