Moderating versus Facilitation

Confusion between facilitation and moderating is very common…"it’s all about working with groups of people and having a discussion". However, at Campos Inc, we believe that there are very clear differences and skill sets needed to perform each role.

Moderating relates to gathering as much information as possible within a designated timeframe about specific marketing objectives. It is the moderator’s job to keep respondents on target and to move through the discussion outline effectively. Moderators seek the answers to specific questions.

In facilitation the skills are more about process and getting the group involved over time to highlight key ideas that add to overall learning, whether it be for developing strategy, new initiatives or innovation. The facilitator acts more as a guide versus an information seeker.

The Moderator

When focus group moderating is done well, it looks very easy. However effective moderating requires a complex set of skills. The term moderator refers to a specific function – that of moderating or guiding the discussion.

A focus group affords the opportunity for multiple interactions among all participants in the group. Moderators monitor and nurture the group dynamics so that the conversation flows easily and the necessary information is efficiently gathered. Because a moderator believes that participants have valuable wisdom, no matter what their level of education, experience or background, they use various techniques to get the "richest" data possible. At Campos Inc, we use techniques such as, visualization, story telling, collage building, and projective techniques that help participants disclose more of themselves and their decision-making process to the clients.

A good moderator understands the client's objectives for the research and works to gather and integrate insight and information into action, so that clients make decisions with greater understanding and confidence.

Campos Inc has experienced moderators that bring value to the qualitative process, be it in traditional focus groups or through the use of new technologies that capture participant experiences in context. The strength of our moderators does not stop with their group and probing skills, but extends to their unique ability to interpret learnings that ultimately impact and strengthen business decisions.

Facilitation

The Professional Facilitator keeps participants focused guiding the conversation so that all members have the opportunity to contribute content and no particular member(s) dominate the floor. Typically, the facilitator has no vested interest in the subject of the meeting and therefore can stay at arm’s length from the group’s dynamics. This degree of remoteness allows the facilitator to guide the group through meaningful discussion on relevant topics in the time allotted.

Before a meeting, Campos Inc's professional facilitators help you develop a strong agenda, outline a method for capturing content (notes, audio, or video taping), organize a schedule, and set the priorities for the discussion.

During the meeting, the facilitator welcomes members, explains ground rules for working together, and initiates an ice-breaking activity. The facilitator brings prepared questions to lead off the discussion and will specifically call on all group members to agree, disagree, amplify, or otherwise respond to points made by others. In addition, the facilitator will probe a speaker to clarify his/her points and expand on ideas. When people bring up tangential issues or belabor points, the facilitator will rein in the discussion to keep everyone focused on the subject at hand, or will help the group decide if the tangent discussion is worth pursuing in addition to the regular agenda.

The professional facilitator uses a variety of divergent and convergent discussion techniques to help the group think innovatively, then apply new ideas to real situations. In addition, the facilitator may lead the group through role playing and visual thinking techniques to energize the discussion.

The facilitator requires participants to summarize the subject matter, determine action items, assign people to actions, and associate dates with items. Items that arise in discussion that are important, but not truly relevant to the subject at hand, are captured by the facilitator on a list to be discussed at another time.

Executive Level Interviewing

In-depth information is sometimes best gathered in a one-on-one setting. This research method employs a trained qualitative research consultant to interview a pre-recruited participant - one at a time - to generate opinions on the issues that will impact your understanding of the marketplace in which you will compete.

Industry executives can shed light and new perspectives on information that are relevant to your organization and provide information that can impact your business decisions. However, it is often difficult to reach these executives or to persuade them to participate in an interview.

At Campos Inc, we have mastered the executive interviewing process. Our executive interviewers are expertly trained, enabling them to recruit the executive, ask the right questions, and engage executive in interviews that are usable, providing information to meet your needs. We have conducted extensive interviews with Fortune 1000 CEO’s, information managers, information technology officers, benefits mangers, and company presidents and other key decision-makers in a variety of industries throughout the country.

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