GROUP SIZE, THAT IS!
Many courses are designed with a specific number of participants in mind so that certain activities or application exercises can work and/or yield maximum learning benefits. Let’s face it…there are certain dynamics that are not achievable without a given number of participants to bring about the full experience intended by the instructional designer.
From a facilitator’s perspective, it is also more fun to lead a course where there are 15 people than one with only 5, because there is more opportunity for interaction, for sharing examples, and for those examples to reflect a wider variety of circumstances relating to course content. As a facilitator I can certainly remember times when I have thought, “Gosh…I only have 6 people in this course when it really should have 20…what fun we’re going to have (NOT)!”
But the reality is that the attitude and readiness that the learners bring to the course counts for much more than the number of participants – at least to me. I can have a group of 22 people in a course and discover that they are unwilling or unable to generate certain dynamics regardless of what training tricks I try. I could also have a small group of 5 or 6 people in a course that was originally intended to take up to 30 participants but the few that are there…well…they are REALLY there!
Recently I had to teach a course that is truly meant for a certain number of attendees so that the dynamics and fun factors are sustainable throughout the course. When everyone had arrived, I still only had four attendees. What happened? Well…. it turned out to be an extremely rewarding experience for them and for me because they each came with the right disposition and demeanor to share, learn, and explore. We did not always agree on all points, but their willingness to dig deeper into the various topics of conversation and explore how the possibilities applied to them led to a very fulfilling learning experience.
And yes, I had to rethink how to adapt certain activities and tweak them to fit the reality of a group of 4 versus the ideal 20+, but that, in itself, gave me the opportunity to stretch my abilities as a facilitator.
I totally love having a larger group with diverse opinions, attitudes, likes and dislikes but the right mix of experience, curiosity, and trust in the learning process with a small number of motivated participants can turn out to be a highly rewarding experience and one that allows me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and to explore building stronger bonds with participants.
José
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Great blog Jose,
Attitude does make all of the difference and while I like the intimacy of a smaller groups every now and then it can be disastrous if the attitude is not there.
I once had a class of 3 in a course that normally runs around 18 – 25. Mixed level with 1 manager and 2 newer employees. Things were going fine until about 2 hours into our day. I had just finished a fairly critical part when the manager said “You are absolutely wrong!” I was not wrong but that was hardly the point as I watched the other two participants physically move closer to the manager. This was an absolute show stopper. In a larger group I would have had enough allies to provoke some wonderful group discussion; with this group I had none. It took me an hour or so to broaden the point out far enough that I got agreement but it was still touch and go for the rest of the day.
Even as a skilled facilitator I think it is easy to take for granted the attitude of the group. This small group with a poor one truly did “stretch” my abilities as a trainer and in the end I am thankful for the experience though I was thrilled when the next class has an enrollment of 20!
Adam