Amelie Funcke and Eva Havenith I Moderation tools I Practice book

Book tip: Moderation tools by Amelie Funcke and Eva Havenith

Moderators organize things, keep the work process flowing, create structures, open up lines of thought and moderate tempers without taking center stage and obstructing the view of the workshop topic. Last but not least, they record the results. That's a lot. And yet it can be learned, as Amelie Funcke and Eva Havenith show in their book "Moderation Tools". Their collection of tools is based on working aids that they have compiled for their own moderation practice.
In their book, the two experts dispense with basic knowledge such as card queries. Instead, they present various precision tools. They did not invent these tools. But they have adapted, simplified and modified them to such an extent that they can be used in the situation without much effort.
The structure of the first part of the book is based on the flow chart of a two-day workshop, in which more complex issues can also be dealt with. In the second part, the authors focus on various techniques that keep processes running. In this part, readers learn, among other things, how they can use "traffic light feedback" or the "complementary quickie". The third part enables trainers to pass on the art of facilitation to their participants for internal meetings or sessions.

Traffic light feedback for managing large groups

If you have to moderate a large group, traffic light feedback is a simple way of involving all participants and getting their opinions. Participants will find a round card in the colors red, yellow and green on their seat or under their chair. If necessary, they hold up a particular card to express their opinion.

Red means: I am not at all of this opinion, I am against it.
Yellow means: I am not affected, I don't know, I don't care.
Green means: I am in full agreement, I am in favor, I agree.

By using the traffic light feedback, all participants get a quick overview of how the group thinks about an issue and how the group or individuals would decide.