Focusing on Focus Groups

While most of us have heard of focus groups, there may be some confusion about what they are and what they are not.  Ideally, a focus group is a small group (4-8 individuals) assembled to discuss a topic of interest (e.g., benefits, morale issues, process improvement, or training needs).  They are a sample of the population you are interested in (e.g., customers, employees, or managers).  If used appropriately, focus groups can be a rich and powerful source of information.  If mishandled, they can create suspicion and animosity.  Here are some do’s and don’ts of running a focus group:

    • Have a clear purpose and communicate it to your participants.

    • Stay focused.  Don’t try to cover too many topics or the information will be diluted.

    • Allow and encourage everyone to participate.  Don’t let a few members monopolize the conversation and skew the final results.

    • Take notes for everyone to see (on an easel or whiteboard). 

      • During brainstorming, capture all ideas. Do not pre-judge or get into debates about the pros and cons of the ideas.

      • Minimize paraphrasing unless you verify that your “abbreviated” version captures the participant’s view.  In many cases, the exact words the participants choose are important to them and they will feel slighted if you re-word their thoughts.

    • Ask open-ended questions to elicit both sides of the story (the positives and negatives) rather than coming in with a pre-conceived conclusion.

The value of focus groups is the synergy created by putting people in a room to discuss their ideas or opinions.  Oftentimes, one participant has an idea that sparks a different idea in someone else.  As such, more ideas surface than would be possible by discussing the topic with each person individually.  We rely on focus groups for many of our interventions (training needs analysis, employee or customer surveys, job analysis, and change management) and offer training on how to facilitate team meetings and conduct focus groups.

 

If you want to learn more about facilitating focus groups in your organization, please contact Kammy Haynes.

 

When Should You Update Your Selection Systems?

When evaluating training programs, an important consideration is how long it takes for a person’s change in behavior to be reflected in his/her performance. There are two issues here:

 

  1. What is the learning curve for the job?  Even if someone is fully trained, it could take several months for them to perform up to their abilities.

  2. What is the time lag between exhibiting the proper work behaviors and seeing the results?  For instance, a new sales person might be doing all the right things, but the sales cycle for the product or service may be 6 months or more.

 

When evaluating the effectiveness of your training program, determine a reasonable time frame when you would expect to see solid evidence of improved performance. That way you get a valid measure of the program’s value.

For more information on training program evaluation, please contact Warren Bobrow.

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"Leadership is getting someone else to do something you want done because s/he wants to do it. "

Dwight D. Eisenhower