Becoming aware of your Enemy of learning can quickly open up new possibilities for understanding and development. Jen Drechsler has created a list of things to listen for when attending focus groups. Are you saying the same things, or similar? As you read each of them note the external focus. Most suggest it’s the fault of someone other than the person making the statement.
I’ve added my comments after each in bold, completing the sentence with one (of many) logical outcomes. (via Conversations with Din)
*Some good advice for Clients attending focus groups - Women’s Focus Groups: Eight Traps to Avoid - by Jen Drechsler. She seems a little annoyed with Clients who don’t really listen. I fully understand this :).
There are eight traps to beware of during qualitative research. If you hear yourself saying any of the following, you should stop for an immediate reality check:*
- “She’s not our customer” … and so there is nothing that I could possibly learn because, as she is not my customer, any experience she has is irrelevant to my world.*
- “The moderator didn’t get to…” …the thing that was most important to me. That’s their fault, not mine. They should have known it was important even if I didn’t say anything.
- “They don’t know what they want” …and I can’t be bothered to ask them. What if they don’t want what I can give them…
- “They are just saying what they think we want to hear”…and I know that because what I want to hear is different from what they are saying. Also, what they are saying is unimportant.
- “She’s a professional”…therefore she doesn’t know anything and I don’t give her any authority to help me learn from her professional experiences.
- “What did we learn?” (usually asked within seconds of the group ending)… about how to justify what we do. Compare this with “What did we learn about ourselves and how we contribute to the situation we’re having difficulty with?”
- “We already knew this” …and that justifies us taking no further action, or bothering to listen for anything new.
- “My wife always says that” …and because I don’t listen to her, I won’t bother listening to you.
And ends with some advice :
- “Break the glass and dare to sit in the room where the research is happening. Don’t take copious notes. Rather, sit quietly and listen…with all your senses and a good deal of humility.
- Take heed not to shake your head when one of the participants disagrees with your favorite idea. Try a smile every now and then. She has given you her time (albeit for a small fee); the least you can do is be interested in her life. Remember, she pays your salary. ”