The Round Table:

A round table discussion is an excellent form of small group communication when the group is going to be a long term engagement. Roundtable discussions are extremely useful when it comes to learning, whether the learning be social or academic. Most of these types of groups are focused on one subject like self help, educational endeavors, or hobbies. Since round table discussions are usually a long term type of small group discussion, cooperation is vital to the groups success. Also, group participation is a key concept as well, especially in self help scenarios. Whether you are in a round table discussion for self help, learning, sharing, or tackling a big project at the workplace, here are some helpful hints to consider: Establish the specific focus of the group early on Always have an agenda to follow to keep meeting flowing Always encourage equally active participation from all group members Be sure to discuss topics one at a time, try not to stray off in different directions which is easy to do in this informal format Always recap what was covered at the end of the round table