Let it soak in

It can take up to 18 seconds for someone to process and answer a question. So, ask, sit back, and relax; allow them time to think then answer. Never, yes, I said never, ask questions on top of questions... leave the machine guns tactics to the military.

When facilitating, be purposeful with your questions; start simple and gradually work deeper... think of it as warming up your audience. Prior to your event, outline the top 10 critical questions that must be addressed. Each question should work off of the next and, in its own right, should help guide the group to accomplish their objectives. Look at it as a funnel... start broad and step by step narrow your focus to an exact point/issue.

I think of questions on a scale of 1 - 10. Level 1 is a simple no-brainer, yes or no, raise your hand, easy warm-up. 10 is the deepest dive you could possibly imagine.

• Level 1: Who participated in last year's retreat?
• Level 10: So tell me, how did you feel when you walked in on your dad cheating on your mom?

See the difference?

Depending on the program's purpose, you may ask some serious Level 10 questions. I find, in most cases, you won't need to go deeper than Level 7. Do know, when you ask Level 5+ questions your participants will look like deer in headlights... this is ok... it is apart of the process. Relax... give them time to think and answer.

Also, the same thing goes for animals, especially dogs. Give one command and let them process it. Don't repeat the command over and over again. If they don't execute within 18 seconds look inward, your delivery may need work.

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