The Fishbowl method is a facilitation technique. Imagine yourself in a large aquarium, surrounded by fish swimming freely, exchanging ideas and sharing experiences. That’s what the Fishbowl method is all about, a fun and relaxed way of facilitating the sharing of experiences and collaboration between teams. Come on, we’ll explain it all in detail…
Objective of the fishbowl method
The primary objective of Fishbowl? To make it easier to share experiences with a wide audience. By encouraging open discussion and interaction, it encourages the emergence of new ideas and the development of collective skills.
Benefits
For the facilitator: Create favourable conditions for the emergence of new ideas.
For participants: Discover new answers to their problems and learn from their fellow divers.
Principle of the fishbowl method
Fishbowl is a bit like a water dance between two groups. On one side, you have the inner circle, where participants share their experiences and ideas. On the other, the outer circle watches attentively, ready to plunge into the deep end of questions and reflections.
The Fishbowl method takes place in several structured stages:
- Formation of the inner circle: A small group shares its experiences around a common problem.
- Observation by the outer circle: The other participants observe the exchanges and prepare questions.
- Sharing and introspection: Observers discuss their observations and formulate questions.
- Collective exchange: Questions are put to the inner group, encouraging an interactive dialogue.
- Debriefing: A brainstorming session enables concrete lessons to be drawn from the activity.
This approach encourages participants to share their experiences and adopt new practices.
Glowbl, the ideal reef for Fishbowl
Glowbl is perfectly suited to the Fishbowl method. Here’s why:
- Interactive interface: Glowbl enables fluid interaction between participants, creating an environment conducive to collaboration and learning.
- Flexible organisation: The platform offers tools for structuring sessions according to the specific needs of each group, enabling a tailor-made experience.
- Easy access: Fish can join the session from anywhere, which is ideal for geographically dispersed teams.
By using Glowbl, you can create an environment conducive to the exchange of ideas and collaborative learning, while ensuring a fluid and engaging experience for all participants.
Example of scenario:
To give you a taste of the Fishbowl experience with Glowbl, here is a concrete example:
Background:
A technology company wants to improve communication and collaboration between its development and marketing teams. The two teams often have different perspectives on priorities and processes, resulting in friction.
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Flow:
- Presentation of the activity (5 min):
The facilitator explains the objective of the session: to understand the challenges faced by each team and to find solutions to improve collaboration. The issue is clearly defined: “How to improve communication between development and marketing teams?” - Sharing by inner circle (20 min):
A group composed of members of both teams moves into an inner circle. Developers and marketers share their experiences, explain their respective challenges and offer ideas for better collaboration. Meanwhile, other participants, including members of other departments, observe carefully. - Formulation / Introspection (5 min):
Observers meet in small groups to discuss what they heard and formulate relevant questions. Meanwhile, the inner circle reflects on the discussions and identifies key points. - Group Exchange (20 min):
Observers ask their questions to the inner circle. Discussions become more interactive, participants in the inner circle respond and clarify their views, and new ideas emerge. - Debriefing (10 min):
The facilitator uses the “What? So What? Now What?” structure to guide the debriefing. Participants discuss what they have learned (What?), the importance of these learnings (So What?), and actions to take to improve collaboration (Now What?).
Results: At the end of the session, participants have a better understanding of the challenges and perspectives of each team. Concrete ideas to improve communication are proposed and an action plan is developed to implement these ideas.
Conclusion
The Fishbowl method is an effective technique to facilitate the sharing of experiences and the emergence of new ideas within a group. By adding the Glowbl touch, you increase the power of your training and collaboration sessions.