Dealing with Disruptive Members
Monday, April 13, 2009 at 4:00AM Most club leaders face this problem at one point or another: Someone attending your meetings manages to disrupt the discussion. These disruptions come in many forms, including but not limited to rambling, bickering, belaboring a point, and excessive disputatiousness. While different situations require different forms of intervention, the following tips will be useful when addressing most disruptions.
- Do something. Do not ignore the problem, hoping it will go away by itself. It won’t. But some of your more productive club members might.
- Address problems during meetings, not after. Addressing problems during meetings allows all members to see what sort of conduct is expected, making it less likely that you will encounter future disruptions of the same kind from other members.
- Be specific. Explain as clearly and politely as possible what the problem is and why it is a problem. For example, "I’m going to interrupt you here, because you’ve been talking for a while now. If you would please tell us quickly and concisely what your main point was, I think it will be easier for all of us to understand what you’re trying to say and respond effectively."
- Be constructive. Find something positive about the disruption that you can use to return the conversation to its central purpose. Extract a useful point from a convoluted speech or complicated example, and use it to re-initiate and re-focus discussion. Turn the group’s attention to the root of a disagreement between two arguing members, or try to clarify any misunderstandings that are impeding further communication on an issue. For example: "So, we’ve mentioned several examples of injustice that we encounter on a daily basis, many of which include the problem of altruism. What is the relationship between injustice and altruism?"
- Let reason guide your action, not emotion. Do not let anger, frustration, resentment, or any other emotion motivate your response to the disruption. This will not solve the problem. Consider the purpose of your intervention and plan your approach accordingly.
Handling disruptive members can be one of the most difficult aspects of leading discussions, both because it’s hard to figure out how to address the problem and because confrontation is uncomfortable, but it is necessary. Do not hesitate to contact the OCN team or your club mentor for further advice regarding specific situations.
Maria McRaven is a former president of the University of Chicago Objectivist Club.
View Printer Friendly Version
Email Article to Friend
Reader Comments (1)
Here is an additional suggestion that has helped me, both online and in face-to-face groups: Make sure the guidelines for discussion are clear. For example:
- We are here to discuss not debate.
- We have a lot of material to cover, so each of us needs make a central point as clearly and concisely as possible and then move on.
- Don't expect final resolution to every issue. Learning philosophy takes a long time and this is a first step.
In a face-to-face meeting, I would further recommend writing the guidelines on a chalk board or large sheet of paper on a wall or on a leaflet. You need only key words such as "Discussion, not debate" and "Concise, relevant, and focused."
With guidelines available, you, the moderator, can mention them when needed and point to them.
This approach doesn't assure there will no disruptors, but it makes identifying them much easier for you and for the other audience members.