Encourage Collaboration · Share Ideas · Build Trust
Consultancy Speed Round
Bring a real dilemma. Receive only clarifying and probing questions—no drive-by advice.
Time18–30 minutes
Group size3–24 people
FormatTable groups
MaterialsTimer, Optional question-stem card
What this accomplishes
In trios or groups of four, one educator names a bounded current dilemma. Colleagues listen and ask questions that help the presenter think, then the presenter names what shifted.
- Practice disciplined listening
- Clarify a real professional dilemma
Before you begin
Materials
- Timer
- Optional question-stem card
Preparation
- Teach the difference between clarifying, probing, and advice-giving
- Choose whether everyone will present or one person per group
What to say
“The gift is questions, not solutions. The presenter may pass on any question, and the group does not get to solve the dilemma after the timer ends.”
How to run it
- 1
Form groups of three or four and assign a timekeeper.
- 2
Presenter describes one bounded dilemma for two minutes.
- 3
Group asks clarifying questions for one minute.
- 4
Group asks probing questions for three minutes with no advice.
- 5
Presenter reflects for one minute on what shifted or became clearer.
- 6
Rotate only if time and trust allow.
Prompts to use
What feels most important here?
What have you already tried?
What assumption might be shaping the dilemma?
What is within your control?
What would a useful next step make possible?
Adapt it to the room
Small group
Run one full round together.
Large group
Use table groups and one presenter per table.
Virtual
Use breakout rooms with a visible shared timer.
Accessibility & inclusion
- Allow presenters to submit a dilemma in writing.
- Provide question stems visually.
- Make presenting optional and prohibit identifiable student details.
Debrief, if useful
Which question helped thinking move?
What made listening without fixing difficult?
Why it works—and what can go wrong
Why it works
A strict no-advice boundary shifts power back to the presenter and reveals how often quick solutions replace curiosity.
Watch out for
- Stop disguised advice that begins with ‘Have you tried…?’
- Do not use dilemmas involving active safety, legal, or personnel issues in a casual protocol.