What it means to communicate in a small group 

When we communicate, we often have to talk to more than one person at a time. For this step, a small group might be 2-4 other people. 

Generally, people find it more challenging to talk in front of a small group than to an individual, for several reasons:

• There are more people to engage, and it can be harder to know whether you are successfully engaging all of the individuals in the group
• You might also feel that more people are looking at you, and so you might feel more shy or self-conscious
• Other people might also want to speak, so you might worry about whether you will be interrupted
• You might need to talk louder for more people to hear you

This is very normal, and you should not worry if you don’t feel comfortable speaking in front of a group to start with, even if they are all people that you know well.

Why communicating in a small group balances speaking and listening

In a small group, good communication means balancing speaking and listening. If one person speaks too much, others may not get a chance to share their ideas. If someone listens too much without speaking, their thoughts and contributions may be missed.

Speaking allows you to share ideas, explain your views, and contribute to discussions. However, listening is just as important. It helps you understand others, learn new perspectives, and add information that is new and useful to people.

A balanced conversation makes sure that everyone is heard and valued. It also helps to avoid misunderstandings and ensures better teamwork.

How to communicate in a small group

Many of the same things that help you speak clearly to an individual that you know will also help you speak to a small group that you know.

It is useful to be reminded about the things that help you speak clearly, whatever the setting:

• Thinking about what you want to say before you start speaking
• Taking a deep breath
• Making sure you have the attention of the people who will be listening
• Looking at them and speaking loudly enough so that they can hear
• Speaking slowly so that they can follow what you are saying
• Not trying to say too much all in one go

The big difference between this step and the previous step is that you will need to think about how to engage more than one person. That means:

• Making sure that you look at everyone that you want to be listening to you – not just focusing on one person. That way, everyone will know that you are speaking to them.
• Speaking more loudly because in a group you are likely to be stood further apart, and it is harder to hear otherwise.

Leaving more space to check that everyone has understood you. You can check that everyone is following what you’re saying by looking around.