Overarching theme & empathetic moderator

[bappy8]

Pilot results
What quickly became clear in both countries is that a straitjacket of chat parts with a defined duration and a limited set of moderator reprimands does not work for this target group. Moderators and participants felt that their freedom was seriously affected by the regulations. Participants also felt that their dignity was being violated by the moderator reprimands.

Hilarity
Setting predetermined topics felt artificial to many participants. However, once they were allowed to set chat topics themselves, they were much more enthusiastic and open. Some of the terms from the corporate chat protocols (such as 'experience the bodily sensations that arise') caused hilarity among the participants. In general, it seemed that the more ownership the participants felt regarding the chat, the more positive they experienced the chat.

Insights
The pilots resulted in most of the manuals, instructions and protocols being thrown in the trash. Instead, the following phone number library insights emerged.

The chat group should have a unifying factor. There should be a challenge or opportunity that is perceived as important by the members of the group and that has a name for the members of the group. The name of the challenge or opportunity acts as an overarching theme for the content of the chat sessions.

The sessions should be moderated by an empathetic moderator. The main responsibilities of the moderator are to ensure the participants' sense of safety and to maintain the rhythm of the chat session. The moderator should not be put in a straitjacket, but should find a balance between structure and atmosphere.