🎈A Simple Skill to Create Community
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The concept of airtime became apparent at a retreat I hosted last weekend. Last weekend, we were in the mountains of British Columbia at a lovely cabin with a sauna and ice bath. Naturally, we would enter long, meaningful discussions about the future of social dynamics, the origins of stubbornness, and our personal stories.
A pattern emerged in the group. A couple of people would take up more space than others, and it frustrated me. My wish was for people to be aware of the space they use. To ask the silent individuals questions so that they were invited to share and take up space too. This is not what happened.
Instead, they didn't take up any space, and two people dominated the airtime. This prevented everyone from feeling heard and included in the discussion.
Airtime: the speaking time available in a conversation
It gets worse. When particular individuals were taking up airtime, it wasn't useful for the group or uplifting. It was 'rambling.' So, facilitators, watch out.