Moderation

The role of the moderator in the Live Action Role Playing has a strong influence on the course of the game and the family's discussion.

The word "moderation" originates from Latin and has several meanings:

Moderation, keeping within bounds, self-control, right measure, proportion, harmony
Mildness, leniency, restraint, regulation, direction, guidance, rule, governance
Moderator: director, leader, head, one who practices moderation, one who moderates something
Moderation is not mediation
Moderator oeconomicus is the manager
Moderator civitatis is the head of state

This already makes clear what moderation entails. From leading and directing to the right measure, mildness, self-control, to restraint and harmony.

In this game, the moderator Anita Ripolicz has the task of guiding the conversation. She offers support and assistance (including methodological support) for resolving the initial situation and dealing with conflicts, without taking a position on the content or taking sides.

The goal is that the ideas and contributions of all participants are heard within an appropriate framework and that the discussion leads to a suitable result for the initial question or problem. The difficulty, of course, in a family constellation is that there are many emotions and unresolved interpersonal issues due to the shared history. These cannot simply be completely disregarded, and everything discussed only at the factual level. The interpersonal topics, inhibitions, wishes, and ideas should also be heard here, as otherwise everything can end in the frustration of individual participants. At the same time, it is important to steer the right course. In the process, it should also be made clear what can be clarified well in the discussion and brought to a consensus, and what should be clarified separately outside of it. A sensitive and good intuition of the moderator is very helpful here and can be trained well in this game, since it is not a real-life emergency.

In this context, the following aspects are important in the preparation:

Ensuring a good, appreciative atmosphere for discussion, e.g., by mentioning appreciative discussion rules and a clear, transparent structure
Emphasizing the open handling of differing opinions, because even completely different perspectives can be enriching
Organizing the various ideas and aspects related to the topic
Promoting the participants' creativity and problem-solving skills and using good questions to bring them to other perspectives and solutions
Mindfully integrating reserved individuals into the conversation
Recognizing when dominant participants interrupt others with potentially good ideas and do not allow them to speak: Giving the others the floor
The goal is also to develop a good consensus in the group for problem-solving, if possible

The challenge with such a family conference lies in the responsible decisions that can be deeply intertwined with emotions and fraught with conflict.

There are various moderation methodsfor this. A frequently used method, for example, is to collect, organize, and thus make visible the ideas and suggestions of the participants on cards and a pinboard. Described cards are used to structure the topics to be discussed and/or the initial situation and can also be used for further questions, solution ideas, and perspectives. As a result, individual aspects are not lost and can still be considered in later steps. Results from this can be generated, for example, through further evaluations and by organizing the main points with the formulation of concrete implementation. This method is well suited for in-person meetings but also works online on a shared whiteboard visible to everyone on the screen.

There is also the option of working interactively via various tools, such as the Miroboard. Several participants can then write aspects on the "pinboard" simultaneously. This also saves time.

Visualizing the objective of the family conference
Acquiring basic knowledge of the topic of succession, the company, and the family's initial situation
Preparing suitable questions, procedure, and documentation
Preparing the room/materials/Considering suitable moderation techniques/methodology
Determining the time and process of the discussion
It is important to ensure a good discussion atmosphere, also through clarity and structure
Meeting moderation: WHO ASKS LEADS - Guiding through the questions… Stimulating thought
Wh-questions: Who, what, how, when, why, wherefore, whereby
Having hypotheses developed: Assuming you… (take over the succession from Horst Moritz…)

Moderator's role preparation

Possible difficulties of moderation