It is the job of the focus group moderator to establish dominance over the group while encouraging all of the participants to speak up and share.

Here is an example of an introduction I use as a focus group moderator:

The rule in this group is that everybody participates and nobody dominates. So if you’re the kind of person who always speaks up right away, that’s great – I like it when people aren’t afraid to speak up – but you need to give everyone else a chance to talk. My goal is to have a balanced discussion so I’m going to make sure the quiet people speak up and the talkative people back off a little. Please don’t take this personally as my job is to move the discussion along and get everybody’s opinion.

This kind of introduction is very effective with professional groups – like doctors – because it establishes the focus group moderator as an expert and sets the stage for intervention if a respondent tries to dominate. A firm hand from the beginning sets the stage for a great focus group.

Research with physicians is challenging. They’re busy. They don’t like to play games. And they think they know it all. So how do you conduct a focus group that will keep doctors under control and also get them to open up and share? Actually, it’s easy if you follow these simple principles.

Rule 1. Treat them with respect.

A common mistake is to make doctors turn off their pagers and cell phones when they’re in focus groups. I ask them instead to please put their pagers and phones on vibrate. It’s a simple tactic, but it says that I value the work they do. They appreciate the respect and they give me more insight in return.

Rule 2. Pay them well.

It is often assumed that doctors don’t need the money or that they will be insulted. But the medical profession is not as lucrative as it used to be in the age of managed care. So I offer doctors higher incentives than other respondents. It says they’re worth more and in turn they give me more.

Rule 3. Don’t fight to control them.

It is a common mistake to get into a power struggle. The better tactic is for the moderator to defer to the physicians. I tell them I’m a little intimidated talking to them and ask for their help in getting the answers to my questions. It makes them feel valued and important and they try hard to help me do my job.

Rule 4: Try using a psychologist as a moderator.

It’s easier to get doctors to loosen up when the moderator is a psychologist. The doctors feel comfortable with a professional in charge of the focus group. They feel safe participating in different research exercises and talking about their feelings.  A psychologist is already trained in confidentiality and privacy issues

One answer comes from the field of embodied cognition. A study described in the Journal of Psychological Science indicates that subjects who were made to feel socially excluded estimated the temperature in the room to be an average 5 degrees lower than control subjects in the same room.

The feeling of social coldness increases anxiety and defensiveness, which make the moderator’s job of achieving insight that much more difficult.

A moderator should always greet respondents warmly and encourage them to be open and unafraid in their responses. In psychology, this is called unconditional positive regard. Once this rapport and acceptance is established, it is actually easier to control group dynamics. A warm but firm leader inspires trust and sharing.