Have you wondered why most internal focus group discussions get skewed to a certain way of thinking? Why you are unable to make headway when you are searching for a certain kind of information?
 From my experience, it seems to be the following factors….
1. Fear ( depending on how the organization culture is..)….therefore you always tend to hear politically correct responses…
How can you avoid it? Take them into confidence and help them settle down…maybe break up the group into smaller teams…also it works best with employees who know each other..
2. Unsure of how the information will be used: Often we fail to brief our focus group invitees on the background. There is no follow-ups to keep them informed about the results and how their contribution helped the campaign or the messaging. A simple thank you message also works wonders.
3. Asking the wrong questions: By focusing on how the discussion helps us, we tend to overlook their participation. By being users, they are the center of the program and we need to give due recognition for the same. Ask questions related to usability, experience rather than what worked and what did not….open-ended questions draw better results…
