Selecting Participants

Whom do you want to see at the table? What kinds of commonalties are needed for the conversation to be coherent? What kinds of differences are needed for the conversation to be fresh?

In order to come together as a civic reflection group, participants need to have something that they care about in common. That something may be an organization, an activity like giving, a community, a tradition of service. It must be something toward which participants have passion and commitment. Sometimes this "common ground" is easily apparent, as with trustees and staff of a particular organization. Sometimes it is less apparent, as with a group of civic leaders from the same town who represent very different sectors and perspectives on what is good about the town. All these leaders may love their community; but do they perceive this as a common ground? Leaders of this kind of group may need to work harder to help participants see the commitments they have in common.

Even as commonality is crucial, so is difference. People in the group may all care about the same something—a community, an organization, a tradition of service. But they should have different perspectives on what is needed for that "something" to flourish. The kind of difference you want to elicit depends on the situation; it cannot be prescribed in the abstract. Your group may benefit from participants of varying generation, educational level, occupation, political belief, religion or wealth-status, as well as gender, race and sexual orientation. Depending on your group, you may want to think about length of residency in the community ("old guard" vs. "new guard"), or whether participants are "givers" or "receivers" of particular services or largesse. In short, the nature of the conversation you plan should drive the kind of diversity you strive for at the table.