LEADING AN INFORMAL DISCUSSION GROUP
Those occasions where individual farmers contribute and the
extension worker or other group leader still dominates by judging
every contribution and having every last word, do not really
deserve the label discussion. They conform more to the character-
istics of "presentation" modes of communication. True discussion
happens when participants are able to talk freely, are able to
initiate ideas as well as respond to questions.
Whether this happens depends mainly on the skills and sensitivi-
ties of the discussion group leader. Those who have studied what
makes for effectiveness in groups have identified the following key
functions of the leader:

Initiating
It is important that the members are made aware of the main
objectives of the meeting and have a clear idea of the topic to be
explored, the problems that need to be solved or the decisions that
need to be made.
 "Are we all agreed on what is the main business of the
 meeting; to hear what the Post-Harvest Officer has to tell us
 about the new project in this area, and then to discuss our
 own storage problems with him?"

Opinion Seeking
Some members will be reluctant to speak without being asked, so
it is a task of the leader to stimulate contributions. As stated
earlier, there may well be difficulties for women members of a
mixed group to contribute freely. So one of your tasks may be to
encourage them-bring them into the conversation when you sense
that they will certainly have something to contribute.
 "Mamas-we have been asked why we should be careful not
 to let the chickens stay under the storage structures. What
 would you say about that?"

Clarifying
Some members will experience difficulty in getting their points
across. A good leader helps them by restating what they are trying
to say or by developing an idea they have touched on. However, this
should be done carefully-to avoid appearing patronizing or
dominating.