Be Ready for the Unexpected
Prepare for the unexpected by thinking about the possible things that can go wrong. Here are some of the things that might go wrong and possible courses of action.
TIP
Can I See a Copy of the Final Report?
Perhaps the most frequently asked question at focus groups, particularly for public and nonprofit organizations, is, "Can we get a copy of the results?" Be ready for this question and have a direct answer. Rarely, if ever, are reports shared in the private-market research environment because of the proprietary nature of the results. However, in the public and nonprofit environment, it is wise to allow open access to final reports. Sharing results conveys that you really did listen. Sharing results conveys a sense of openness and fosters positive attitudes that all sides must work together to achieve results. So, anticipate this question and discuss it with the sponsoring group. We recommend that you eagerly share copies of the results. To do this, be sure to maintain a list of names and addresses of all focus group participants. We do not share transcripts, tapes, field notes, or reports of individual focus groups because of our promise of confidentiality. What is shared is a full report or executive summary of the entire study. We are encouraging organizations we work with to include a cover letter that says the following: "We listened. Here are the three, four, or five most important things we heard. This is what we are going to do about it (or this is why we can't do anything about it). Thanks for your input. Call us if you want to tell us anything else."
Hazardous Weather Occurs Just Hours Before the Meeting
Phone each person to let him or her know the session has been canceled.
Nobody Shows Up
Review your letter of invitation to be certain you are at the right location, right date, and right time. Telephone several participants to see if they received the invitation. Always take a list of invited participants with their phone numbers to the discussion location. Try to figure out what went wrong so you can correct it before future groups.
Only a Few Attend
Conduct the session anyway, but after the meeting, check to be certain that all people received the written letter of invitation and telephone reminder. Try to find out what kept people from attending.

The Meeting Place Is Inadequate
Consider adapting or moving, but try to spot this early. Arrive at the interview location well in advance of the participants, especially if it is a location that you have not used before. This gives you time to improvise.
Participants Bring Children
Consider improvising by having a team member serve as baby-sitter, keeping the child in the room, or not including the parent in the focus group. Try to anticipate this before it occurs. Children can make conducting a focus group tough. Young children running in the room or babies crying can completely upstage the discussion, at least from the moderator's perspective. Ideally, this problem is anticipated and planned for. When young parents are the target audience, the moderator should expect that parents will need child care and arrange for child care services. If it wasn't planned for, there are other options. The moderator might make a quick assessment of the child's activity level and decide on the potential for interruptions. If the child is reasonably quiet and not too active, the moderator might decide to include the parent and the child in the discussion. (For example, babies who can't crawl yet are usually fine in a group.) Or the assistant moderator might function as a baby-sitter and take the child into another room. Puzzles, crayons, and coloring books can provide some diversions for children, but it is unreasonable to expect them to be quiet for the entire discussion.
Participants Bring Other Adults
Sometimes participants bring a spouse, a family member, a friend who provided transportation, or someone who they thought would be interested in the topic. The first rule of thumb is to not let the visitor decide whether he or she stays. Chat with anyone who doesn't belong in the group during the pre-session. Then make a decision. Consider finding a place for them to wait or indicating a time when they can return or possibly allowing them to remain in the room. If they fit the screen, we sometimes allow them in the group. Other visitors, such as spouses, might be allowed to sit in the room, often along the side if we don't think it will inhibit the group. Or we may bring along magazines and newspapers and ask the visitors to wait in the lounge or another place while the focus group is taking place.
Other Uninvited People Show Up
Occasionally, someone in a position of authority who is interested in the study shows up. What should you do? Consider thanking them for their interest and offer to get in touch with them later. Some people, such as reporters, are told that this is a research interview and not an open meeting. We tell them we would be willing to talk to them after the group or that we can send them a written report when the study is completed. Others, such as the head of the organization, are thanked for their interest and told that their presence may inhibit the conversation. We ask them to leave.
The Group Doesn't Want to Talk
Consider calling on individuals or going around the group answering a specific question. Use pauses and probes. Take a ten-minute break and reconvene. Ask participants for advice.
The Group Gets So Involved That The Members Don't Want to Leave
Consider staying a while and listening to the conversation. If you absolutely must leave, then formally adjourn the meeting, pack up, and depart. If possible, let the participants remain. This is a delightful problem that does occasionally occur.
The Early Questions Take Too Much Time, Leaving Little Time to Ask the Final Questions
Consider pacing the questions and monitoring the clock during the interview to allow enough time for your final questions. Often the last questions are the most important. You may have to skip some of the middle questions to have time for the key questions.
TIP
Anticipate Running Out of Time
Before you do the focus group, pretend that you've asked only half of the questions and only ten minutes remain. (We hope this never really happens to you.) Think about options that you might try and how to avoid the Situation in the future.