Five Important Guidelines for Focus Groups
By Michael Hudson
Several recent conversations with credit union clients have centered on the idea of using focus groups as part of an internal cultural assessment, while others are looking to focus groups to help them better understand their members. Regardless of the purpose, if you are planning to conduct focus groups, here are five important guidelines to keep in mind:
The Mix of the Group Matters More than You Think
Focus groups are intended to provide a forum for probing specific topics, but often you are seeking insight from a diverse group of people. That’s why it is important to do some thinking beforehand about the mix of people you invite to participate. Your goal should be to create groups that have something in common, such as living in the same area, coming from the same generation, holding similar job titles, or using similar products and services. Always try to avoid having those to whom people report on a day-to-day basis in the same groups–it stifles the conversation and limits the value of what you learn.
Multiple Groups Yield Better Insights
Pursuing cost effectiveness often drives credit union leaders to seek to minimize the number of focus groups they conduct or to believe that one group is all that you need. The reality is that any group can be led in a general direction based on things that are beyond the control of the facilitator, just as a casual mealtime conversation sometimes takes on a life of its own despite attempts to steer it in a different direction.
Having multiple groups address the same issue yield better insights in the long term because it avoids this problem. More important multiple groups allow the facilitator to probe deeper on issues that have come up in earlier groups–providing you with insights that are not accessible in a single group.
