Using Flipcharts

One of the most important tools for facilitating meetings and group sessions is the flip chart. It can be used for:

recording group decisions;
keeping discussion data in front of the group;
recording actions;
dealing with differences;
dealing with emotions;
generating instant agendas.

Like many aspects of training and facilitation, the secret of success lies in the preparation. In this article, we’ll look at flipchart stands, pads, fixings, pens and their preparation.

Flip-chart stands

Flip chart stands seem to be innocuous pieces of equipment, but like deckchairs, they can be a trap for the unwary. Here are some pointers to look out for:

Height

Check that the stand can be adjusted for your shortest and tallest presenters.

Weight

If you have to transport your own flip-chart stands, check the weight and bulk of the unextended stand.

Rigidity

Check that the stand does not move around or bend when you write on it.

Method for holding the paper

Look at the method for retaining the paper. This can be a spring-loaded jaw or a pair of pegs. Check that the pegs align with the holes in your flip-chart paper. (Why on earth isn’t there a standard for this?) Many of these stands have screw-on clamps, which make it difficult to tear off sheets cleanly. In this case, you can remove the clamps for the duration of the course but don’t forget where you put them, as training and conference centres can get quite annoyed if they find all their flip-chart clamps missing.

The jaw method of retaining the paper has the advantage of not needing a particular spacing for the holes, but it does not retain the pad so well. Some methods use a retaining bar, and I have seen it take two people to insert the pad — one to hold the bar out of the way and the other to push the pad into the jaws!

Check whether the stand will retain single sheets, either by themselves or in addition to the pad. This feature is essential if you have sub-groups reporting back to the main classroom.

Flip-chart pads

The holes in the flip-chart pads should align with the pegs on your flip-chart stand. Some pads are stapled together, which makes it difficult to tear off single sheets — you can take the staples out, but it plays havoc with your fingernails. One way to overcome this problem is to buy pads with perforations, but this leaves the holes behind, which makes it difficult to put the sheets back on the stand. Another way around this problem is to buy pads with the sheets held together by an adhesive — like a notepad.

A square grid printed faintly on the sheets helps you draw diagrams and keeps your writing on the level. Also, consider — if you are not an artist — using a pencil to lightly pre-draw diagrams and lettering on the chart. For complicated diagrams, you can use a projector to project an image on the pad, which you can lightly trace with a pencil.

You can also use prepared or pre-printed flip charts for repeated use, but I always find it difficult to store and transport them without them getting damaged. If you roll them up in a cardboard tube, they keep springing up when you put them on the stand. If you fold them neatly into four, you can see the creases. If you have them laminated, they are bulky to transport.

When you are facilitating a group session, an enormous amount of material is generated, and it can be very difficult to keep it in the right order for writing the minutes. A simple solution is to pre-number the sheets or to number them in the top right-hand corner as you tear them off.

Considering the amount of flip-chart paper thrown away at the end of a course, it is a good idea to buy pads made of recycled paper.

Flip-chart fixings

It is almost certain that every course you run will involve displaying charts or posters on a wall. If you are working in a purpose-built training room, there should be rails or pinboards on the wall for displaying posters and charts. It is an unwritten law of the universe that you will always need more display area than is provided.

Masking tape is the best all-around method for sticking charts to walls. If you are careful, it should not pull off paint and wallpaper when it is removed. A good tip is to tear off strips of masking tape before the session starts and lightly attach one end to the back of the flip-chart stand. In this way, you will always have pre-torn strips of masking tape ready when you want to fix a sheet on the wall.

Blu-tack is less satisfactory as it can be difficult to remove without leaving a mark. A tip for removing Blu-tack is to roll up another piece into a small ball and then roll it over the wall so that it picks up the pieces like a snowball. Doing it this way decreases the likelihood of removing paint or tearing wallpaper.

Flip-chart pens

Flip-chart pens or markers come in several types: spirit-based, water-based and dry wipe. Black and blue are the best colours for reading from the back of the room, while red and orange are the worst. The pens’ tips should have a minimum width of 5mm.

Whiteboards should only be written on with dry-wipe pens. Too many whiteboards have been spoilt by writing on them with permanent pens. If this should happen to you, all is not lost because there are several methods that you can use for removing the marks.

First, there are proprietary sprays. If you do not have any of these around when you need them, you can try Snopake or ‘white-out’ thinners. An effective but lengthy method is to scribble over the permanent marks with a dry-wipe pen. Then, use a dry cloth to remove both marks together. As this method is also quite tiring it teaches you not to use the wrong pens on the board. You could also try using a plastic eraser to remove the marks.

The manufacturers of some water-based pens say that these pens can be used on whiteboards. True, but the marks must be removed with a damp cloth. This can turn out to be a somewhat messy operation.

Some trainers and facilitators take the preventive route by banning all pens except dry-wipe pens. The only problem with this is that dry-wipe pens are not very suitable for flip-chart work. The lines they draw are not broad enough to be read from the back of the class, and the colours are not strong enough.

I prefer to use water-based pens for flip-chart work. If you do accidentally use them on a whiteboard, it is not too much hassle to remove the marks using a damp cloth. Another advantage of water-based pens is that you do not spend all day breathing in fumes. However, some presenters do seem to like the spirit-based pens that come in various fruit fragrances.

Throw flip-chart pens away as soon as they dry out. Repeatedly picking up the same exhausted pen is a frequent source of frustration. No amount of shaking or standing the pens on their heads will get more than a few extra minutes of life out of them. It is advisable to bring your own flip-chart pens with you as it is amazing how many training locations provide exhausted or unsuitable pens.

Originally published on LearningPages.org

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