Transcript Facilitation - Clearwater COG

facilitation
Cynthia and Jean
April 27, 2015
The Clearwater Counties
This little light of yours!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L0T2K_Rsww
Opening Round
1_______________2_______________3_______________4_______________5
Little to None
My Fair Share
Expert Level
 Name
 Organization/ Agency
 Facilitation Experience Level
 What will make this a successful day for you?
 Where do you need to use facilitation?
 What is your greatest strength or facilitator
quality?
 What is your greatest challenge or area you want
to improve?
 How do you want others to describe the
meetings you facilitate?
Ground rules for today
Here’s what we want:
The cell phone thing- take it outside!
Assume good will
Ask questions
We’re all in this together
Let’s help each other make this a fun and
energizing day of learning
Feeling negative? Let’s talk about it instead of you
checking out on us.
What do you want????
Ground rules for today
What have you experienced?
Recall an example of experiencing good
facilitation and poor facilitation.
Share in small groups (5-7 minutes).
Identify the best example of each with
associated characteristics and share with large
group.
Large Group Recorder – Record characteristics/
actions associated with good and poor
facilitation.
Self-awareness assessment
Find your like groups.
Here are the people who may approach things
like you and who can be supportive
AND
These other groups are people who approach
things differently than you who might stretch
you in some different directions.
Group Dynamics
Forming
Adjourning
Performing
Storming
Norming
The facilitator’s role
Support the voice of
the person with
disabilities
Cope with uncertainty
Use power of
credibility to help
address issues
Be calm in times of
emotion
Support and counsel
others
Be understandable
Mobilise energy
Surface difficult issues
and help others to do
so
Take themselves less
seriously
Empathize
What is a facilitator?
Literally means: ‘making things easy’
A person who helps a group or team to:
Achieve results in interactive events
By using a range of skills and methods
To bring the best out in people as they work
together
Focus on the process of how
Paradigm Shift for Facilitators
Instead of:
 Talking about the person.
 Thinking about having the
answers.
 Searching for agreement.
 Speeding up to get the end.
 Focus on individual thinking.
 Support the urge to compete.
 Expecting perfection.
Try this:
The person’s voice is front and
center.
Think about having the questions.
Search for input.
Slowing down to savor the
journey.
Benefit from collective thinking.
Engage and collaborate.
Embrace uncertainty and trust the
process.
Great facilitation
What does it look like?
What are the elements of great facilitation?
Supporting the person to lead the meeting to the
best of their ability;
Listening;
Asking probe questions;
Managing the room;
Managing the meeting;
Handling conflict; and
Respecting cultural dynamics.
Good Facilitation
Also Requires Some Deep Digging!
 Digging Principle 1:
ASK WHY?
 Is it what the person desires or what they
think is the “right answer”
 Digging Principle 2 : ASK WHY?
 Does it make sense? Match PCP tools?
 Do they match . . .
 This may become confusing for the person
during meeting. S0 . . . .
 Principle 3:
FIND OUT WHY!
 Best to “EXPERIENCE LIFE WITH THE
PERSON” as directed by the Person!
 Learn so much more when your
interactions occur places other than over a
desk or around a table!
The Co-Pilots “The people who will be most
impacted by your great skills of facilitation!”
Some ideas from
Seneca STIR that may help.
The meeting
Organizing for an effective meeting
Outcomes of a good meeting
Share
Informatio
n
Advance
the
Thinking
Obtain
Input
Make
Decisions
Meeting
Outcomes
Build
Capacity
Build
Community
Improve
Communication /
Dynamics
Preparation is crucial!
Preparation is crucial!
Purpose
Product
•Why are we holding the session?
•What are the key objectives?
•What do we want to have produced once we are done?
•How will we know we are successful?
•Who needs to be involved?
Participants •What are their perspectives?
Probable
Issues
•What are the concerns that will likely arise?
•What are the “gotchas” that could prevent us from creating the product and achieving the
purpose?
•What steps should we take during the meeting to achieve the purpose, given the desired
product, the participants, and the probable issues we face?
Process
Having an agenda can really help
 Overall goal for the meeting
 Specific objectives and correlating outcomes for this
meeting/session that must be met
 Who must attend? Roles?
 What pre-work or information will participants need?
 What type of opener is needed to foster comfort?
 What amount of time for discussion is needed?
 What decisions must be made?
 What is the potential resistance/ issues? Where? Who?
 Are there any special norms that need to be established?
 How will you know you it was successful?
Designing an effective agenda
Topics
• What topics do you need to
address?
Outcomes
• For each topic, what outcome do
you want to see?
Processes
• What activity(ies) will best
support the group to achieve
each desired outcome?
The meeting: beginning, middle and end
•Room set-up is critical. Ensure seating fits group needs. Post materials.
•Greet members and engage with them as much as possible as it helps encourage future
participation. Personal connection…
Beginning •Introductions, roles, objectives, agenda, process, ask for comments, ground rules,
solicit reports/actions from previous, start process and discussion, explain clearly
During
Ending
•Ensure that all members participate, manage conflict, keep group focused, keep a
positive tone, keep track of discussion , intervene as needed, help members adhere to
ground rules, maintain energy level, move through agenda/ discussion/ process
•The 3 P’s of Process Checking: check Pace, check on the Process and take the group
Pulse
•Periodically summarize the ideas that have developed
•Eye contact.
•Ensure objectives were met, decisions made, and action steps/commitments for
member ownership are in place (with names and dates).
•Summarize objectives, decisions and action items.
•Conduct a written evaluation of session and solicit verbal feedback
•Ensure all recorded notes (flipcharts) are in hands of right person to transcribe.
•Determine follow-up date/time/actions.
•Thank participants/ leadership. Make sure they understand and celebrate
accomplishments.
Managing the room
Take cues from the person who the meeting is
about;
Model appropriate behavior;
Ensure involvement;
Enable understanding;
Keep a task-related focus;
Push for action outcomes;
Manage time;
Ensure that a record is created.
Managing the meeting
 Decide in advance with the person what the shared
responsibilities of managing the meeting will look like
 Start on time
 Welcome, thank everyone
 Make introductions
 Review agenda, objectives, and ground rules
 Encourage participation
 Stick to the agenda
 Seek commitments
 Bring closure to each item
 Summarize results and follow-ups
 Thank the participants
 Close the meeting
Managing the meeting:
Use your OARS!
• Open-ended questioning
• Affirming
• Reflective listening
• Summarizing
The 10 Commandments of Effective Listening
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Stop talking
Put people at ease
Show you want to listen
Remove distractions
Empathize- put yourself in the
other person’s shoes
6. Have patience
7. Hold your temper
8. Don’t argue or criticize
9. Ask questions
10. STOP TALKING
Using Questions
Questions of clarification
What do you mean by _______?
Let me see if I understand you; do you mean _______ or _______?
Could you give me an example?
Could you explain that further?
Questions that probe assumptions
You seem to be assuming _______. Do I understand you correctly?
All of your reasoning depends on the idea that _______.
Questions that probe reasons and evidence
Why do you think that is true?
What are your reasons for saying that?
What led you to that belief?
Handling conflict
Recognize these???
The person is marginalized
Individual domination
Intimidation
Tension
Someone expressing doubts
Side conversations
Early Warning Signs…
When People are Engaged
When People are Not Engaged
Involvement in discussion
Low involvement in discussion
Words of encouragement
Complaints, objections
Laughs, smiles, head nods
Frowns, head shakes, nothing
Bodies leaning and legs crossed, toward
the center of the room
Bodies leaning and legs crossed away
from the center of the room
Look for:
• Participants who are not speaking.
• Participants who complain or object publicly to the group or
privately to a neighbor in side conversations.
• Participants whose outward expressions seem to indicate
that they are not buying in.
• Participants whose body language seems to indicate
uneasiness.
• 35Changes in communication patterns and dynamics.
STIR SPIRAL
MODEL
FOR PROBLEM
SOLVING…
Strategies for handling conflict
Timing matters…deal with the situation as soon as you
recognize it and timing works:
 identify points of agreement;
 reformulate contributions to highlight common ideas;
 encourage people to build on others’ ideas;
 test consensus for relevance/motivation;
 consider if a break would help.
Avoid public corrections, getting angry or emotional and
losing objectivity or neutrality.
Handling conflict:
dealing with the difficult person
 Invite the resistor to express their rationale for
resistance while you listen:
Tell me why you feel this way.
What happened last time?
Help me understand the facts of the situation.
 After concerns have been acknowledged, ask questions
to prompt the resistor to suggest solutions to barriers:
What would make you change your mind?
What assurance will eliminate your concerns?
What supports will enable you to continue?
Now you try it: large group exercise
…a few scenarios LET’S LEARN FROM EACH OTHER!
Respecting cultural dynamics
…a few stories from our personal experience…
Variable language skills;
Recognition of cultural differences without
reinforcing stereotypes;
Different cultural norms about politeness and
communication style;
Awareness of perceived status differences
between cultures;
Loyalty towards one’s own cultural group.
Regional Dessert Favorites!
Setting the cultural tone
a brief story about the shredded chicken sandwich
We appreciate & enjoy cultural diversity;
We accept that our own perceptions are
influenced by our own upbringing/culture;
We empathize with another’s view;
We are open-minded and we don’t stereotype
people who are different than us;
We openly discuss how our different cultural
backgrounds may be influencing an issue.
Setting the cultural tone (a little more)
We recognize and accept that physical contact
differs across cultures;
We recognise that language is a barrier and
make allowances without being patronising;
We always double-check understanding;
We plan our communication to eliminate the
negative and accentuate the positive;
We communicate in a clear, direct, honest and
open way.
A few suggestions for facilitating change
Change is happening everyday.
Each one of you is a change agent.
Be a change agent, not a change target.
Empathy:
The overarching facilitation principle
and it’s especially useful in supporting change
Creates environment conducive to change,
instills sense of safety, of being understood
and accepted, and reduces defensiveness.
Sets the tone within which the entire
communication occurs.
Without it, other components may sound like
mechanical techniques
Empathy: what it looks like
Open
Nonjudgmental
Reflective
Understand the speaker’s frame of reference
Acceptance and affirmation
No “authoritative/expert” tone
Listen to both what the person says and to
what the person means
Check out assumptions
Warning signs that empathy has left the building
 Challenging
 Shaming
 Warning
 Finger-wagging
 Labeling
 Confronting
 Moralizing
 Being sarcastic
 Giving unwanted advice
 Playing expert
Using Empathic Reframing to Overcome Negativity
Perceived Problem
Reframed Problem
Them
Us
Problem
Opportunity
Our goal is unachievable.
We need to break out goal down into realistic steps.
They won’t buy it.
We need to identify the value for them.
We don’t have enough resources.
We can use the resources we have better. Let’s
identify waste.
We need to gather more input.
Let’s take a critical look at the input we are already
The people working on it are doing a terrible job.
The people working on it may not have the time to
do a quality job
We don’t have enough money.
We haven’t figured out how to find new sources of
money.
The group just can’t get along.
The group hasn’t made a commitment to work
through the issues they have.
We don’t have any power in this system/ community.
We haven’t found our leverage points in the system/
community.
We don’t have enough time to do all these things.
We need to decide what to do now and what to do
later…prioritize actions.
Closing round:
One word describing what you learned today
and how you will use it. OK, that’s two words!