© MCIA / NF-1

Group Facilitation

Pleun Rijkers

© MCIA / NF-2

Let’s have a meeting

1. Always determine the added value of using the tool that is called ‘meeting’

2. Once you’ve decided you have one, have your meeting the right way

© MCIA / NF-3

Types of meetings

• Generic agenda of a meeting

1. Opening2. Provide information3. Gather information4. Problem solving

a) Fact findingb) Opinion shapingc) Decision taking

5. Closure

© MCIA / NF-4

Informative meeting

• Aims at providing information• ‘One way’ traffic• Two subtypes

– with reaction (max 8-15 people)– without reaction (presentation)

• Pro– Everybody gets the same information at the same time– Communication problems reduced– All people can receive the information

• Con– no lag between reception of the information and the reaction to it– ‘Overdonderd’

© MCIA / NF-5

Gathering information

• Aims at getting information• ‘One way’ traffic

• Pro– Clear view of opinions– all people can be involved

• Con– We provide the info, but what will be done

© MCIA / NF-6

Problem solving /decision making

• Aims at making decisions• n-way traffic

• Pro– the group potential is used– acceptance

• Con– time consuming

© MCIA / NF-7

Roles in a workshop

• Chairman• Moderator

• Facilitator

• Scribe

• Participant– core team– ‘one time’ visitor

• Subject Matter Expert

• Observer

© MCIA / NF-8

Session Facilitator

• To assist a group in completing its tasks(s) by– helping to clarify the group’s goal and objectives– designing a group process for achieving these goals– leading the group through the process to create an end product

• preparing the agenda• stating purpose• introduction of the participants• presenting the agenda• inviting group participation… creating synergy• explaining session rules, techniques, terms and examples• reviewing progress and bringing closure• reviewing follow up activities• evaluating the session

© MCIA / NF-9

Documenter (scribe, session analyst)

• Supporting role to the facilitator• Recording and capturing ideas generated• Documenting only what the group decides and as directed by

the facilitator• Capturing open issues• Preparing and providing supplies as needed by the facilitator• Arranging the room

© MCIA / NF-10

Decomposing a meeting

Task

Procedure Maintenance

What are we going to discuss

What is the aim of the meeting

How are we going to discuss

How do we want to reach

our goal

Interaction, keeping the group together

BeforeDuringAt the endAfter

MetaviewAsking questions (main/init/opin/fact/concl)Metacommunication

© MCIA / NF-11

The four guidelines

• Remain neutral at ALL times• Focus on process, not content• Remember at all times that the group is the expert• Never do anything the group can do themselves

© MCIA / NF-12

Start up

• Limited knowledge of its mission

• Limited experience in group process

• Low willingness to take risk

• Individual rather than team efforts

• Clarify purpose and process

• Explain the benefits

• Emphasize open sharing of information

• Building synergy

Heavily reliant on Facilitator for guidance and direction.

© MCIA / NF-13

Dialogue/Discussion (storming)

• Hidden agendas begin to surface

• Disagreements about interpretation of facts

• Disagreement about how to produce deliverables

• Decisions are questioned• LOW productivity

• Remind the group of its goals

• Concentrate on trust and open communication

• Protect individual contributions

• Facilitate conflict resolution• Aim for consensus; encourage

team identity

Balance group development and completing deliverables

© MCIA / NF-14

Cohesion (norming)

• Team develops

• Focus on accomplishments• Group members encourage

eachother

• Increase time on task• Allow participants to take over

some of the facilitator roles• Continue team identity• Encourage participants to

become accountable to each other

Atmosphere clears

© MCIA / NF-15

Full productivity (performing)

• Participants understand and work with eachother’s strenghts and weaknesses

• High attendance

• High productivity

• Encourage flow of deliverables

• Encourage participants to become proactive

• Make sure this state is maintained.

Participants get excited

© MCIA / NF-16

What people are good at

Core quality

Challenge

Distortion

Allergy

Too much…

PositiveOpposite

PositiveOpposite

Too much…

© MCIA / NF-17

How quality leads to conflict

Core quality

Challenge

Distortion

Allergy

Core quality

Challenge

Distortion

Allergy

© MCIA / NF-18

Non functional behavior

• Being aggressive – blaming• Blocking• Self confessing• Competing• Seeking sympathy• Special pleading• Horsing around• Seeking recognition• Withdrawal

© MCIA / NF-19

Non functional behavior

• Non functional behavior can be resistance

• What is non functional behavior to you, can be functional behavior to someone else (testing the group, challenging the idea)

• Resistance is the signal with which someone shows that what is about to happen is going to be not acceptable

• Resistance is also a signal that you are about to change something

• DO NOT BLAME A PERSON WHO FALLS INTO “NONFUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR”. It is merely a symptom that there is a problem with the group’s ability to satisfy individual needs through group centered activity

© MCIA / NF-20

So let’s have a meeting

• So far we’ve discussed:– Types of meetings– Functions– What groups are good at– People in groups

• Now we focus:– On meetings– With a group aspect (n-way communication)– To reach some kind of goal

• For example:– …?

© MCIA / NF-21

CASE: ‘ ES’

• You are one of the organisers of a European School and as it is very fashionable to do these kind of ‘setting expectation’ thingies;

• YOU have decided to do that as well;• We will work with a so called ‘structured discussion technique’

in which:– Each participant gets two post it notes– They will write down their expectations– They will be put to the board– They will be categorized– And summarized

• The aim is to receive their input so we can tailor the programme to their needs

© MCIA / NF-22

Working format

• We will try to play the same scene several times;• Each time, additional non functional behaviour will be

introduced;• I will not tell in advance what kind of behaviour it is;• During the scene, the observers will observe the role of the

group and that of the facilitator and they will comment on the 4 guidelines;

• The facilitator can ask for a time out;• At a certain point I will stop the scene;• The observers will comment;• I will present the ‘text book approach’;• And we’ll move on to the next scene.

© MCIA / NF-23

Before we start

• We’re a big group for this kind of training;• If you’ve had similar trainings, please be an observer, the

learning effect is the largest for the other partcipants;• Observers please be silent during the role play;• Observers focus on PLUS and DELTA• The role playing games are not meant to discuss the behavior

of the individuals but to show common situations and to learn from them;

• Some people will be asked to perform non-functional behavior – others: you can join but please not too strongly;

• If the facilitator is applying one of the techniques already mentioned before, stop your non-functional behavior;

• If not, increase your non-functional behavior;

• It’s fun, but it’s not a game.