GENCAP TECHNICAL WORKSHOP

FACILITATION SKILLS(MEETINGS, FACILITATION, COORDINATION)

Trainer: Jérôme L’host Geneva – 22 February, 2012

To share some successful Facilitation best practices

To experience stage heat and work on the Execution Gap

To discuss and sort out real-life issues (Co-development Mode)

To Know

To Want

The Execution Gap

To Do

Effective group meetings really boil down to three things:

.1They achieve the group's objective..2They take up a minimum amount of

time ..3They leave participants feeling that a

sensible process has been followed.

The Meeting's ObjectiveDo you want a decision?

Do you want an agreement ?

Do you want to generate ideas ?

Are you getting status reports?

Are you communicating something?

Are you raising awareness?

Are you trying to influence?

Are you making plans ?

Are you co-ordinating?

Focus, Focus and…Focus

To help you determine what your meeting objective is, complete this sentence:

At the close of the meeting/session, I want the group to...

(Consider your next 2 meetings)

TO PREPARE AN AGENDA, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:

•Priorities – what absolutely must be covered ?•Results – what do we need to accomplish at the

meeting?•Participants – who needs to attend the meeting for

it to be successful ?•Sequence – in what order will you cover the topics ?

•Timing – how much time will you spend on each topic ?

•Date and Time – when will the meeting take place ?•Place – where will the meeting take place ?

DIAMOND FACILITATION STRUCTURE

Issue ID

Information Immersion

Opportunity Area Identification, Common

Interest

Criteria Setting

Idea Selection/ Agreement

Synthesis/Discussion

Action Plan

Innovation / Idea Generation/ Possibilities/ Proposals

Expansion /

Divergence

Focu

s /

Conve

rgen

ce

Example: Stages in collective decisions

Sharing informationPrioritization of issuesConstructing proposalsCollective action decisionsMonitoring/evaluation

FACILITATED REFLECTION

Q1- What is facilitation?

Q2- What is expected from a Facilitator?

Beyond a definition…

Facilitation means making all group interactions easier;

Facilitation helps groups and organisations identify and resolve difficult issues;

It provides unique solutions to unique needs;

It is based on techniques that are only appropriate or inappropriate, not right or wrong;

Facilitation is based on perception; it is not an exact science.

A GOOD FACILITATOR…

Is empathicIs results-orientedMasters processIs firm on outcomeIs flexible on tacticsIs energeticListens activelyIs good at non-verbalsInvolves everyonePauses and reflects

Facilitation ModesIn

tera

cti

on

betw

een

Tra

iner

&

Part

icip

an

thigh

Trainer’s contribution to contentInteraction among participants

Ownership of outcome by participantsParticipants’ level of knowledge

Energy in the audienceTime available

Facilitation Modes is designed by Sabine

Bhanot and Jerome L’Host based on ideas of John

Townsend and Arthur D. Little

low

Telling

Stimulating

Moderating

Proposing

Empowering

Facilitation Modes: definitions

TELLING means transmitting information rapidly

PROPOSING means selling an idea

MODERATING means encouraging productive conversations

STIMULATING means encouraging a richly creative environment

EMPOWERING means enabling the group to manage itself- My Comfort Zone -

Look at the five intervention modes to see where you feel most comfortable, especially under pressure.Ask a friend or colleague for feedback.Then imagine yourself operating, at your best, in an intervention mode that is « new » for you.Do the exercise many times until you feel at ease. Start practising in your next meeting.