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Next Generation Facilitation Mini-Training Tips

Learn facilitation techniques for effective brainstorming, listening, managing group dynamics, and handling emotions. This guide provides strategies, behaviors, and references for successful facilitation.

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Next Generation Facilitation Mini-Training Tips

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  1. Next GenerationFacilitation Mini -Training NICD/NFWL Washington, D.C. Thursday, September 21, 2017

  2. FACILITATION Tips to Remember Prepared by Dr. Kirk Emerson on behalf of NICD School of Government and Public Policy University or Arizona

  3. Ground Rules for Brainstorming • Welcome every contribution as worthwhile • Suspend judgment • Assure everyone has participated • Ask clarifying questions

  4. Brainstorming(Kaner) DO DON’T Interrupt. Say, “We’ve already got that one.” Say, “Oooh, good one.” Say, “Hey, you don’t really want me to write that down, do you?” Favor the best thinkers. Use frowns, raised eyebrows, etc. to signal disapproval. Give up 1st time group seems stuck. Be leader, facilitator, and chart writer. Start process without setting time limit. Rush or pressure group. Silence means people are thinking. • Lots of mirroring to keep pace brisk and lively. • Remind people to suspend judgment. No critiquing allowed. • Treat silly ideas the same as serious ideas. • Move around to hold people’s attention and boost group’s energy. • Encourage full participation. • Repeat purpose often. • Give a warning when end approaches • Expect second wind of creative ideas after obvious ones are exhausted.

  5. Facilitative Behavior (Bens/Emerson) • Be positive and energetic (absolutely) • Be neutral on the task (or not?) • Be firm on the process (but flexible as needed) • Be informed (but don’t play the expert) • Be consensual and unobtrusive (but assertive as needed) • Be understanding (but not a wuss) • Be confident (but not overconfident) • Be optimistic (but realistic and pragmatic)

  6. Listening(Kaner) Respecting diverse communication styles Paraphrasing Drawing People Out Mirroring Gathering Ideas Stacking Tracking Encouraging Balancing Making Space for Quiet Persons Acknowledging Feelings Validating Empathizing Intentional Silence Linking Listening for Common Ground Listening with a Point of View Summarizing

  7. Open ended v. closed Neutral v. loaded Guide by asking, not telling Starting questions critical to elicit multiple answers Reacting questions facilitate deeper discussion Drilling Down Use verbs carefully Promote idea ownership by individual and group Asking Questions (Wilkinson)

  8. Managing the Process (Carpenter and Kennedy) • Establish agenda • Focus on the agenda • Clarifying statements • Summarizing statements • Explore ideas • Encourage all to participate • Maintain positive tone • Enforce ground rules • Describe what is happening • Offer process suggestions • Supervise record keeping • Test for agreement

  9. Underlying Group Dynamics (Carpenter and Kennedy) • Values • Assess importance of values • Respect diverse values • Trust • Assess level of trust among parties and with you • Stop the rhetoric • Reinforce the positive • Power • Understand different sources of power in the room and how to influence or direct it

  10. You are the onlooker, not the target. It is not about you. You have been permitted to interrupt and manage. Your own values or needs are not necessarily at stake. Handling Your Reactions

  11. It’s not about you! • Remember it is their problem, not yours. • Be impartial to the outcome, yet assure it is of highest quality possible. • Enable and empower the parties to address their problems. • Model the behavior you want from them. • Be fair, balanced, transparent, compassionate • Listen, listen, listen. • If you have a substantive suggestion, wait…. then pose as question and get them to critique it • Breathe!

  12. Dealing with Emotions and Difficult People • Listen (pay attention to speaker and to others’ reactions) • Decide if and when you need to intervene • Model the behavior you seek • Specifics: • Move toward (not away from) person and attend and engage • Playback – did I get that right? • Reframe – Does that make sense? • Defer (if necessary) and record in “parking lot” to handle later • Elicit others’ understanding and how group wants to proceed • Refer to ground rules and request compliance • Change ground rules or agenda, if necessary • Suggest/request that person leave

  13. Useful Facilitation References • Kaner, Sam et al. Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2007. • Emerson, Kirk and L. Steven Smutko. 2010. UNCG Guide to Collaborative Competencies. Portland, OR: Policy Consensus Initiative.http://www.policyconsensus.org/ • Schwartz, Roger. 2002. The Skilled Facilitator. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Wilkinson, Michael. 2004. The Secrets of Facilitation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • IAP2 Tool Box http://www.iap2.org/associations/4748/files/toolbox.pdf For further information contact: kemerson@email.arizona.edu

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