As noted in my last newsletter, I talked about being exposed to the concept of the 5 natural elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) during a dance retreat I was attending in Brazil with my daughter in April. The five elements are a very common basis of many spiritual systems.  I was particularly intrigued by the concept of space.  In our dance retreat we listened to music and moved our bodies in a way that we connected with something that was extremely invisible to us.  This made me think how incredibly important the concept of space is to our facilitation and making connections with things that are invisible, yet powerfully important.  I say invisible because these are all of the things that are not related to your content, your problem-solving, and your very specific dialogue topics that you cover, as just a few examples.  It is how we focus on what happens in time and physicality during our sessions that create a sense of spaciousness, wonder, and possibility.

I notice in myself as a facilitator that I am constantly sacrificing sufficient spaciousness to allow groups to “feel and think” their way through a problem.  This is likely because of my North American upbringing where we have the tendency to want instant gratification, fast fixes, ‘get it done’ attitude. The result is we feel rushed to digest information, complete a project, ‘go live’, move to action, etc.”  And, we often have clients that wish to cover a lot of material and reach a lot of results in a short amount of time, so we accommodate them by doing so.

So what would it mean to create more spaciousness in our facilitated sessions?  I could, for example, look at my typical agenda design and ask myself, “Where have I created emptiness or ‘non-doing’?  Where have I created the possibility of something unusual to happen because there are now enough vacant, unfilled minutes and space?”  I am imagining both spaciousness in time and the way the room is set up.  I’m also imagining the exercises, the sounds of music, the colors, and the depth of questions that could also contribute to the spaciousness of any group session.

So my next sessions with clients will hopefully be much more intentional around the element of space.  I likely will consider doing the following things:

• In the pre-session meetings with the client group, I will ask them how important depth of conversation is.  I will ask them if their tendency is to be extremely busy and superficial with their deliberations.  If so, I will encourage them to allow more time for things they normally do and to try something they haven’t done before in terms of spaciousness.
• I will design the agenda based on their answers. If spaciousness seems critical to their success, I will look at their agenda and literally take out 2 or 3 items that I would normally include just because I’ve have learned how to get through material in a short amount of time. By taking these items out, this will allow more time and spaciousness for all agenda items to be covered thoroughly and for “unknown” things to surface.
• Prior to the event, I will send a participant letter noting the objectives and context setting for the session, making special note that we have intentionally allowed time for things to emerge and evolve.
• I will take more time to prepare than I normally give myself, to have the internal spaciousness that I want to create for a facilitated “spacious” session.
• My final note is that I might actually try to use room décor, music, and furniture and prop set-up to also create a feeling of physical spaciousness.

These are just my initial thoughts.  I hope they provoke some ideas within yourself as you think about facilitation and the gift that we can give some situations and groups by committing to the idea of spaciousness.

Happy spaciousness to you!  May you also considering creating more spaciousness in your personal lives.

Here are some of our online Facilitator Learning Modules for purchase that provide additional tools and concepts to help you create spacious dialogue, frameworks and activities.

	Assessing Simple to Complex Client Needs: What, Who, When and How
	Designing Productive Meetings: Agendas That Work Like Magic
	Engage Group Learning with Color, Music & Movement
	Energize Them: Introducing Meaningful Toys, Games & Play in Workshops
	Leading Focused & Productive Discussions – Facilitator Tools for Sharing Ideas in Meetings
	Working With Group Spirit

How do you do brainstorming?  It seems easy.  Everyone knows the answer to this. Wrong!  Many people do brainstorming but there are effective and ineffective ways to do it.  Here are a few pointers and two short methods.

Start with a great key question: You need an open-ended question which draws out many different specific responses from each member of the group

• What do you want the key question to do?
  • limit hidden agendas?
  • promote discussion and understanding?
  • create a safe space for everyone to offer ideas?
• What are examples of effective key questions?
  • What are some suggestions for a new name for our group?
  • What can we ensure the new policy or procedure is adopted as quickly as possible?
  • What ideas do we have for overcoming the fear about this new change?
  • How can we maximize support for the implementation team from our managers?

Here are two simple techniques to do great brainstorming sessions – not only getting good ideas but organizing them into something useful.

1.  A simple technique: Let people think by themselves about the key question.

• Share ideas and record them on a flipchart.
• Ask someone to sum up the ideas. Discuss this summary as a whole group.
• Decide on the 3 to 5 most important strategies or directions the brainstorming data is suggesting.
• Rank these ideas according to your criteria for solution (if developed).

2. Brainstorming on the flipchart
(Adapted from the Institute of Cultural affairs (www.ica-usa.org or www.ica-associates.ca)

Using flipchart, allow minimum of 20-30 minutes to complete this process

• Ensure that everyone understands the key question. (3 minutes or less)
• Allow people about 3-5 minutes to do their own thinking on the question and write down their ideas on a scrap piece of paper.
• Ask each person to choose two or three best ideas. (1 minute)
• Ask each person to share their two to three ideas without interruption (even if similar to others, encourage them to say at least two ideas). Record them on a flipchart – number them. (10 minutes)
• After everyone has shared ideas (you may have up to twenty ideas), decide where there are similar PAIRS of ideas.  (e.g., number 3 and 16 might be similar in intent).  Code similar ideas with a color or symbol. Once you have 3-5 pairs, you can add more ideas to the pairs. Keep going through all ideas until you have grouped all ideas into about 5-6 categories. (10 minutes)
• Read out the ideas from grouping with largest number of ideas and ask, “What 3 word phrase captures all of these ideas together that would answer our key question?”  When you have a phrase that everyone is reasonably happy with, write it in large letters on a second flipchart with the code or color beside it. Then, go to the next grouping until all groups are named. (10 minutes)
• Rank these ideas according to your criteria for solution (if developed).

For more ideas, try these Facilitator Learning Modules…

	Effective Consensus Building Techniques
	Creativity & Energizers - Seven Ways to Stimulate Group Energy & Innovative Thinking

 

I am writing from a restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, on a long overdue visit to my eldest child, my beloved daughter, Jessica, in Brazil. On the way here, I  had the unexpected surprise of being in “first class” for the first time in my life on the USA part of the flight from Portland to Atlanta. They do not call it first class anymore since that might sound classist so they call it priority class (much better don’t you think?).  Well, I now know why they put the curtain across dividing up economy and this front section of the plane. The plane was one of those new overseas type planes although it was a domestic flight.  From the moment I got on, they were offering me drinks and snacks and it never stopped. I think I got offered snacks five times on a three hour flight plus a full glassware and silverware meal with linen cloths, etc. The seats had enough room to fully recline and stretch your legs out on the leg rests.  They had individual reading lamps and special other controls which I did not even bother to try to figure out.   So although I have enviously looked at those seats especially for overseas flights, I did not really know what it entailed being up front.

I may never want to go back (to economy class) and that is the point of classism isn’t it? Although this was a tiny taste of classism, it made me think of the following things… (very soon I will get to some point about classism and facilitation , I promise) I thought, “Wow, once you get a taste of the wealthy class life, 1. You may not want others to know exactly what it is like and so you hide it from them (thus, the curtains on the plane) 2. You are likely to stay loyal to the people who treat you this well (in this case, the airline) 3.  You might scheme how you could get more of this (lifestyle, service, whatever). Thus the class system perpetuates itself.  And we stay isolated from each other by class.

I know this is a vast oversimplification of classism and likely completely naïve.  However, classism faces us in every moment of our facilitation. People are there with their bosses and feel reluctant to speak up. People with less formal education are in with those who have college degrees and may also be less inclined to speak up.  People who are not in the dominant race or language group (i.e., White, English speaking in North America) may also feel like taking less “air-time” that they normally might if they are in their own community.  What do we do to alleviate the “class system” within our very facilitated sessions?   Her are a few answers.  What would you add?

• Ensure everyone has equal opportunity to speak (everyone gets a turn at the beginning and  several times during the meeting to go around the room and hear every voice)
• Allow people a chance to sit with whom they wish (for support) several times during the session
• Ensure everything that is spoken is translated and written for easier access to the language dynamics
• Give the less dominant participants (in terms of power in the room) the opportunity to speak first
• Talk about the class dynamics with the group openly and ask those who usually have more “power” or more voice to notice this and behave accordingly to  minimize this effect

Check out these learning modules!

	Difficult Behaviors: Working with Reluctant, Hesitant or Dominant Participants
	Open the Door to Cultural Competency
	Working with Multi-Cultural / Multi-Lingual Groups

I’ve found some simple things to do to ensure every agenda item is handled succinctly in your regular weekly or daily meetings. Here is one ten step approach to these meetings.

  

1. Make sure everyone knows ahead of time why he/she is invited to the meeting and what their contribution might be.

2. Ideally go over agenda with a few key people ahead of time and revise if needed

3. At beginning of meeting,  ensure everyone “buys-in”/ agrees to the agenda and timing

4. Choose the first topic to be the one that needs the most energy and attention.

5. Have key people present the facts on first topic.

6. Ask people what they have understood and how they feel about it.

7. Have participants analyse what needs to be done.  Brainstorming solutions may be useful for some situations.

8. Summarize the thinking on this agenda item and have the group make a decision or recommendation.

9. Go onto next agenda item.

10. Adjust times as needed for each agenda item.

Remember! People will come to your meetings if they are kept to 45 minutes.  Anything longer and you need “special effects”!

Watch for our next blog topic on how to  brainstorm.

See more about making your next meeting a success in these Facilitator Learning Modules:

Making Every Meeting Stellar

Learning the Art & Science of Engaging Meetings – Just Say No to “Soul Killing” Meetings

Designing Productive Meetings – Agenda That Work Like Magic

In my previous blog, one tip I shared for taking care of yourself as a facilitator is to SEEK HELP.  This help can come in many forms, but this article will talk specifically about flipcharting.   While having a dedicated flipcharter at your events is amazingly helpful, I do have some strong feelings about how to flipchart.  This short article will help you if you are the flipcharter and it will help you mentor or teach someone else to sharpen their flipcharting technique.

So why do I have strong feelings about flipcharting?  I find that I am dissatisfied with both how I and others take notes on a flipchart.  It is an art and a science that few people know how to do well.  I include myself in that statement.  Here’s what you don’t want to happen with flipcharting:

• End up with notes that you cannot read and no one else can decipher.
• Unnumbered pages without headings resulting in no idea of what the activity or discussion was.
• A lot of unfinished sentences…..
• Notes that were more about the interpretation of the flipcharter than what the group was really saying.

So let’s go back to the beginning

I’m going to give you my best explanation of why we still take flipchart notes. With today’s technology, it would seem to be an outdated science that is inaccurate, unwieldy, and consumes large amounts of paper.  So we can likely say with certainty that flipcharting is and  will change to change as an art form because of technology and concern about sustainability.  I am definitely concerned about the lack of sustainability that flipcharting engenders.  However, there are still a lot of good reasons to flipchart. And, it is very rare that in a workshop or facilitated session that I do not use some flipcharting.

The reason I still flipchart is, that if done right, the notes are the most succinct and accurate form of documenting key points and products of a meeting.  Therefore, your final typewritten notes will be more accurate, easier to read, and more to the point.  The second reason for flipcharting a group’s thinking is that everyone in the room sees the key points they are making and they can refer back to them as needed throughout the meeting. Finally, it is more creative, flexible and human than taking the notes for example on a laptop and projecting them onto a screen in a slightly darkened room. It also is useful when you don’t have several large whiteboards, and do not want to use toxic, smelly whiteboard markers.

Here is what I would say if I am coaching someone to write accurate and helpful flipchart notes:

Ensure the right choice of supplies- For example, choose the type of flipchart paper that is going to best suit your needs.  There are pros and cons for the three commonly used flipchart paper types: o Use the self-adhesive flipchart paper when you expect to write several pages of notes during a particular discussion.  Self-adhesive allows you to quietly and quickly peel off every page and post it on the wall to keep visible for the group without tape, putty or pushpins.  It gives you the speed you need to keep taking notes. o Lined paper is especially helpful when you are pre-writing a flipchart prior to a workshop.  You might want to use this when you writing the agenda, the objectives and/or discussion guidelines or preparing a visual of a process or a previous product the group has created.  This type of paper will ensure your flipchart is neat and tidy.  Participants will avoid cricks in their necks from by not having to read slanted handwriting. J o Plain paper – I actually prefer the plain paper because after the event it is much easier to compile each page in order of the discussion and not fight with the adhesive. (Some of you will know what I mean)  This paper is: MUCH less expensive than the self adhesive; more sustainable; great for when you are flipping the pages on the chart stand and people don’t need to see the previous pages right away; works well when you are writing up key action items, key products; or preferred if you expect most of your discussion will get written on one or two pages. o Markers /feltpens – I have started using Neuland refillable markers.  They write beautifully and are more sustainable.  You do have to remember to refill and have enough of them if they start to go dry.  You always want to write with the fat edge of any marker so that people can actually see your writing when sitting 20 ft (6 m) away. Simply don’t use markers with pointed tips. Seek out those with chisel (square) tips.

Headings and page numbers - Have a heading and a page number on every flipchart page. This will save you much time when you come to type up the notes. Ideally, put your header or question in a different color and underline it so that it is clearly distinguished from the rest of the text. This will also help participants know the focus of the notes for each section.

Visual attractiveness and clarity – Use bullet points for each discussion point. Vary them up – asterisks, points, squares. Different colo(u)rs for bullet points. You  develop agility with two or three colo(u)r s in the same hand. Ideally start a new page for a new discussion or product summary.

Readability – Never take notes in red or orange or pink.  Those colors do not show up well from a distance and are very hard for people who have color recognition challenges.Ensure your printing for each word is approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) high.

Separate role of flipcharter and facilitator – If possible, you ideally do not facilitate and flipchart at the same time because each role takes your full attention and requires different types of listening.  Be prepared to take the time to coach your flipcharter before, during and after each event for several events.  Keep this up until you are satisfied with their flipcharting skills.  It will pay off!

What you write (content) –  This last point is the most difficult.  The above points are all about technique or tools.  Most of the time, flipcharters write down too much or too little.  I find my most skillful flipcharting happens when I tune out everything in the room except for listening to the speaker’s words.  I’m not looking at the group.  I’m not looking at their body language or dynamics.  I am simply waiting for the key nugget to be said.  If a person speaks for a long time and you don’t know what to write, kindly ask, “Can you sum up that last point in one sentence?”.  You would do this only if the facilitator has not done it for you.  Flipchart notes are not meant to be notes taken in a courtroom.  You’re not trying to capture everything, nor do you put it into your own words.  You’re not paraphrasing but you are capturing the key points in that person’s words.  For example, if they say, “We are really struggling here. I think what we really need is a deep exploration of our identity as an organization”, you simply write “really struggling – need a deep exploration of our org identity”.

There’s a lot more to flipcharting but hopefully this will remind you of what you already know and how to coach someone else who is flipcharting for you.  And remember – have fun!

See more about flipcharting and documenting work in these Facilitator Learning Modules:

Documenting Groups Work

Graphic Facilitation for Non-Artists

In this article today, I share two of my favorite recipes designed for self-care. (One of them is my own sugar free, gluten free date square recipe and many, many people have asked me for it.) I also talk about other strategies for self-care so that we can be at our best when we are facilitating meetings, workshops or conferences.

For those who facilitate full day events, they can be very long days – often rising at 5 or 6 a.m. and not completing the job until 12 or 14 hours later. Very few people work this particular way – a combination of challenging full-out mental work but also often intense emotional and physical work. These days are not only long hours, but they demand incredible attention all day long to many ideas and behaviors.

I have known this for many years and yet have dismissed that my work was more difficult than anyone else’s. I’d like to challenge this notion of “it’s no problem”, or “don’t wallow in self-pity”, or “be tough” internal messages. (Please fill in what are your own internal messages for dealing with this level of concentrated work). I’ve been particularly motivated to think about the care and nurturing of myself as a facilitator more lately since my auto accident and whiplash in early 2009. And yet many of us do facilitate with chronic pain. So let’s begin doing it elegantly and with the utmost compassion for ourselves.

Here are my Top 5 ways lately to be my best friend on facilitation days (recipes follow below):

• Extra preparation and organization: Take the time to think of all details and have all your activities well thought out. Prepare a facilitator guide (see earlier blog), have a file folder for each activity and all props/visuals and small instructions (see also earlier blog) related to that activity. This preparation will ensure you sleep better the night before, help you out if you are not feeling well on the day of the facilitation, and help your co-facilitator/assistants know how to best support you. See next point.
• Seek Help: Many of us resist the notion that we need help. Forget that notion. We need all the help we can get. Repeat after me, “I will take all the help I can get.” There are several ways to do this. Many people are delighted to attend your facilitation as informal training. Capitalize on their good will and put them to work. Get them to move furniture, set up supplies with you and generally assist as needed throughout the day. You can also hire people. Who cares if you make 10-20% less. Your body is worth it. You can also ask your client to provide internal staff to help both for set up/take down and during the day. Many clients also delight in getting informal coaching or learning how to facilitate by assisting you. It is great if you have trained someone to flipchart the notes during the day. This can be both physically and mentally exhausting. Our next blog will be on tips for flip charters! : )
• Book shorter days or single days: If your job is a multiple day event, ask the client if it will work to have shorter days (e.g., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m./16:00 h). Also, I strongly urge you to consider a co-facilitator who is very familiar with your methodology for bigger jobs. I always finish a day I have co-facilitated with much more enthusiasm and energy than I if I try to facilitate alone. It is a great benefit to the client as well. Some clients are able to pay for two facilitators or more depending on the size of group and challenge/importance of the meeting to them. Other times, you may just have to take less money for the job. If you are an internal facilitator, you have no excuse – enlist your colleague’s support and insist on it with your supervisors.
• Have things you love to look at, laugh at or listen to in the room: Perhaps it is a quote in front of you. Perhaps it is a plant or a favorite object on a nice cloth, a joke (you keep it by your side), or object you find enormously funny (if appropriate, can be on display), or a great piece of music you can play while you set up or on breaks. This will help you stay relaxed and present because you are saying to yourself, “I brought those things for me”. By the way, the client group often benefits enormously also.
• Bring food and drinks that are nourishing: Food that is non-stimulant but you find delicious and energizing. See my favorites below. The work is calorie buring- bring snacks – do not let yourself get low blood sugar. Insist on long enough breaks that allow you to eat, as well as time to do any last minute adjustments or prep.

As promised, I thought I’d share two amazing, easy recipes that make me feel like I have really taken care of myself. They are nutritious and delicious. They can be taken with you when you facilitate or for days when you are steeped in planning important meetings and you suspect you will not have time to feed yourself properly.

My amazing gluten free, dairy free, sugar free Dates Squares (preparation time –10 -15 minutes; cooking time – 30 minutes) Combine 2 cups of gluten free oats, 1 cup of rice flour, 1 cup of almond meal (later is optional – available at Trader Joe’s in Northwest USA) and ½ cup of melted butter. This mixture should be moist enough to pat in to the pan without falling apart. If you are dairy tolerant, you can and a little plain yogurt to make more moist rather than adding more melted butter. : ) Add 2 Tbsp. of agave nectar to the oat mixture for additional sweetener if you wish – the filling is so sweet I find not needed Combine and microwave 1 lb./0.5 Kg of pitted dates (I cut up dates into pieces – most time consuming part of the recipe) with 2 cut up apples (I do not bother peeling if organic), juice of 1 lemon, and about 1 cup of water. Cook or microwave until mixture is mushy – not too dry or wet like mash or baby food consistency. Sometimes, I mash after cooking with a potato masher Spread half of the oatmeal mixture into a 8×8 pan. Spread date mixture on tip. Sprinkle evenly remaining mixture over date/apple filling Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Let cool. Slice and enjoy. I freeze single servings for my facilitation days.

Roasted Vegies (most people know this one but I got it from my friend and colleague Nanci Luna Jimenez and have adapted to my own whims) Prepare (wash, peel if needed) and cut into larger byte size pieces any or all of the following vegetables – the more variety is better Eggplant, peppers ( red, green, yellow, orange), zucchini, red and gold beets, carrots, sweet potatoes and yams, regular potatoes, parsnips, mushrooms Put all vegetables in one – two large baking pans. About 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm deep in layering)Coat lightly with olive oil and sea salt. Add garlic pieces if desire. Add spices/herbs of your choices – curry, rosemary, thyme, etc.) Roast for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally until tender. For facilitation days, I might add feta cheese on top and pack a big dish of these and a fork to munch on at lunch instead of heavy pasta or sandwiches which are the usual other choices on those days.

A few weeks ago in our public training course called ToP Facilitation Methods, we did a practice exercise to build consensus around a topic of interest.  The group chose the following question: What pre-work is needed to prepare for an effective facilitated session?  Here are some of their responses with my own added comments and tips.

• Prepare Yourself – After you have spoken with your client group, you will have a better idea of what their objectives are and how you might be able to help them.  I’m assuming you have asked good questions of your client group to get this basic information.  Some other ways you can prepare yourself mentally and emotionally are to: visualize the process from start to finish; choose methods that you feel comfortable with and are suitable to the objectives of the group; develop your own script or guide for unfamiliar portions; plan open-ended questions for each activity and a good ongoing relationship with key members of the group and client.
• Know Your Audience – There are different approaches to know your audience before showing up as their facilitator.  If you feel the topic is complex, or there are many different perspectives, or participants feel unsafe about this event, it is good to get to know them ahead of time.  You can pre-interview key stakeholders (approximately 1/3) and do a good job of researching the situation of the group and/or their history.
• Develop Session Framework – In this section of your preparation, you will want to draft the objectives of the session and agenda and get feedback from key members of the group on both before finalizing.  Then review and finalize the methods and/or techniques you use.
• Plan Logistical Details – You will need to verify that your room location will suit the agenda you have co-created with the client.  You may want to bring extra props to create a special atmosphere in a room that lacks décor or “good energy”.  You will want to ensure that you and the participants know exactly where the meeting room is.  In addition, you should arrange to get into the room an hour before the meeting and arrange for an hour after the meeting to ensure you have relaxed timing for setting up and taking down.   I always try to get a photo of the room or visit it in person and leave clear instructions about room and equipment setup.  If you have not identified all of the participants, this is a good time to ensure all the right people will be at the meeting.
• Prepare Materials – Most groups will do much better if you have ample visuals to help them process what is happening in every part of the meeting.  For example, use PowerPoint slides for a larger audience or flipchart pages that describe the agenda and objectives.  You may need to prepare small group instructions and charts that will hold information that the group generates in the meeting.

You might want to checkout these modules that specifically help you in the preparation phase of the event:

Assessing Client Needs

Ensuring Success for Them and You – Contracting with Clients

Facilitator Toolbox

Graphic Facilitation Techniques for Non-Artists

What are your top three tips to prepare effectively for your facilitated sessions? Please comment below.  Thanks for being part of the larger facilitator community!

Recently, I was working with a group that I was fairly nervous about. I was expecting the group to resist every process or activity I suggested. I was right. When I first began working with the group, here is what occurred:

• People were standing up and not sitting in their places
• People were having many side conversations throughout the first few hours
• Several participants were making suggestions to me as to what to do as the facilitator
• People looked at me with blank or irritated faces when I made a suggestion for processes

Clearly, this was a group that was not familiar with or comfortable with good process. How do you engage groups like this? What I wanted was them to appreciate and experience the benefits of good process.

At a recent Oregon Mediators Conference, I took a workshop that helped explain what I typically try to do with groups from an interpersonal neuro-biology point of view (IPNB). What I learned from the speaker, Sarah Peyton in her workshop entitled, “Brain Change: The IPNB of Restorative Justice”, was that when people feel anxious, unsettled or unsafe their minds will act independent of other minds. What I mean by that is that it takes certain techniques or conditions to help move a group of individuals in a “group mind” state.

So when I began facilitating this particular group, they were all acting like individuals who were unable to focus their collective mind on the topic. In IPNB they say there are simple techniques to help the mind settle down and move from the reptilian brain state (survival brain) to their frontal lobe part of the brain (more collaborative, thoughtful). One way Sarah Peyton did this with me was having me first think of an unsettling situation. Then she and several others asked me: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we lived in a world where… (e.g. there was no time urgency) (or there was not prejudice)?” She had several others repeat that phrase back to me with their own interpretation of what I was feeling unsettled about.

After hearing several people empathize with me, I noticed a distinct feeling of my body. What happened was I could definitely hear a settling down of the agitation where I felt really tense in my upper body and head. And it moved into a calmer feeling that seemed to locate in my gut.

What does this have to do with engaging groups? Without realizing it, this seminar showed me that I already do a definite series of things that help move the group from an agitated, individualist mind state to a calm, centered, focused mind state. And that’s what I mean by engaging the group.

So what are some steps you can take to engage the group mind?

Create connections with participants in advance. If you sense that many members of your group are wildly apart in their perspectives, it’s helpful to have a voice or in-person time with them before the meeting in the form of a short phone or in-person interview. In that time, you really seek to establish a rapport so that he/she knows you really have their best interests in mind at the meeting. Send out a very focused but explicit agenda with the key questions that the group will be asked to answer and with some information on what tone you hope this meeting takes, what outcomes you expect the group to achieve and what processes might be used in each section of the discussion. This relieves anxiety of those that like to prepare well for a meeting and like to know what is to be expected of them and know how to do it. Arrive at the meeting space as early as possible so you can set it up beautifully with color, toys, plants and lots of visuals of objectives, agenda, parking lot, or whatever is appropriate to the group culture. This early set-up will allow you the time to warmly greet any early comers and feel relaxed when you first introduce yourself to the group. Set Context. The key points I like to make in my opening words or context setting include something about my role in ensuring that every voice is heard in the room. I tell them my objective is to make sure that people stay focused, productive and have a good time while doing so. Sometimes when the topic is complex I let them know I have done some reading on the subject, but I am definitely not the expert on their content. I don’t try to understand everything and I let the group know that in advance. Give the “Why” of the process – Before every activity which includes some process that I suspect the group has never experienced before, I explain why I’m using the activity and the benefits of using it. If the group still seems resistant to participating in this activity, I might cajole them by reminding them that they’ve hired me to keep them focused and productive. I might ask them to try it and see how it feels before they make a decision about its appropriateness.

There are likely other steps but I think 5 is a good number to start with. I’d like to explain that on the morning of this unruly group I described in the introduction, it felt like they were acting as individuals with little cooperative spirit. But I can proudly say to you that after lunch when I suggested a group process, they immediately jumped into the task without a single word of dissent. In the words of IPNB (Interpersonal Neurobiology), I had “entrained” their brain.

For more ideas on engaging the group, check out these facilitator modules:

	Collaborative Organizations
	Engage Group Learning with Color, Music and Movement
	Learning Art & Science of Engaging Meetings: Just Say No to “Soul Killing” Meetings
	Trust & Mistrust

There are many reasons in a facilitated session for breaking a group into smaller groups (i.e. breaking a group of 10, 15 or 20 people into small groups of 2-4 people). Often, if there is not a lot of safety in the group, some group members might resist being broken into small groups because they feel that 1.) they will not hear all of the content of every discussion and 2.) decisions might start to be formulated without their involvement. This blog will discuss how to overcome this resistance. We will also discuss key steps to take to ensure that your small groups have very good results.

First, how do we deal with resistance to breaking into small groups?

If there is not much safety in the group, you may have to do a number of processes and exercises where they stay as a whole group so they begin to understand each others perspectives before you move them into small groups. You can also let them know before they move into small groups that they will not be making any decisions on behalf of the whole group. The purpose of their small group discussions is simply to give a chance for every voice to be heard and to come back with some refined thinking for the whole group to process.

Why do we break a larger group into smaller groups?

• To let everyone share their rough, draft thinking in a smaller group setting so that the entire group doesn’t have to hear all of the pre-thinking that goes into a recommendation.
• To downsize the impact of people who normally are very comfortable participating in a large group (i.e. sometimes these people are called dominant participants), often at the expense of quieter members of the group.
• To energize a group that has been listening to a larger group discussion for some time.
• To give the facilitator time to reflect on the next piece in the process and/or to observe the dynamics of certain members of the group.

What are the steps we can take to create successful small group discussions?

• Clear written instructions on what their task is – Often we only give our instructions orally. Many of us are not auditory processors. We do much better with hearing and seeing instructions. I often will create written small group instructions ahead of time and make a copy for everyone. This way no one is confused about what they are supposed to do in their small group. I give them specific questions to discuss with suggested amount of time they spend on each question. I also tell them what deliverable or product is expected from them by the end of the total small group process time. View sample instructions on our template page.
• Break them up out of usual cliques – It’s helpful to think ahead of time how to divide up the larger group. For example, if there are both board and staff members you might get all of the board member to number off first, and then have the staff number off. This way every group will have approximately the same number of board and staff members.
• Let them get to know one another before doing a task – If group members are unlikely to know each other, they may be a little reserved at first in sharing information or their ideas around a topic. You can help “break the ice” by having them first answer a simple question in their small group such as “Share your name”, “Why are you interested in this topic?”, and “What’s one of your favorite pastimes?”
• Ensure they have enough time and the right supplies – For most small group discussions I typically give 20-25 minutes for complex subjects and 5-15 minutes for a quick sharing of information. If they are required to report back to the large group, ensure they have been told how you would like them to present their information. For example, you might wish them to come up with 3 recommendations written on a large flipchart page. Or, you might get them to decide on their top 5 priorities, give them large color dots, and ask them to post their dots on a list of options posted at the front of the room.
• Be sure to let the group know when their time is almost up – One way NOT to do it is to yell at the top of your voice, “5 minutes left!”. A preferred, less obtrusive way is to approach each group when there is 5 minutes left, catch the eye of someone in the group and show them your hand with 5 fingers pointing up.

For more ideas, see our Facilitator Learning Modules:

Difficult Behaviors: Working with Reluctant, Hesitant or Dominant Participants

Integrating Learning with Story, Song and Symbol

We’ve had so many requests for strategic planning since the mid 1990’s.  Some people call or email and know exactly what they want.  For example, they say, “We want to do strategic planning using the Blue Sky Method, or the Strategy Mapping tool introduced by the Harvard Business Review”.  Or, “We want to do a short strategy session and just come out with our one year priorities”.  Others say, “We want to be sure to include all of our relevant stakeholders, and see what they want us to do over the next five years”.  Some requests are more tentative, “We think we need to do strategic planning and we are not sure where to start”.  Each request is a little different but the bottom line is people want to gain a better sense of direction for their organization or teams.  And, if they are smart they don’t want to repeat what they have always done.  In other words, they want to be strategic… see below for what that means.

One example of strategic planning products using
the Harvard Business Review strategy mapping tool.

A few key things to know:

• The language of strategic planning can be confusing.  Here are just few of the terms you might have heard: SWOT analysis, vision, vision statement, mission, purpose, values, trend analysis, retrospective review, goals, issues, challenges, obstacles, objectives, accomplishments, priority focus areas, strategies, strategic directions, action plans….WHEW – what to do and were to start?
•  To be very simple, consider the word “strategic”.  In the case of strategic planning, you are being “strategic” when you do four  things:
  • Articulating  what ideally will be in place in 3-5 years (clearly stated outcomes, the vision, the “North Star” focus – why we are called North Star Facilitators)
  • Exploring what typically gets in your way (challenges, obstacles)
  • Finding innovative ways over the next 2-3 years, to deal with internal and external challenges and simultaneously move toward your vision (strategies or goals)
  • Based on all of the above, determining the most catalytic 1 year targets to strive for (objectives, accomplishments)
• When you are working from previously generated outcomes or goals and brainstorming new actions or ideas to reach those goals, we’d call that implementation of your strategic plan (objectives and action plans).
• If you are looking at existing operationalized committees, departments or teams,  and thinking about next year’s preferred activities, we’d call that the annual operational planning – it’s not necessarily strategic unless tied to a recent strategic plan.
• The best time to do a full blown strategic plan is if you have not done a good thorough look at your organization for 3-5 years, and/or you’ve had a lot of changes, and/or your organization needs an overhaul, and/or you are an organization that likes to be at the leading edge and continually improve.
• Whether you do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Or Threats) analysis, a trends analysis, a review of your history, a mission or purpose statement, and/or a values-building exercise, is dependent on how much time you have to devote to planning, and whether your organization has a good foundation. If you might describe your organization as “aimless” or “unfocused”, you probably need to do all or most of these additional activities as precursors to strategic planning.  
• There are really creative was to do forms of strategic planning using graphic facilitation processes.  One we use is called P.A.T.H (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope – created by Canadian Jack Pier Pont), or using wonderful templates you can order through Grove Consultants.  A Grove workbook, I used recently with colleagues for my own personal strategic plan was called “Personal Compass”.  If you need some creativity boost, we highly recommend these.  You can also hire a graphic facilitator to illustrate your strategic planning products (also known as visual practitioners).

In our own module resources, you can learn more about the “how to” of various components of strategic planning with the following titles.  All available in PDF for $14.95 each. Click the link for more information.

	Secrets of Strategic Planning (includes a nifty mission & purpose building exercise)
	Plotting a Group’s History – The Historical Scan or Journey Wall Technique (gives a step by step amazing facilitated process developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs as a way to honor accomplishments and lessons of the past to ensure a positive future build on a strong foundation)
	Six Great Visioning Tools (includes a tried and true detailed script to do an organizational and personal guided visioning session)
	Getting to the Root of the Issue (for articulating obstacles or challenges)
	Graphic Facilitation Techniques for Non-Artists (tips on how to embellish your planning products yourself)