facilitating tough conversations
TRANSCRIPT
FACILITATING TOUGH
CONVERSATIONS
Hello!We facilitation.Melissa Jones@openclssrm
Natalie Thoreson@inVision_Change
fa·cil·i·ta·tor - noun \fə- ˈsi-lə- ˌtā-tər\
one that facilitates; especially : one that helps to bring about an outcome (as learning, productivity, or communication) by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance, guidance, or supervision
WHAT IS A FACILITATOR?
GOOD FACILITATION LIVES AT THE INTERSECTION OF:
BEST PRACTICE
ATTRIBUTESRESPONSIBILITIES
CONSIDER:
➜ What are the responsibilities of a good facilitator?
➜ What are the attributes of a good facilitator?
A skilled facilitator is a woke facilitator.
Maintaining safe spacefor participants regardless of and with regard to diverse social identities
Recognizing and interrupting oppression and microaggressionsthat arise during the facilitation
Ensuring that everyone has space to participate especially those with historically silenced
Responsibilities of a “Woke” Facilitator:
ATTRIBUTES OF A STRONG FACILITATOR:
Self-Awareness & Cultural Self-Awareness
Patience, Empathy & Compassion Commitme
nt and Accountability to a Community
Expertise & Confidence
Humility, Open-Mindedness & Acknowledgment of Imperfection
Humor, Joy & Resilience
OPPRESSION MATTERS!
GROWING AS A STRONG FACILITATOR:
Understanding oppression
Cultivating your own self-awareness
Developing the skills to interrupt and support
privilege + social power = oppression
OPPRESSION
Systematic social phenomenon based on the perceived and real differences among social groups. This system involves the ideological domination, institutional control, and promulgation of the ideology, logic system, and culture of the group in power. The result is the exploitation of one social group by another.
DISRUPTING THE CYCLE OF OPPRESSION: START WITH SELF-AWARENESS
➜ Educate: Shift your stereotypes through education. Books, classes documentaries, and workshops can help us unlearn stereotypes
➜ Connect: Develop friendships with people who don’t share your social identities to unearth stereotypes and become aware of unconscious prejudice. You might be surprised how much you have in common!
➜ Interrupt: Engage difficult conversations and be open to hearing feedback about your behavior. “I don’t think that you meant it this way…” is a great way to begin a statement interrupting discrimination/oppression.
DISRUPTING THE CYCLE OF OPPRESSION: OVERCOME YOUR TRIGGERS
➜ Remember: It’s not about you.
➜ Remember: Engaging aggressively does not initiate change.
➜ Believe that people are good, and have good intentions.
➜ Act the part.
Identifying opportunities to think differently
about your practice
ANTI-OPPRESSIONFACILITATION
Begin by engagingDIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS
Be aSTAR PERFORMER
“I don’t think youINTENDED IT THIS WAY…”
Standing tall vs.BEING SMALL
Fan theFIRE
Practice, practicePRACTICE
Know when to hold ‘emKNOW WHEN TO FOLD ‘EM
Thanks!Any questions?You can find us at:
CREDITS
Special thanks to all the people who made and released these awesome resources for free:
➜ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival➜ Photographs by UnSplash