facilitation points

8/17/2019 Facilitation Points

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Facilitation Points

by Tree Bressen

THE 5 PRINCIPLES OF FACILITATION

1. You are the servant of the group, the steward of the process.

• No content input—if you must give content (opinions, solutions, answers to

questions, how you feel about a proposal, input), label it as clearly separate

from your facilitation role.

• High ethics—act with integrity.

• Explain what you are oing (transparency). !mit mista"es.

• !s" permission, you are not in charge—it#s a service role, not an authority

role.

• $tay groune.

• $et your intention before you start, an help the group set theirs.

• !s" for a moment of silence if neee.

• %rust the process an have faith.

2. Plan ahead and work outside the meeting

• &lan agena ahea of time.

'ommunicate with each presenter.

&lan realistic time bounaries.

Ensure materials an bac"groun ocuments are reay.

• nterview participants ahea of time, especially if you expect controversy.

• %hin" ahea about ifferent formats.

• e aware of group#s groun rules if they have them, an ecie whether you

want to propose any if they on#t.

• e reay with your explanatory introuction to what you#re oing as a

facilitator.

• ring flip chart*easel*mar"ers, chime, whatever else you nee for facilitator

role.

• +our ob oesn#t start when the meeting starts an oesn#t en when the

meeting is over-your ob is to support the process an that may mean more

than two hours outsie the meeting for every one hour in the meeting.

3. Help each person feel heard. • se paraphrasing, scribing (writing stuff up front where everyone can see it),

an other methos to reflect bac" what people are saying.

• /ocus on interests an not positions—what is the unerlying nee that

someone is expressing0

4. ork with all of what!s in the room.

• %une into the energy.

• 1or" with the feelings an intuitions an "inesthetic input (boy language

an signals), as well as the rational content of what people offer.

• &ay close attention.• ring out unerlying ynamics to wor" with them constructively.


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". #isten for common ground and reflect it $ack to the group, as often as

necessar%.

• e active in the role an gently firm.

• 'elebrate progress.

"Facilitator's Box" is an opportunity to set up the framewor". n this space you

might2

3. Explain how you operate, e.g. how you see your role, specifics of stac"ing, etc.

4. $uggest groun rules an as" for group agreement on them.

5. !s" for group support as you learn these s"ills.

Managing Opn !iscssions an# E$ali%ing Inpt

Hea off tangents fast, before they evelop fully, to "eep things on trac"

'reate a basic expectation of conciseness an respect for the group#s time6 encourage

people to get to the point $tac"ing (spea"ing orer list)2

7on#t ma"e a long stac"

1eave comments together as you go

89 to call on people in a ifferent orer than the orer in which they raise their

hans $ummari:e frequently

$traw polls2 can use to get a quic" chec" of the room, but on#t fall into a voting

atmosphere

$upport shy people to spea" more, ma"e a little extra space for them

'an use structures as occasional interventions to provie feebac" to people on how

much airtime they use, such as yarn, beans, or tallies

&oring (it) Blocs * Concrns;isten for the truth in each person#s expression.


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;isten closely.

Engage the people with concerns in solving the problem. !s" them what woul

wor" for them that woul also meet others# nees.

Options if a concern is unresol!ed and time is finished:

3. ;ay it over to a future meeting4. $en it to committee, with the person bloc"ing inclue

5. %al" uring a brea" or outsie the meeting—>coffee>

?. @eiation (if interpersonal conflict)

A. f correct bloc", lay own the item

Tree Bressen facilitator and teacher has been assisting intentional communities

nonprofits and other organizations with group process since "##$. Pages from her

website are a!ailable for copying and distribution free of charge as long as you

continue to include these credit lines and contact information. Tree li!es at %alnut

&t. 'o(op in )ugene Oregon.

%ree ressen3BCD 1alnut $treet

Eugene, 8regon F?D5

A?3-?C?-33AB

treeGic.org
http://icetree.com/walnut/http://icetree.com/walnut/http://icetree.com/walnut/mailto:[email protected]://icetree.com/walnut/http://icetree.com/walnut/mailto:[email protected]

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