intro-to-facilitation new-scs v092617 printable · for scs, course requirements include successful...

Music only.

Course #: ID‐2017‐35 1

Introduction to Facilitation for New Supports Coordinators

This webcast includes spoken narration.

To adjust the volume, use the controls at the bottom of the screen. While viewing this webcast, there is a pause and reverse button that can be used throughout the presentation.

The written version of the narration appears to the right of the screen.

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Certificates of Achievement will be available to new Supports Coordinators who complete this webcast as part of their Orientation. Please view and then save or print your certificate in order to receive credit for this course.

For SCs, course requirements include successful completion of a pre‐test and post‐test.

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Hello, my name is Kathy Alston from the Office of Developmental Programs. Welcome to this webcast, An Introduction to Facilitation for New Supports Coordinators.

On behalf of the Office of Developmental Programs, I want to welcome you to your new position and wish you the best.

In the ODP system, a supports coordinator is responsible to locate, coordinate, and monitor services. Those are words used to describe duties, but there are many skills that the supports coordinator must learn and practice in order to perform these duties well. Facilitation is one of the most important of those skills. The facilitator’s role could be compared to that of an orchestra conductor: both take responsibility to bring order and harmony to the work of a group of people, each of whom has a contribution to make.

This webcast provides an overview of the concepts and skills you need to successfully facilitate team meetings and discussions. But facilitation is also a skill that takes experience. You’ll learn from watching mentors and through your own work with teams. You and your supervisor will reflect on your experiences and discuss ways to continue learning and improving as a facilitator.

The skill to facilitate team work matters most in the lives of the individuals and families you support. It is very satisfying to know the role you played in orchestrating the team has supported the individual to get the life he or she wants.

Now I’m going to turn the webcast over to Dave Maloney from The Columbus Organization. Thank you and good luck in your new role!

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Thank you, Kathy.

My name is Dave Maloney. I’m a Training Manager with The Columbus Organization, one of several partners that develop training for the Office of Developmental Programs.

First, I’d like to say congratulations on beginning your new career as a Supports Coordinator! I hope you find your work even more rewarding than you anticipated it would be.

We’ve designed this webcast for you as part of Orientation for your new job. Although there are several specific methods for facilitation, this webcast is only the beginning of learning to work with teams and have productive discussions with them. Over time, you’ll pick up new methods and become skilled at leading teams as a facilitator.

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I’m going to start by asking you to reflect on past experiences. Think of a time when you were part of a meeting or discussion that really went well. You might remember a teacher who was a master at getting a group to share ideas. Perhaps you worked with someone who was able to make sure meetings ran smoothly – everyone knew their part, everyone could add to the discussion, there was a sense of accomplishment at the end. Is there something like this that comes to mind for you?

I’m hoping you’ve had the experience of working with a group of people who were creative, excited, and seemed to really enjoy making a plan together. It can be fun and energizing to be part of that!

How do those good meeting experiences happen – is it luck? Or was there someone who led the discussion, encouraged people, and kept things moving? Who smoothed out the rough spots when there were disagreements? Who made sense out of the many parts, like the conductor mentioned earlier?

If you can think of a similar experience in your past, the person who you see at the center of it all – a supervisor, director, or maybe just somebody with a natural talent to lead ‐ was playing the role of a facilitator.

Good discussion and efficient teamwork don’t happen by accident: it takes planning, coordination, and skill.

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A discussion that ends with a sense of accomplishment, clear responsibilities, and even excitement! These are the kinds of meetings that we all want, EVERY time! Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that every meeting will be a life‐changing experience – or even exciting.

But there are ways to make meetings better, or at least, productive, more often. What does an experienced and competent facilitator know and do that makes meetings efficient and worthwhile?

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This will be an opportunity for you to jump in and do some of the thinking with me. Get your mouse or touchpad warmed up.

The map symbolizes a meeting from beginning to end. The post‐its already on the map represent elements that make for a good meeting, in order of when each element should happen.

The post‐its to the left need to be put on the map, in the order they should happen. Your task is to move the remaining blocks from the stack onto the map. Click, drag and drop, like this.

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When you’ve placed all the post‐its on the map where you think they belong, click next.

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This is how the steps line up. Don’t worry if your map is a little different. We’re just setting the stage for an important concept in this webcast. Notice one thing about the meeting map: there are a number of important things that happen before the meeting starts. This is a theme that we’re going to pick up later in the webcast. A facilitator does certain things in a specific order. Thinking about specific tasks in order helps us feel confident and prepared.

Now that you have a general idea of the focus of the webcast, let’s look at the specific objectives.

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During this webcast, you’ll learn what facilitation is and how it makes a difference. We’ll talk about the two kinds of experts that are part of every meeting and how they support the process of facilitation. You’ll learn the responsibilities of a facilitator and how these skills are part of your role as a supports coordinator.

I’ll take you through a framework for the steps of facilitation, including specific methods that facilitators use to promote effective communication at team meetings. We’ll talk about some common challenges that occur in meetings and strategies to address them; and then we’ll wrap up with some thoughts about what you can do to improve your skills over time.

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What is facilitation? It’s easy! No, I mean that literally, the word comes from the same root word as easy – “facile.” One definition of facilitation is to make a process easier.

Facilitation may mean “make the process easier,” but I’m not saying that it’s easy to be a facilitator. As you learn about the methods of facilitation, I want you to be thinking of the word “easy” in a different way than the definition. Consider your own skills and for each new method, ask yourself:• Would this be easy for me to do? or,• Do I think I need to practice this method in order to master it?

When you hear yourself thinking, “I’d need to practice this method,” make a note of that part of the webcast. This is something you and your supervisor may want to discuss to see if there are ways to practice to improve your skills and increase your confidence.

The information in this webcast will be useful when you lead team meetings, but you’ll find the skills useful whenever you are dealing with a group of people. Because, let’s admit it…

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…sometimes, getting a group of people with different perspectives and ideas to pull in the same direction is a challenge, even when the discussion is respectful.

How does facilitation work? First, it provides the meeting with structure. Like a water glass holds liquid so it doesn’t spill, facilitation gives the meeting form: a definite beginning, middle, and end. Those sound like simple things, unless you’ve been in meetings that always start and end late; that have no predictable form. Like a glass, facilitation also provides boundaries, an inside and an outside. For example, facilitation includes techniques to bring conversations that have wandered off topic back within the confines of the purpose of the meeting, or to manage unproductive disagreement that’s outside the bounds of respectful behavior.

Process and structure are the foundation of facilitation methods.

Within structure, process occurs. Process is about using techniques, such as specific questions to start the conversation flowing, or, wrap it up when there’s no more to say. Gracefully moving the conversation from one topic to the next is like leading a group across a bridge. The process seems effortless in the hands of a talented facilitator.

A final thought on structure and process: this is not about control. Actually, the opposite is true. A facilitator uses process to expand and encourage team discussion – even lively give and take – but the discussion occurs within the structure the team agrees upon and it also supports making decisions and action plans.

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There are two types of people that attend meetings.

The first type is people who are content experts. These are people who have known the person for a while, perhaps a lifetime, and deeply understand what the person wants in life. If family and friends come to mind, you’re on the right track. Providers are also content experts because they have history and background. They spend a great deal of time with the person and know so much about routines and what is important to the person. Content experts know what works and doesn’t work. They’re the people who regularly attend the person’s meeting, and often ones who would say they love the person.

Experts in a professional discipline can also be content experts, such as a physician who joins the team as needed.

Some people forget to name the primary content person at first: the person. After all, who is more of an expert on the content of YOUR life than you?

The second type of person in a meeting is a process expert. If you’re the facilitator, you’re the process expert for the team: keeping the discussion going, staying on topic and on pace, guiding decision‐making, and drawing content experts into the discussion.

As the supports coordinator in a team meeting, your role is facilitation – being the process expert. Could you also be a content expert? The answer is yes, if you’ve known the person a while, share a good rapport, and have knowledge to contribute. Process and content experts are not mutually exclusive roles, but it can be challenging to provide both roles in the same meeting.

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Supports coordinators know they are responsible to be process experts ‐ the facilitators of teams. As a facilitator who is also the SC, you may be seen as an authority by the team. The knowledge and information you give in a team meeting may carry more weight in others’ eyes. However, you may also feel that you have a great deal of important information to share as a content expert. The reality is, one person can perform both roles as long as he or she is aware of the potential conflicts and knows how to manage them.

There are ways to demonstrate that you believe everyone’s contributions are important. Perhaps you could give your ideas after others; you might think about modeling respectful meeting behavior by being careful not to interrupt and by allowing people time to say everything they want. If you disagree with someone, being very direct by saying, “We disagree” may come across as harsh and shut down discussion. Voice disagreement softy, saying, “I think I’m in a different place than you are on that issue – can we talk more about our reasons?” Disagreeing this way may invite the person to say more and it tells the group that everyone’s opinion is equally valued.

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We’ve covered the foundational concepts of facilitation. Next, we’re going to go over a model that will help you remember five key points for facilitators.

You’ll recall how we talked about that structure and process are foundations of facilitation. The Five Point Facilitation Framework is one way to conceptualize the structure and process of facilitation.

The advantage of the Framework is that the Points are in the order that the facilitator should follow. First, defining the purpose of the meeting, then planning and preparing materials and topics, making sure place, time, and environment are appropriate; and, when the meeting is actually taking place, using specific techniques to promote discussion and support decision‐making. Finally, the Framework includes the plan and agreements the team has created.

The Framework includes techniques but there are many more available online and perhaps within your own organization. Ask for your supervisor’s guidance about which techniques make sense in your organization and learn from observing how other supports coordinators facilitate meetings. Take what works for you, try it, adapt it to your own style, practice, and then reflect on how to improve. Now, let’s talk about each point in detail.

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We’ll start, of course, at the beginning. Not the beginning of the meeting, but with the tasks that need to happen in the days, weeks, or even months before the meeting occurs.

Notice the small star and red line at the bottom of the slide. The star symbolizes the meeting.

So that we are clear where we are in relation to the meeting – before, during, or after – you’ll see the red arrow on the left move to the right, approaching the meeting star. If you’re a person who likes a reminder of where you are in the process, the star will help you keep track.

Meetings happen for two reasons: they are required or there is a specific reason the team needs to meet. Whether a meeting is required or called by the team, there must always be a clear purpose – or more than one purpose. If no one can name the reason for a meeting, why hold it?

The first job of a facilitator is to ensure the purpose of the meeting is clear and team members know what it is. When made aware of a request to meet, the facilitator checks with the team to ensure everyone understands the purpose. Of course, the facilitator must confirm the most important agreement to the meeting and to purpose: the person’s.

Here are some examples of meeting purposes:• To develop new ideas or exchange information• To problem‐solve a new issue• To make a decision• To explore a new opportunity• To develop or review the Individual Support Plan

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There are two things to cover within the second point in the Framework, Planning and Preparation.

First, take the purpose and develop it into a more detailed agenda. Start with the easy stuff: Date, time, and place. Then add discussion points, and the name of the person who asked that it be discussed.

The agenda isn’t necessarily very formal. It could be as simple as writing down discussion points. There are times when a written agenda and distributing it ahead of time may be necessary – say, when there are new team members who need time to think about the purpose, and their role and contribution. But whatever form the agenda takes, the facilitator should at least clearly reflect start and end times, the topics to be discussed, and about how much time should be devoted to each agenda item. People appreciate knowing in advance what’s on the agenda. No one likes to be surprised by a topic that they should have prepared for or show up without a report because they weren’t asked to bring it.

But an agenda has another purpose. It’s your roadmap. As the facilitator, you can use it to keep the meeting on pace and make sure important topics are covered.

Agendas can also help facilitators prepare for what they might need to do during the meeting; for example, are there potential conflicts that might surface in the meeting? How can you prepare for those conflicts? The Introduction to Conflict Resolution webcast that you’ll watch next has specific information for addressing conflict. Or, do you need to brush up on decision‐making techniques the team may need? Are there materials – flip chart paper, handouts, refreshments – that need to be provided? Who can help with those?

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Let’s get into a little more detail about choosing the date, time, and location for the meeting.

Before you can let everyone know the specifics of date, time, and place, you as the facilitator need to make sure of a few things:

• Is the time and place convenient for the person, the family, and others the person wants to attend?• What about other team members – does it work for all? Or, does it work for key content experts

and those who need to be part of team decisions?• Is the location accessible ?• Is there enough parking? • Is there anything special about the location people should know, such as, making sure to get a

visitor badge? • Does the location suit the purpose – for example, if sensitive issues will be discussed, is it private?

Even if a facilitator is working with a team that is usually comprised of the same members, he or she may still need to check on place, time, and environment, just to be sure there are no surprises. Of course, if a new member is joining the team, make sure they know and confirm that the meeting logistics will work for them.

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We’re now at the fourth part of the Five Point Framework. Notice the meeting star: we’ve arrived at the meeting itself. The fact that we’ve spent several minutes talking about what occurs before a meeting highlights that preparation is important and takes more time and thought than we sometimes realize.

The Process Point has the most detailed information and includes specific facilitation techniques. We won’t go into a lot of detail about the techniques. The purpose of this section is to give you a general idea of what a facilitator does during a meeting and an overview of some of the tools they use.

Starting a meeting is one of those things that sounds easy, but there are some tips that will get things off to a good start. And how things start has a lot to do with how well things end.

Facilitators arrive first to make sure the room is set up and can greet the other group members as they arrive. When you arrive, take a moment to check the environment (unless it’s a private home) to make sure the room is clean and orderly. This will help team members to feel welcome. It also helps you to feel like you’ve got things under control, and feeling confident is important!

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Everyone has arrived, it’s time for you to start the meeting.

First, let’s think about a team in which all members already know each other. There’s really no need to have people introduce themselves, but most people like to catch their breath and compose themselves before jumping immediately into the agenda. A facilitator wants people to feel at ease, so ask a question that will give people a chance to start talking and relax into the meeting. Don’t take too long on this – maybe a question about plans for the weekend. Getting people to talk early will make it more likely that they’ll talk later.

If there are new team members, always ask everyone to introduce themselves and say what their relationship is to the individual.

If you’re facilitating a team that’s used to working together, chances are they have already decided on rules that make for respectful, productive discussion. For example, one person talks at a time, if a phone call or texting is necessary, take it outside the meeting area, and showing respect to each other by ending on time. When a team is new or has new members, a facilitator may want to spend a few minutes asking people to name the ground rules, or agreements, they’ll use during the meeting. Again, ground rules are not only for the team; they can be useful for you as the facilitator to keep things on track. Talk with your supervisor about ground rules to learn more.

Next, if there’s a written agenda or handouts, make sure people have them to read along. Then, review the purpose and ask if it still reflects what people feel needs to be discussed or if there are other issues. While asking this question about new agenda items may result in unexpected suggestions, it’s necessary to bring issues into the open at the beginning, if possible, rather than have them derail the discussion half way through the meeting.

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It’s time for the team to begin the discussion. As the facilitator, you’re balancing two things at once: first, using techniques to manage the discussion and keep it flowing, and second, showing people by your example how you want them to respectfully and effectively participate.

The facilitation skill we’re talk about is active listening. By way of illustration, how do you know that a friend is not listening to what you’re saying? You might notice that:• He’s not looking at you while you talk.• He might start talking to someone else while you’re talking.• He interrupts you in mid‐sentence.• If you ask him what you just said, he gets it wrong.

If we turn those behaviors around, we have a list of respectful active listening skills:• Showing interest with attention: eye contact, head nods, posture leaning slightly toward the

speaker• Not interrupting• Staying on topic in your responses• Rephrasing another person‘s words and asking if you got it right.

Remember: show people how to respectfully participate with your words and actions. Lead with your example.

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Now we’ll talk about asking questions of the group. All questions are not created equal. If you have a goal in mind, asking the right question will accomplish the purpose. For example:

Let’s say Jack’s team wanted to know more about his experience in respite. • If the response you need is a definite fact or a yes or no answer, ask a closed‐ended question:

“Jack, did you stay in respite last weekend like you planned?” Jack will let you know the answer. • Do you want as much information as Jack is willing to tell? Is there information that seems to be

missing or do you need detail to understand? Ask the question in an open‐ended way: “Jack, what did you like the best and least about your weekend in respite?” It’s an open invitation for Jack to say as much as he wants.

• Is there one individual who has specific information or knowledge? Direct the question to that person: “Dr. Smith, as Jack's psychiatrist, what do you think about his taking medication earlier in the day when he’s going home in the afternoon?”

• Or do you want to ask questions in a way that gets people talking or gets broader input on an issue? Ask a question of the entire group: “What are people’s experiences with this agency?”

As you become familiar with facilitating team discussions, you will find yourself thinking, “What information will prepare this team to talk about next steps and where does this discussion need to go from here?” When you start thinking this way, you’ll be able to choose a question format that helps you steer the discussion in the most productive direction.

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The next step in the Framework is handling challenging situations. There are many different challenges a facilitator might encounter. These are a few of the more common with suggested strategies for each.

If despite your best efforts, team members are not opening up when you ask questions, let people know you really need their feedback on a specific issue and then ask them to take turns giving their thoughts. Nobody wants to be put on the spot, so give people an out – allow them to “pass.” Eventually, one or more people will break the ice and you may be able to get discussion flowing again. This technique is called “round robin.”

The opposite of a quiet team can present a challenge for facilitators, as well. Conversations that go off topic may be difficult to pull back into focus. This is an example of how taking time to form the purpose and topics can pay off: you can use the agenda that the team agreed upon to bring people back to what they need to discuss.

Here’s another example of a good practice at the beginning of the meeting that can be used to manage a challenge: if you and the team developed ground rules at the start of the meeting and included “only one person talks at a time” then you may be able to diplomatically remind the team of the rule if side‐bar conversations become distracting.

When a meeting bogs down and you can sense people starting to drift, you may choose to catch their attention by giving a quick summary of what’s been discussed so far and then moving quickly to another topic. The technique of a quick summary and a pivot to the next topic is called “bridging” because it leads the team out of a place that’s no longer interesting or has been thoroughly discussed and directs the team into new territory.

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Not all, but many team meetings will include discussion of the preferred way of solving problems, making a choice from multiple options, or agreeing to next steps. When teams are making decisions, the role of the facilitator is essential.

Why is it necessary to have a facilitator who understands and grasps decision‐making methods? Because even the best teams have more active and quieter voices. When it comes to making decisions that affect an individual’s life, the process must be fair and people need to know they had input into the decision if they’re going to be expected to help put the plan into action.

This is an important time to say again that this webcast is an introduction and it’s not possible to quickly become proficient in using decision‐making techniques with a brief overview. The four methods I’ll talk about will only give you an idea of how facilitation of group decision‐making happens. They’ll take practice to do well.

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The four methods are:Compromise: compromise is the process of reaching a decision in which everybody gets some of what they wanted, but no one gets everything he or she wanted. When it isn’t possible for everyone to agree on the same course of action, compromise may be the next‐best option. But the key is that all team members perceive the solution as fair.

Spontaneous agreement occurs when the team reaches sudden and universal recognition on one course of action. Sometimes, spontaneous agreement happens because there’s only one obvious solution compared to other unacceptable options. But often, spontaneous agreement is the result of the work of a skilled facilitator who guides team members to address and resolve concerns until resistance falls away.

Consensus is what most teams seek when making decisions: it’s complete agreement on a plan and strong commitment to implement it. Consensus, though desirable, is not always possible; but a skilled facilitator can help to make it happen. Consensus can also be extremely time‐consuming as teams work out details and disagreements, often over several meetings.

Deferring a decision to an expert occurs when the team has confidence in the expert’s skill and when the expert is willing to accept responsibility for the decision. For example, a physician might make decisions about health issues, with the consent of the individual.

At the point that decisions are being made about next steps, actions, and team members responsible to complete actions, the meeting is coming to a close.

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Discussion has wound down and the facilitator reflects back to the team the major points and decisions. People who have accepted responsibility for actions confirm their agreement to follow through.

As people sense the meeting is coming to a close, it’s natural for people to begin to gather belongings and get ready to leave. However, it’s important for the facilitator to make sure he or she has everyone’s attention while summarizing the meeting and agreements. Doing so underscores the importance of the work the team has accomplished and sends a signal that the team is accountable going forward. It also gives the facilitator – and the entire team – one last chance to make sure everyone’s on the same page.

Make sure the team has decided if there will be a next meeting and to get the date on the calendar. This will save you time later having to coordinate schedules.

A facilitator might also want to make a clear end point for the meeting by doing a quick round to ask people two questions: “What did you think went well today?” and “What would you want to change the next time we meet?” The questions accomplish two things: team members have a sense that they have input and responsibility for improving the process going forward. And, the facilitator also gains insight into how to improve the experience the next time.

Before everyone dashes for the door, make sure to thank the team!

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A facilitator’s responsibilities don’t end when the meeting ends. If notes are to be distributed, you should plan to do so within one or two business days so details aren’t forgotten. Written notes can be brief and similar to the summary you gave at the end of the meeting: major discussion points, decisions made, actions to be taken, who’s responsible, and by when. Include the names of team members who attended.

When you begin documenting service notes, you’ll need to ensure meeting information is also accurately reflected there as well.

I recommend that soon after the meeting, you check in with your supervisor to tell her or him how things went and ask for input. There are other techniques you may learn in the future, and all of them will take practice to use the skills well.

After a meeting is finished and notes are done, it may be tempting to leave it behind until the next meeting and move on to other responsibilities. I recommend that soon after the meeting, you check in with your supervisor to tell her or him how things went and ask for input.

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Now: it’s all about you.

After a meeting is finished and notes are done, it may be tempting to leave it behind until the next meeting and move on to other responsibilities. I’d also challenge you to make time following a meeting – the next day, if possible – to reflect on how you did as a facilitator, what you plan to do again the next time; what could have gone better – and putting all that information together – what will you do next?

Here are four simple questions adapted from the “4+1” person‐centered thinking skill that can help you to reflect on how you did and what you can do to keep improving your skills:

1. First, what did I hope to accomplish as a facilitator?2. What did I learn from facilitating this meeting? 3. What am I pleased about after facilitating the meeting?4. What could I have done to make the meeting better?

And based on the answers above, what should I do next?

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Thanks for watching this webcast. I hope what we’ve covered will be helpful to you.

Check with your supervisor to see when you should schedule time to view The Introduction to Conflict Resolution webcast, available in the same place you found this webcast.

Don’t forget to take the post‐test when you are ready and open and print a Certificate of Achievement.

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This webcast has been developed and produced by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Programs in partnership with The Columbus Organization.

Thank you for participating in this lesson.

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