The Secrets of Facilitation

The SMART Guide to Getting Results with Groups

Michael Wilkinson

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9781118233306
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Betriebswirtschaft
• Subtopic: Entscheidungsfindung

The revised edition of this facilitation classic offers a wealth of targeted techniques for facilitators who seek effective, consistent, and repeatable results. Based on Michael Wilkinson's proven SMART (Structured Meeting And Relating Techniques) approach, The Secrets of Facilitation can help to achieve stellar results when managing, presenting, teaching, planning, and selling, as well as other professional and personal situations.

This expanded edition includes new chapters on facilitating virtual meetings, cross-cultural teams, and large groups and conferences. It also provides a series of strategies for engaging teams, additional information about making meetings more productive, and further guidance on preventing dysfunctional behavior. In addition, the book contains a wealth of fresh case studies and an ancillary website with must-have tools and techniques for both the beginner and the seasoned facilitator.

Praise for the First Edition of The Secrets of Facilitation

"One of the single most powerful processes is the ability to successfully lead a group to an impactful, actionable outcome. In The Secrets of Facilitation, beginning and experienced facilitators alike will find tools to take their results to the next level."

— Jim Canfield, chief learning officer, TEC International

"This book shares 'The Secrets' that have been the basis of my facilitation practice for over a decade."

— Kerri McBride, past chair, International Association of Facilitators

"In my career, I've seen many, many facilitators. Michael Wilkinson is the best. 'The Secrets' explain why."

— Len Roberts, CEO, RadioShack

"We have trained over 100 leaders and business analysts in 'The Secrets.' Great facilitation works."

— Peter Scott, executive general manager, MLC–National Australia Bank

"At last there is a practical, hands-on guide for anyone who works with groups or teams. This book delivers!"

— Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO, Herrmann International, Herrmann Brain Dominance Indicator

CHAPTER ONE

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A FACILITATOR?

Questions Answered in This Chapter

What is the definition of a facilitated session?

Why must the participants “create, understand, and accept” the results?

What is the role of a facilitator?

What are the attitudes that make up the “soul” of a facilitator?

When is facilitation not appropriate?

What’s next for the field of facilitation?

---

CASE STUDY: The Facilitator’s Role in Civic Leadership Groups

In major cities throughout the United States, there are civic organizations, such as Leadership Atlanta and Leadership New York, that specialize in bringing together business, religious, community, and government leaders once a month in small groups to discuss key issues facing the urban area. These civic leadership organizations are designed to break down barriers and create networks across racial, socioeconomic, and business sector lines. Participants are part of a small group for a year and then become graduates and are able to assist with incoming classes.

The small groups are typically facilitated by a local volunteer who is a program graduate. The volunteers often differ widely in their level of prior facilitation experience. We were called in by one civic leadership organization to assist by providing facilitation training for the group facilitators.

Through our review of feedback we received from the first group we trained following their eight months of facilitation, we realized that there was a wide variance in the role each facilitator played.

• In some cases, the facilitator simply played the role of a meeting adviser. In this role, the facilitator did not lead the meeting planning or execution, but instead primarily sat on the sidelines and stepped in only when asked or when a situation occurred that the participants could not handle themselves.
• In other cases, the facilitator played the role of a meeting manager. In this role, the facilitator set the agenda, established ground rules, and initiated the discussion, but stepped in only when needed.
• A third role we saw was that of meeting leader. In this role, the facilitator set the agenda, established ground rules, and initiated the discussion just as the meeting manager did. In addition, however, the meeting leader was active in getting participants excited about participating. The facilitator described the purpose of the session in terms that gave the participants a much bigger picture of the importance of each session in the overall “Leadership” experience. In addition, the facilitator challenged the participants when the discussion appeared to remain at a conceptual level instead of delving into personal application, and the facilitator was very active in ensuring that all participants engaged in the discussion.
• Finally, we saw the role of the participating leader. In this role, the facilitator started out much like a meeting leader, by setting the agenda, establishing the ground rules, and initiating the discussion. But the facilitator also actively engaged as a participant in the discussion, frequently offering his own views, giving his opinions on topics, and expressing disagreement with various comments.

We believed that it was important for the organization to determine the role they wanted facilitators to play, so as to increase the level of consistency in the experience each small group received. On the basis of the feedback from the participants, the organization concluded the following:

• The participating leader was not an appropriate role because it tended to disempower the group and negatively impact the experience of the participants.
• It was best for facilitators to start as meeting leaders to help the group engage and to establish a high level of energy and interaction.
• Over time, facilitators were expected to move into the meeting manager and meeting adviser roles as participants took more control of the process and meeting execution.

---

What is the appropriate role of the facilitator? Is it meeting adviser, meeting manager, meeting leader, or participating leader? Let’s start with some foundation information first, then we’ll revisit this question when I cover the responsibilities of a facilitator.

---

SAMPLE SCENARIOS: Group Solutions Needed

What would you do if you were faced with one of these situations?

Human Resources Organization—Hiring Process

The vice president of human resources is fed up with all the complaints she has been receiving about problems with the hiring process. Some departments complain that it takes too long to get people hired. Other departments are concerned that their people don’t have enough involvement in the screening process. Still others believe we are hiring people who lack some of the basic business skills needed for success. The vice president has appointed you to lead a twelve-person, cross-functional task force to research the problem and recommend a revised hiring process, including an implementation plan and timeline.

Food Processing Plant—Quality Plan

The general manager of your plant announces, “We have been asked by our largest customer [a fast-food chain] to develop and implement a plan for ensuring that our beef patties, buns, and sauces will be able to keep up with the customer’s rising quality standards. If our plan is unacceptable to them, or if our people fail to implement the plan successfully, we stand to lose over 50 percent of our business. I know this won’t be a small task, but I want you to make it your number-one priority. Just let me know what you need, and who you need, to get it done.”

Transportation Company—Systems Project

You are leading a systems development project for your transportation company. The consulting firm developing the computer programs estimated that the system would cost $10 million and require three years to implement. Two-and-a-half years and $12 million later, the consulting firm is estimating that another $10 million and two years will be needed to complete the job. In two days, the chief information officer wants a recommendation to take to the company’s executive committee. You and your eight-person management team need to decide whether the company should continue to invest in the project, salvage what it can from what is currently finished, or cancel the project completely.

---

Managers in both the private and public sectors are frequently faced with handling situations such as these. Yet they are often ill-equipped to plan, execute, and follow through on these efforts. Many don’t know the steps to take or the pitfalls to avoid. For example, if you were faced with one of these situations, how would you answer the following questions?

• What overall approach should you take to address the issue; specifically, what should the group do first, second, third, and so on? Is a “strategic planning” approach beneficial? Or perhaps an “issue resolution” or “process improvement” approach would be better?
• Who are the right people to participate in the decision making?
• When the participants meet, how do you get them interacting and working together right from the beginning?
• What do you do to prevent one person from dominating the discussion, or to keep people from dropping out, or even to prevent two people’s disagreement from derailing the entire meeting?
• How do you ensure that the group stays focused and on task? What do you do when people attempt to focus on side issues or “hidden agendas”?
• How do you keep the energy high throughout the session?
• What techniques do you use to encourage participants to reach consensus on a final solution?
• How do you ensure at the end of the effort that everyone is clear about what was done, the resulting benefit, and the next steps to be taken?

When Is Facilitation Appropriate?

Although the three scenarios described earlier are not identical, they have several key elements in common.

• An important issue has been detected. There is an issue that needs to be addressed: an inefficient process, a client seeking assurances of continued quality, a project that has exceeded its budget.
• The solution to the issue is not readily apparent. If the solution were obvious, more than likely it would have been implemented already. To develop a solution will require a deeper understanding and analysis of the situation with input from a number of people.
• Buy-in is needed for the solution to be successful. The solution will require acceptance—and often a change in behavior—by a number of people. Without acceptance, even the best solution will fail.
  • If the revisions to the hiring process are unacceptable to the hiring departments or personnel, the hiring process will continue to be ineffective.
  • If the general manager allows the quality director to develop the quality plan without the involvement of key people on the plant floor, the chances of successful implementation are significantly decreased.
  • The decision on whether to continue or cancel the systems development project must take into account all relevant information from all sides of the issue. If critical information is withheld, or if key parties are left out of the decision-making process, the decision may lack foundation and support.

I believe that ...