Mastering Facilitation

A Guide for Assisting Teams and Achieving Great Outcomes

Morgan L Jones, Morgan Jones

• Publisher: Productivity Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780367543464
• eBook ISBN: 9781000213942
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business Strategy
• Index: Business

With business and organisations moving at an ever-faster pace and facing evermore demanding challenges, the need for efficient, succinct and productive interaction between individuals of those businesses and organisations is more important than ever. With the bounds of communication restrictions abandoned through technological advances (we can now see and hear anyone across any manner of virtual platforms anywhere around the globe) and with a greater understanding of the underlying dynamics of human interaction, unprecedented pressure has been thrust upon the individual or individuals who, often, enable these dynamic interactions: the facilitator.

Many of us have, at one time or other, been responsible for a meeting – whether between a small number of individuals or an entire organisation of hundreds, or possibly thousands, of businessmen and women.

Or, perhaps, we've had to be the mediator in a family dispute closer to home or managed a discussion between two feuding friends or colleagues. One way or another, chances are, all of us have been a facilitator at some point in our lives.

With the ever-growing demands placed on facilitators, this book delivers a methodical and structured approach to facilitation. This book is the definitive guide to instruct and assist facilitators – both new and experienced – with a set of guidelines and underlying theory that will benefit any facilitator, whether as a mediator between two individuals, single-handedly facilitating a group of 100 or working as part of a facilitation team in a multinational corporation.

The first part of the book develops the core basic skills of those new to the art of facilitating. There are many examples and exercises to show the reader how to apply them in different situations. The second part of the book is for more experienced facilitators as it focuses on more advanced skills and tackling difficult situations. Specific tools and techniques are illustrated for the reader. Essentially, this book is aimed at developing and mastering the art of facilitation. Facilitation is the art of getting the best out of groups of people to brainstorm, solve problems and gain consensus. Based on 30 years' experience of the author and running multiple facilitation training courses across the globe, this book is aimed at upskilling people, managers and leaders to drive change and consensus with groups through running workshops and meetings.

Section III

Advanced Facilitation Skills and Methods

5
Understanding Groups and Individuals: Facilitating a Synergistic Dynamic

The world is moved not only by the mighty shoves of heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.

People doing the same thing in the best possible way doesn’t necessarily result in group productivity. This is merely the duplication of work. It is when energies are spent cooperatively and collaboratively that productivity is maximised. This requires a skilled facilitator who can manage group activities in creative and dynamic ways. Synergistic facilitation helps create a dynamic where the diverse ideas and skills of group members blend and integrate into a meaningful, vigorous and constructive whole. As H.E. Luccock said, “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.” Facilitation is an art in itself and the masterful application of facilitation skills enables the facilitator to produce a glorious symphony of individual skills and efforts.

As a synergist, the facilitator aspires for the ideal or the best possible result of group work. It is expected that in group work one plus one plus one does not necessarily add up to three. Sometimes, the result may be zero – or even negative. Team effectiveness is besieged with several challenges that derail team processes and deter positive results. Being the process expert, a facilitator is in the unique position to bring about synergy so that the team may be able to produce outputs greater than the sum of their inputs. The facilitator is tasked to create a framework for the group activity that reduces process losses, maximises the potential outcomes and boosts process gains.

The simple equation: Potential Outcome − Process Loss = Actual Outcome is anchored on the Input–Process–Output idea where the quality or the amount of group output depends on how the input is processed such that potential group effectiveness is not always equal to actual group effectiveness.

PO − PL = AO

PO – Potential Outcome, PL – Process Loss, AO – Actual Outcome

The potential outcome of a group is defined by the inputs. The inputs relevant to the job of a facilitator include the following factors:

• Skills, knowledge and attitudes of group members.
• Group norms, values and characteristics.
• Existing relationships and interactions, such as authority and influence.
• Group size.
• Resources.
• Nature of task or purpose.
• Developmental phase.
• Reward structure.

How these inputs are processed will either increase or decrease team process losses. Some of the process variables include the following:

• Utilisation of resources.
• Use of skills and knowledge.
• Task performance strategies and tools.
• Communication structures.
• Work coordination.
• Atmosphere.

The facilitator could not change the inputs, as they are givens. It is the facilitator’s responsibility to make sure that group interactions and processes optimise these givens and also make up for inadequacies, rectify errors and/or capitalise on emerging opportunities. In such cases, the team may be able to supersede expected performance. The actual output is not simply a document or a decision written on paper.

Group outcomes include the following:

• Task accomplishment.
• Quality of outcomes and decisions.
• Satisfaction and emotional tone.
• Social integration.

It is clear that the ability of the facilitator to minimise team process loss is dependent on how well he or she understands the nature of groups and group processes.

Later sections in this book elaborate on these concepts to give the facilitator a deeper understanding of groups. Examples of how these concepts are applied in the world of facilitation are given to amplify their significance.

Dimensions of Group Interactions and Relationships

In order to set the stage for maximum participation and productivity, the facilitator should know what factors influence individuals and how they interact with other group members. Effective facilitation addresses these different dimensions (Figure 5.1).

FIGURE 5.1 The dimensions of group interactions.
(Adapted from Hunter, Bailey & Taylor, 1995.)

Physical dimension: The physical environment. The facilitator should focus on:

• Keeping members comfortable and safe.
• Attending to their physical needs to increase energy and productivity.
• Providing tools and resources for easier learning and doing.

Cognitive dimension: Existing knowledge and skills and the pre­dominant cognitive/learning styles of the members. The facilitator should focus on:

• Emphasising the significance of the group activity to the member’s welfare and development.
• Adopting a flexible strategy to cater to a range of experiences and cognitive preferences (see Learning Styles).
• Tapping the cognitive strengths of individuals to maximise their contribution (see Levels of Focus).
• Providing supplementary information or suggestions when appropriate.

Emotional dimension: Feelings, emotions, prejudices and dispositions of the members and also the emotions that the activity is likely to evoke. The facilitator should focus on:

• Fostering individual self-esteem.
• Respecting individual differences.
• Keeping in check any indication of emotional outburst.
• Insti...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• SECTION I Facilitation Fundamentals
• SECTION II Core Facilitation Skills
• SECTION III Advanced Facilitation Skills and Methods
• SECTION IV Evaluation and Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Appendices
• Index