Facilitation and Meeting Skills

Setting the Meeting Up

What is a Facilitator?

• A facilitator is a person who helps groups to arrive at their objective.

• Facilitators work primarily through leading, blocking and enabling techniques, basically directing traffic within a group discussion.

Agendas

Why do we have an agenda?

Helps people prepare

Ensures important issues are covered

Gives structure to topics

Keeps meeting on track

Structures the minutes/notes taken

Your Plan to Facilitate the Meeting – some tips:

• Set the venue.

• set aside time.

• prepare a facilitation plan.

• make plans for documentation

• consider any it requirements.

• ensure everyone knows how the meeting will be run

• prepare psychologically.

Building Better Group Decisions

Building Consensus

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Gathering Information

GO-ROUND

• Each member of the group gets a turn to speak without getting interrupted.

BREAK OUT GROUPS

• The facilitator divides the participants into smaller groups, and then later asks for a representative from each group to share their point of view

BRAINSTORMING

• Gathering information that involves getting as many ideas as possible from the group in limited time.

FISHBOWL METHOD

• Participants are separated into an inner and outer circle. In the inner circle or fishbowl, participants have a discussion; those in the outer circle listen to the discussion and take notes.

Solving Problems Productively

What are the Barriers to problem-solving in meetings?

• Lack of clarity in stating the problem

• Not getting the needed information

• Poor communication within the group

• Premature testing of alternative strategies, or premature choice

• A critical, evaluative, competitive climate

• Pressures for conformity

• Lack of inquiry and problem solving skills

• Inadequate motivation

Brainstorming

A free and open environment that encourages everyone to participate. Quirky ideas are welcomed and built upon, and all participants are encouraged to contribute fully, helping them develop a rich array of creative solutions.

SCOT analysis

Strengths

Challenges

Opportunities

Threats

Handling Difficult Moments

Addressing Difficulties

1. Refocus the discussion on the agenda.

2. Identify the intention behind the disruption and address it.

3. Reiterate rules.

4. If no rule against the disruption exists, then take it as an opportunity to set one.

Helping the group resolve issues on their own

• Ignore. For cooperative teams, natural facilitators will emerge if the facilitator doesn’t make immediate interventions.

• Promote direct feedback. Ask the group members what they think about the situation or a particular person’s behavior.

Using Ground Rules to Prevent Dysfunction

Ground rules in a group meeting can relate to

• How to make the most of the meeting.

• How to make a contribution to the discussion.

• How members should treat other members.

• Issues relating to confidentiality.

• How violations of ground rules would be addressed.