Removing Barriers to Collaboration
One of the most challenging things for us to deal with as facilitators is the “difficult” participant. I’m sure you’ve all experienced this either as a member or leader of a group. You know the kind of person I’m talking about. He’s the one who keeps interrupting the group to ramble incessantly on some seemingly [...]
Before we discuss the illegitimate reasons people meet, let’s start with a quick review of useful reasons to meet. To manage(one-way communication…the leader seeks action) To build and inspire action and commitment. To gain support for an idea or project. To enhance internal alignment(build team spirit…who) Team Building—to create identity, collaborative spirit, and clarify responsibilities [...]
I enjoy airplane metaphors, perhaps because I’m a private pilot and fly them occasionally. While reflecting the other day on what I believe to be core acts of facilitation, a series of airplane metaphors came to me. One thing I most value about metaphors is that once they are felt and understood they tend to [...]
As a trainer and facilitator, and someone who often trains trainers and facilitators, I often ask myself this question, What constitutes success in a group? Whether the group is seeking to learn something new, or to carry out a plan of action in response to a problem or opportunity, success usually equates to participants getting [...]
The deeper we delve into any subject, the more complex and intricate it can become. I think it’s common to think that to become an advanced practitioner of facilitation, or any art for that matter, requires a move in the direction of increasing complexity. While a deeper and/or broader scope of knowledge and experience is [...]
I received the following paragraph in an email one day. Please read it first, then we’ll talk about it… According to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset [...]
As facilitators, we are naturally observant and insightful when it comes to assessing going dynamics. Still, we are human, and being human we filter available data through our lenses of biases, experience, and conditioning. With every observation we make, at best we can only make inferences as to what’s really going on. These inferences may [...]
In order to be a great writer, a person must have a built-in, shockproof crap detector. –Ernest Hemingway– This quote by Hemingway, as a writer for writers, applies equally well to facilitative leaders. So often we communicate with one another through unspoken assumptions and agendas, often without realizing it. Unconscious assumptions present huge barriers to [...]
For this article, I’ve adapted research data from a paper written by Nicholas C. Romano, Jr. and Jay F. Nunamaker, Jr. entitled, Meeting Analysis: Findings from Research and Practice. This paper offers an excellent summary of meeting research data on many meeting issues, including group size, the results of which are summarized in the Application [...]
Design an environment that supports people, purpose, and process Just ask any of the growing number of Feng Shui consultants how important your environment is to your effectiveness. I’m sure each of you can remember a time attending an event where something in the environment either supported or hindered your involvement in, or enjoyment of [...]
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