Process Paralysis: Don’t Let Your Facilitation Strengths Get in Your Way
May 31, 2010 by davissm · 7 Comments
As facilitators, we are keenly aware of group process and expert at facilitating it. However, is it possible that there are times when our process-oriented strengths hold us back? In this week’s article, Process Paralysis, we explore how inordinate attention on process might be an impediment to group progress. I realize this article may be a bit controversial, and being a closet radical, part of me hopes it is. So I welcome your comments, disagreements, or any other thoughts you’d be willing to share on this topic or anything that it might trigger for you. I look forward to hearing from you.
Really great piece and a critical point. Fits very much into a gestalt framework which is about getting from sensation to action and having sufficient awareness, however not getting stuck there. Continues to be an ongoing place of work – how to support the group to move. Thanks for writing and for posting it.
Great article! I recall facilitating strategic planning with a group but I noticed that comments seemed to frequently make reference to some hard feelings re processes that had happened in the past two years. I stopped the planning, shared what I was perceiving and gave people the opportunity to vent in a safe environment. After the group felt they had gotten everything out (we didn’t resolve anything b/c of the nature of the issues – just allowed venting), I then resumed the strategic planning. Things progressed easily and quickly after that. It was as if a weight had been lifted off the whole group.
As facilitators, it’s often critical to trust our intuition and act upon it with a group – even when it means disrupting process.
Your prompt to stop over processing group to move forward made me wonder how much of intuition must be part of the facilitators took kit? Since facilitation as a practice can be the background in any niche; how integral is the intuitive design of whatever ‘process’ fits the next move? By process I mean here that knowing to breath into facilitators own intuitive knowing NOT to use a process for this group now is also a process for the facilitator. You have given some wonderful symptoms to know when to move into task orientation from group process orientation my question is is there an transition activity you know of to let the group know and Trust that all is well ?
Or is it enough to trust as a facilitator that Now we move into task because the symptoms are there and abandon group process to get the job done in a timely fashion?
I often hear my inner voice saying, “what is more important: the client fitting into process, or giving the client what they need in order to be successful?” I say the latter. Thanks for the article.
Excellent article again as always. This is precisely my issue. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Thanks for your inputs everyone!
@Ann: Hadn’t thought about Gestalt parallel, good point. Yes, not getting stuck, you said it! Important to balance process, task or relationships as the moment requires.
@Gayle: Thanks for sharing that experience. Yes, I too find that simply sharing what’s bugging us is all that’s required to move past it. And yes, intuition is huge! A process that’s not working needs to be disrupted!
@Naima: Yes! Intuition is the box in which I store my tools and what I see as my greatest asset as a facilitator, next to actually sharing it with the group that is. I design processes as best I can before starting a group and almost always adjust or omit some things based on what I sense the group wants and what they tell me they want.
Not sure what you’re trying to convey by assuring a group that “all is well.” Maybe all is not well. Whatevery the case, be honest about what you see and be positive, supportive, and diplomatic moving forward.
And I would never say that we “abandon” process in general, we just need to be aware about over-focusing on it. Does this make sense?
@Kim: Glad to hear that Kim…about the article I mean. Let me know if I can help with your issue
Well said BethMarie!