Self-Awareness

Knowing others is wisdom. Knowing the self is enlightenment.
– Lao Tsu –

Leading a group to achieve a common goal in no easy task. Individuals aren’t always in agreement with one another and aren’t always clear on where they want to go. It takes a certain amount of intestinal fortitude, courage, and authenticity to meet the demands of this role.

Many competency models tend to ignore the Facilitator’s Self-Awareness , yet the practice and modeling of this trait  is key to building more highly functioning teams.

Self-Facilitation is a necessary skill requiring you to practice conscious and mindful action in each and every moment, which can be challenging in the presence of dynamic, sometimes dysfunctional groups. It requires you to be conscious of content, context, process, and human psychology in any given moment. Facilitating happens in real time and in front of other people. Therefore, facing the challenges brought on by this role is transformative for the practitioner as well as for the group itself. Playing the Inner Game of Facilitation prepares you to serve your groups in the best way possible.

We’ve identified two Archetypes in the Self-Awareness quadrant, The Inner Guide and The Scholar, each containing several competencies to support your growth and expression as a facilitator.

Facilitating Emergence of Collaborative Groups

There are certain attitudes and beliefs we hold about groups in general and certain behaviors that reflect them, that we believe impact the unfolding of a highly functioning group.

Facilitator Attitudes, Beliefs and Behaviors…

  • We believe that presence facilitates flow. The inner space occupied by each participant influences “the field” of the group. Noise in any mind adds noise to the field. Quiet minds clear the field. A clear field makes what’s next self-evident and facilitates the flow of the group’s work.
  • We believe and act as if the collective intelligence of the group will guide us in helping it emerge and we listen to its promptings.
  • We share our perspectives only in service to helping the group meet its goals. 

Participant Attitudes, Beliefs and Behaviors…

There are certain attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that we observe and encourage in participants that we believe also impact the unfolding of a highly functioning group.

  • Strong desire to be part of a high functioning group. This includes the willingness to face fears and the courage to express them.
  • Appreciation of the complexity of groups and are patient enough with themselves and others to allow their best to emerge.
  • Willing to give their all to the group’s task, while practicing surrender of any attachment to particular outcomes.