Meeting Facilitation

Andrew M. SachsCoordinator, Public Disputes Program

Dispute Settlement Center, Carrboro, NCWednesday, February 11, 2015: 10:00 – 11:00 am

For more information: asachs@disputesettlement.org/(919) 929-8800 ext. 23

Webinar Desired Outcomes

• Understanding of facilitator’s role

• Insights into tools and techniques

• Awareness of additional resources

Webinar OutlineSection I

Facilitator’s RoleProcess vs. ContentFacilitator Tool: The Opening Statement

Section IIFive Goals for a Good MeetingFacilitator Tools: Preventions and Interventions

Section IIIFacilitator Tools: Desired Outcome, Agenda & Ground Rules

Section IVAdditional ResourcesQ&A

Facilitator’s Role

Facilitator’s Opening Statement

Facilitator’s Opening Statement

• Explain role

• Engage group in reaching consensus on outcomes, agenda and ground rules

• Get permission to intervene

• Invite feedback on performance

Section II: Five Goals for a Good Meeting

Five Goals for a Good Meeting

Participants concentrate on one subject at a time.

Participants follow a clear and agreed upon process.

Conversation is open to all group members and balanced among them.

Roles are clearly defined and agreed upon.

Participants’ feelings and ideas are taken into consideration.

Participants Concentrate on One Subject at a Time

Participants Concentrate on One Subject at a Time

• Plan• Advance agenda• Opening Statement• Ground Rule: “Stick to the agreed upon topics.”• Use flip charts• Listen reflectively• Announce shifts in conversation• Point it out when someone’s off topic• Use a “parking lot”• Help the group revise the agenda

Participants Follow a Clear and Agreed Upon Process

Participants Follow a Clear and Agreed Upon Process

• Put methods on the agenda• Opening Statement• Post agenda on flip chart• Announce shifts in process• Ground Rules: “Stick to the agreed upon tasks”/”Decide by

consensus.”• Explicit post-meeting steps• Point it out if the group’s off process• Remind group of process agreements• Is the agreed-upon process still useful?• Try another approach

Conversation is Open to All Group Members and Balanced Among Them

Open & Balanced Conversation

• Room set up

• Ground rules: "Listen attentively," "One speaker at a time," "Share the floor.“

• Thank group members for contributing ideas

• Establish a queue

Open & Balanced Conversation

• Ask group members to react to ideas

• Encourage quieter group members to participate

• Ask the more talkative to give others a chance

• Float a trial balloon

Roles Clearly Defined and Agreed Upon

Roles Defined & Agreed Upon

• Convener• Group Member• Observer• Flip-Chart Recorder• Chairperson or Group

Leader• Resource Person• Facilitator

Roles Defined & Agreed Upon• Meeting Planning:– Who’ll be attending?– How will key roles be

filled?– What will people in

those roles do/not do?

• Ground rules

• Roles in the meeting follow-up

• Evaluate performance

Roles Defined & Agreed Upon• Orient new members

• Rotate some roles

• Point it out

• Clarify prior agreements

• Revise definitions and assignments

Participants’ Feelings & Ideas are Taken into Consideration

Participants’ Feelings & Ideas are Taken into Consideration

• Facilitator’s demeanor

• Plan for peoples’ needs

• Room conditions

• “Disagree respectfully“

• Write ideas & feelings on flip charts

• Reflective listening

Participants’ Feelings & Ideas are Taken into Consideration

• Don’t minimize or try to fix strong feelings.

• Listen and watch for signs of discomfort.

• Say what you think is going on.

• Invite group to deal with trust, respect, etc.

• Call for breaks or caucuses.

Section IIIDesired Outcome, Agenda, & Ground

Rules

Desired Outcomes

Awareness of each group member’s perspective on an issue.Shared understanding of the current situation.A list of concerns about a situation.A goal for making a change to a situation.Options for solving a problem.Consensus on a solution to a problem.A plan for implementing a solution.

The Agenda• Meeting start and end times.• Topics to be covered in that time.• Activities to be used for each topic:– Presentation– Discussion– Brainstorming– Evaluation– Decision Making

• Time budgets for those activities.

The Agenda• Formats for each activity– Full group– Break outs– Panel– Pairs

• Who will fill key roles for each agenda item: Presenters, Panelists, Discussion Participants, Invited Resource Persons, Decision Makers, etc.

Ground Rules• Begin and adjourn on time.• One speaker at a time.• Stick to the tasks and topics on the agreed-

upon agenda.• Listen attentively.• Share the floor.• Honor our agreements about confidentiality.• It is OK to disagree...please do so respectfully.• Decide together.

Good Books for Facilitators• Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making. Sam

Kaner, and others. New Society Publishers, Philadelphia, PA (1996).

• How to Make Collaboration Work. David Straus. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco, CA (2002).

• How to Make Meetings Work. Michael Doyle and David Straus. Jove Press, New York (1976).

• The Skilled Facilitator: A Comprehensive Resource for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches. Roger Schwarz. Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA.

(2002, second edition).

Online Resources for Facilitators• Appreciative Inquiry, http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/• Future Search, http://www.futuresearch.net/index.cfm• Interaction Associates Ideas, http://www.interactionassociates.com• National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation, http://ncdd.org/• Open Space Technology, http://www.co-intelligence.org/P-

Openspace.html• Problem Solving Techniques,

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TMC.htm• Study Circles, http://www.co-intelligence.org/P-studycircles.html• Using Online Tools to Engage and Be Engaged by the Public,

http://www.businessofgovernment.org/report/using-online-tools-engage-public

• Visualization in Participatory Programmes http://portals.wi.wur.nl/files/docs/ppme/VIPP_Unicef.pdf

Conclusion/Q&A