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Facilitation SkillsBy Fran Rees

Part 1

How to Lead Work Teams

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Change is the only constant

Technology in today’s world has made cross-global communication faster

Computer and internet provide more information very quickly

People work from project to project in matrix fashion – and move on

The roles of leaders continue to change

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Process is as critical as product

Leaders must be skilled at facilitating: listening, collaborating, obtaining support for decisions, using consensus processes, leading participative meetings.

Frequent meetings required for clarifying outputs and goals, open discussion, creative sessions, coming to consensus, sharing responsibility, and listening to others.

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Facilitation skills are essential for all leaders

Teamwork is a process; it is the way people approach work.

A facilitative style of leadership focuses on motivating and involving others to set and accomplish goals synergistically.

The role of a team leader is one of a coach, motivator, team member, and facilitator.

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Team work has two dimensions

Task SocialBoth are always operative:

to the extent the team does its work well, it will be productive; to the extent that it manages relationships well team members will have a sense of belonging and commitment.

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Facilitating Team Leaders

L.E.A.D. (a 4 point model)1. Lead with a clear purpose2. Empower all to participate3. Aim for consensus4. Direct the process

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Constructiveconflict

resolution

Respect for differences

Mutual trust

Attention to process and

content Power in group to make

decisions

Open Communication

Maintainindividual self-

esteem

Interaction involvement

of all members

Leadership

Common goals

What teams need

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Lead with a clear purpose

Help the team to identify goals that are challenging, positive, and realistic.

Publish the goals and refer to them often.

Use goals to guide a decision. Track progress in achieving goals Celebrate when a milestone is reached.

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Seeking other opinions and ideas

Listen actively Ask questions or paraphrase to clarify

what was said Thank the person and resist having

the last word.

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In directing the process:

Is everyone participating? Are the right people present? Are members communicating well? Are members free to disagree? Are there interpersonal conflicts? Do members follow the norms? Is the mission/goal written down and

does everyone have a copy?

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Are you, the leader, comfortable with facilitating the team?

Is the team making progress on its tasks and goals?

Is the team making progress on how well they are working together?

Do members have a sense that they belong to a team?

Is it clear who is on and who is not on the team?

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Team leaders wear two hats:

As team member As facilitator (when facilitating, the

leader remains neutral and lets the team work up a solution)

The strong leader knows when to tell and when to listen

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Controlling vs. Facilitating leader

Controlling leader is responsible for decision making: tell, sell, direct, delegate, solves problems, sets goals, uses authority to get things done.

Facilitating leader and team members share responsibility for decisions: listens, asks questions, directs group process, coaches, teaches, builds consensus, shares in goal setting and decision making, empowers others to get things done.

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Who is a Facilitative Leader?

One who acts on the premise that the leader does not do for others what they can do for themselves

When the team leader facilitates, success belongs to the team.

The leader takes control of the process, letting the team come up with the content.

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Consensus

The decision is one that is reached when all members of the group work together to build a solution and to support the group’s decision 100%.

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Change Takes time Is a process, not a decision Requires plenty of experience and

practice in the new way of doing things

People may resist change even when it is for the better

Change may cause confusion and disorientation.

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Facilitation The process of making a group’s work

easier by structuring and guiding participation so that everyone is involved and participates.

Facilitators provide opportunities for members to collaborate, solve problems, make decisions, define processes they will use, and learn better how to work together.

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Values drive Behaviors

Values are at the core of facilitation because: What we value and care about

influences what we believe; What we believe forms our attitudes Our attitudes lead to our behavior.

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Ability to lead today requires more than skill.

It requires: Emotional maturity High tolerance for diversity Adaptability to change Affinity for two-way communication Heart (vital for good listening)

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Needed for successful facilitation:

A focused goal or objective Open communication Key points recorded Key points summarized Mutual agreement reached or

decision postponed Decisions made as to who will do

what by when.

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Traditional Role of Team Leader

Manage and coordinate the team so it can do its best work

Provide resources for the team Link the team and its work to the rest

of the organization Be a contributing team member

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Collaborative Leaders

Listen more at meetings Draw out the ideas of the team Keep the meeting focused and

participative Maximize their human resources

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Characteristics of Good Leaders

Knows how to act as a facilitator Is skilled in helping groups solve

problems Knows how to develop, maintain, and

motivate teamwork Is a model of what is expected Listens well Encourages others to participate

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Characteristics of Good Leaders

Values knowledge and expertise of each team member and knows how to draw on it.

Pitches in and does some of what the team does, when necessary

Knows how to coach and inspire Knows how to help people focus Empathizes with the struggles Is willing not to be the expert

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Characteristics of Good Leaders

Is comfortable with relying on the expertise of others

Understands and anticipates change Fosters team communication both

electronically and face-to-face

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Challenges Team Leaders Face

Fast pace Pressure to make decision quickly Rewarding individuals rather than the

team Members have too much work Lack of people with facilitation skills People who do not value facilitation Elitist style of upper management

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Supportive and Effective Forces

Increase variety of input needed in decision making

Increase tasks and work that require cooperation

Less formal hierarchy Leaders who model teamwork not

simply support it Information readily available to

people to do their work

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Supportive and Effective Forces

Buy in required for implementation Technical and social avenues for

frequent communication Supportive atmosphere when people

make mistakes Willing to give and receive

constructive feedback People motivated by collaboration

rather than by self-advancement

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Part 2

CommunicationGood Meetings

Facilitation SkillsConsensus, problem solving,

brainstorming, reaching closure

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Communication

Effective communication builds rapport and trust with others and accomplishes necessary results.

What are the best methods to connect with one another?

How to communicate effectively and in a timely manner?

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Phone

A strong substitute for face-to-face communication.

Allows for immediate dialogue Tone of voices, speed of speaking

and inflection convey much of the speaker’s message

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Effective Conference Calls

Plan for the call ahead of time State on agreed objectives for the

conversation up front Have a written follow up of what was

agreed upon At the end of the conversation, review

and check for common understanding and interpretation

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E-Mail is a much preferred method for some

forms of communication because it is current and easy to send work for input, revision, minor changes, etc.

It does not replace high-quality, face-to-face communication for brainstorming, planning, consensus

It lacks synergy and other key components of building trust

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Face-to-Face

A team cannot work together unless the members are together.

The presence of a facilitative leader usually increases understanding, fosters an atmosphere of friendship, brings critical concerns out in the open where they can be addressed by all.

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Questions for an open forum “check in” based on trust

and confidentiality

What is going well for you? What do you wish was going better? What have you achieved already?

What are you looking forward to achieving?

What do you need from the other members?

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Questions for “check in:”

What do you need from the leader? How is the team doing in its work? In its communication? Is there a sense of unity? How could the team function better?

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Objectives: the driving force

of a good meeting

Writing out the objectives for a meeting helps everyone understand its purpose. When they are posted where they can be seen during the meeting, they keep the group focused

Three ingredients of the objective: an action, an outcome, and qualifiers, if necessary.

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Objectives lead to considerations:

Is the meeting necessary? Who should attend the meeting? When should the meeting be held?

How long do we need? Where should the meeting be held? Is any pre-meeting work necessary?

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What processes will accomplish the objective?

Brainstorming A problem solving model Small group work An information presentation A short training session Prioritizing

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Good Reasons for Meetings

Pastoral planning / projects Team building Faith sharing Conflict resolution Encouragement and celebration

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People leave the meeting with:

A sense accomplishment A clear plan of action for what

happens next An assurance that someone is taking

minutes and they will receive them within 48 hours

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Problems at meetings Getting off the subject No clear objectives Poor attendance Too many distractions Lack of facilitation No effective decision making process Little pre-meeting orientation Canceled or postponed meetings

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Problems caused by ineffective meeting leadership

No clear cut meeting objective Ineffective meeting processes No closure or follow-up Disorganization in planning or

running the meeting

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The process (methods used to acomplish the work) is as

important as the content (what the meeting is about).

Many leaders are so concerned about the content that they ignore the process. Processes include pre-committee work, discussions, presentations, sub-group work, use of flip charts, etc.

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Role of the Facilitator

Serves as a guide or a catalyst Does not give an opinion about the

content but directs the process. Provides the method and structure

for group to focus its energy and creativity on the task.

Remains non-evaluative

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Facilitator’s techniques Maintain a climate conducive to listening,

participating, learning, understanding, creating.

Help the group establish and accomplish its own objectives

Provide guidance with the structure Keep the group focused on its objectives Encourage dialogue between members Direct processes that mobilize the group to

do its work

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Facilitator’s techniques

Encourage group to evaluate its own progress

Capitalize on differences in the group for the common good

Remain neutral on content and be active in directing the process**

This is not possible when the facilitator is passing on informationor conducting training. Here the facilitator may play a dual role: content expert (presenter) and process expert (facilitator). Must step back – and be one or the other.

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Facilitator’s techniques Protect the group and their ideas from

being attacked or ignored Tap the groups reservoir of

knowledge, experience, and creativity Sort, organize, and summarize the

group input or get the group to do it Help the group to move to healthy

consensus, define and commit to the next steps and reach timely closure.

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Leaders’ facilitating skills: Designing and planning the meeting Focusing the meeting Encouraging participation Recording people’s ideas Managing the group process Organizing, connecting, and summarizing data Bringing the group to consensus and closure

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Plan for Meeting Participation

Start with activity that includes everyone

Keep presentations short and follow them with comments or questions

Group members talk 80-90% of time Vary with small groups or sub groups Organize data ahead of time Record stray issues for “next time.”

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Verbal Techniques Ask open-ended questions Phrase request to encourage more responses Acknowledge contributions made Ask for specifics or examples Redirect questions to other members Encourage no-vocal participants Paraphrase for clarity, understanding

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Leader avoids stating opinions while facilitating …

Yielding to the temptation to comment on the proceedings discourages valuable interaction among other participants, causing good thoughts to be lost and time to be wasted.

Refer to contributions people have made as this helps consensus.

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Important non-verbal behaviors

Attentiveness (good eye contact, turn toward the speaker, etc.)

Voice and facial expressions that display confidence and enthusiasm

Silence (know when to pause, wait, or say nothing)

Movement and position in the room

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Role of the Recorder

Position may be rotated Flip Charts may be used Make sure all input is accurately

represented in a brief phrase Use a key phrase to summarize the

participant’s wording or ask him/her to summarize in a phrase or two.

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Managing Group Process Limits on time and topics Structure without strangulation (help

participants stay with the process) However, a certain amount of

“wandering” can be productive Summarize and bridge Mirroring helps the group monitor

itself (ask them how they are progressing)

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If the group gets stuck:

Facilitative leader can move from specifics to generalities (whole picture) or from generalities to specifics.

If there is confusion, acknowledge it. Suggest a process that will help them move on.

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Most productive groups range from 5 to 9 members

If group is larger, consider using sub-groups to:

use special expertisedivide up the workallow people to choose the part

they want to work onfoster creativity

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“Read” the group

A skilled facilitator-leader pays attention to verbal and non-verbal behaviors of the participants.

Eye contact, postive voice and volume, facial expression

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Give a change of pace if needed:

Revitalize with a short break A new activity A change to sub-groups A new topic Or even adjournment to continue at

the next meeting

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Reaching Consensus

Often is a highly desirable goal. A point of maximum agreement so

action can follow: How? Groups shares ideas Discuss and evaluate Debate, organize and prioritize ideas Struggle to reach the best conclusion

together.

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Consensus

Takes time – shouldn’t be rushed Needs clear process and a rational

method Requires a good facilitator Should be reserved for important

decisions requiring a high degree of support from those who will implement the decisions.

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A Problem Solving Process

1. Identify the problem or goal2. Generate alternate solutions3. Establish objective criteria4. Decide on a solution that best fits

the criteria5. Proceed with the solution6. Evaluate the solution

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Identifying the Problem

Questioning:

“What is happening that should not be?”

“What should be happening that is not?”

WHAT

WHENWHERE

WHO

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Additional Questions:

How do you see what is going on? How does the problem affect you? What is likely to happen if the problem

is not addressed and resolved? What are likely causes of the problem? What seems to be the real problem? What seems to be the root cause of the

problem?

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Brainstorming

Strive for quantity, not quality. Defer judgment of ideas. Let your mind go! Piggyback on other’s ideas Combine one or more idea Do not react or discuss any ideas now Cluster ideas

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Reaching Closure Documenting agreements:

Clarifies what people are agreeing to Provides a record of what was decided Motivates people to keep their

agreements (their names appear beside assignment)

Brings absent members accurately up to date

Focus attention and energy on the actions that must be carried out