Better Facilitation with a Partner - Co-Facilitators
Presented by Craig Sicilia and Penny Condoll BISGN Coaches
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Penny Condoll Project Manager and Founder, BESTBISGN CoachBrain Injury Support Group Facilitator in Tacoma and Puyallup
Craig Sicilia Director, TBI Support NetworkBISGN CoachBrain Injury Support Group Facilitator in Spokane
Janet Novinger: BISGN Training Coordinator
Objectives
• Understand the roles, skills and characteristics of a great facilitator
• How to find a co-facilitator
• Setting the stage for a successful relationship
• Defining strengths and interests
• Learn tips for Before, During and After the Meeting
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Defining Facilitation
A facilitator is someone who helps a group of people understand their common objectives and assists them to plan to achieve them without taking a particular position in the discussion.
Wikipedia
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Role of Facilitator (and Co-Facilitator)
Facilitators provide the process to help a group:
Discuss an issue
Make a decision
Solve a problem
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Skills of an Effective Facilitator
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listens and observes
asks probing questions
thinks quickly
paraphrases and summarizes
resolves conflict
uses visual aids effectively
acknowledges & responds to emotions
designs or chooses appropriate
group discussion techniques
understands people and groups
energizes group
Uses humor successfully
knows a variety of techniques for
group discussions, including
problem-solving and decision-making
Characteristics of an Awesome Co-Facilitator
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How to find the rightco-facilitator
• Evaluate the strengths and interests of your group members
• Tell group your looking for help
• Explain the benefits of being a facilitator
• Let people try out a task before agreeing
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Before the Meeting
Schedule ample time for planning
Take some time to get to know each other and discuss each other’s style of planning and facilitating
Avoid making assumptions about one another
Take time to discuss your views about topics, especially examine areas of disagreement
Discuss any concerns about potential challenges that participants may present
Agree on common goals
Review each other’s triggers9
Before the MeetingFind out whether and when it is okay to interrupt
Decide how to keep track of time
Strategize about how to stick to the original outline and how to switch gears
Plan ways to give signals to one another
Divide facilitation of activities fairly
Share responsibility equally in preparing and bringing workshop materials and resources
Agree to arrive in time to set up and check-in before the meeting begins
Schedule time afterwards to debrief
During the Meeting Remember to keep a professional demeanor at all times
Keep communicating with each other throughout the meeting
Support and validate one another
During activities that don’t require constant attention, check-in with one another
Include your co-facilitator even when you are leading an exercise or discussion, by asking, for example: “Do you have anything to add?”
Use lots of eye contact
Assert yourself if your co-facilitator is talking too much
Remember that it is okay to make mistakes
Take the initiative to step in if your co-facilitator misses an opportunity to address a myth
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After the Meeting
If you can’t meet right after the meeting, schedule a time to debrief before you leave
Listen carefully to one another’s self-evaluation before giving feedback
Discuss what worked well and examine what did not work
Brainstorm what could have been done differently
Use written evaluations as a reference point to talk and assess your effectiveness as co-facilitators
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Name particular behaviors, for example: “When you kept interrupting me, I felt undermined and frustrated”, or “I got the impression that some participants were bored”, instead of “You always interrupt me” or “You were very controlling during the workshop.”
Realize the importance and potential difficulty of debriefing a challenging meeting
Make sure to share any clean-up or return of resource materials
After the Meeting
Closing Bow
Thank you for all you do