Mastering Facilitation

Mastering Facilitation

by Morgan L Jones
Released October 2020
Publisher(s): Productivity Press
ISBN: 9781000213942

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Book description

With business and organisations moving at an ever-faster pace and facing evermore demanding challenges, the need for efficient, succinct and productive interaction between individuals of those businesses and organisations is more important than ever. With the bounds of communication restrictions abandoned through technological advances (we can now see and hear anyone across any manner of virtual platforms anywhere around the globe) and with a greater understanding of the underlying dynamics of human interaction, unprecedented pressure has been thrust upon the individual or individuals who, often, enable these dynamic interactions: the facilitator.

Many of us have, at one time or other, been responsible for a meeting – whether between a small number of individuals or an entire organisation of hundreds, or possibly thousands, of businessmen and women.

Or, perhaps, we’ve had to be the mediator in a family dispute closer to home or managed a discussion between two feuding friends or colleagues. One way or another, chances are, all of us have been a facilitator at some point in our lives.

With the ever-growing demands placed on facilitators, this book delivers a methodical and structured approach to facilitation. This book is the definitive guide to instruct and assist facilitators – both new and experienced – with a set of guidelines and underlying theory that will benefit any facilitator, whether as a mediator between two individuals, single-handedly facilitating a group of 100 or working as part of a facilitation team in a multinational corporation.

The first part of the book develops the core basic skills of those new to the art of facilitating. There are many examples and exercises to show the reader how to apply them in different situations. The second part of the book is for more experienced facilitators as it focuses on more advanced skills and tackling difficult situations. Specific tools and techniques are illustrated for the reader. Essentially, this book is aimed at developing and mastering the art of facilitation. Facilitation is the art of getting the best out of groups of people to brainstorm, solve problems and gain consensus. Based on 30 years’ experience of the author and running multiple facilitation training courses across the globe, this book is aimed at upskilling people, managers and leaders to drive change and consensus with groups through running workshops and meetings.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-Title
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Acknowledgements
  8. SECTION I Facilitation Fundamentals
    1. Chapter 1 What Is Facilitation?
      1. The Roles of a Facilitator
      2. The Responsibilities of a Facilitator
      3. Guiding Principles of Facilitation
        1. Equality
        2. Empathy
        3. Mutual Trust
        4. Focus
        5. Free and Informed Choice
        6. Shared Decision-Making
        7. Responsibility and Commitment
        8. Involvement by All
      4. Chapter Summary
    2. Chapter 2 Mastering Technique: The Facilitation Process
      1. Planning Dimension
      2. Meaning Dimension
      3. Confronting Dimension
      4. Feeling Dimension
      5. Structuring Dimension
      6. Valuing Dimension
      7. Planning the Facilitation
        1. What Should You Know before You Plan the Agenda or the Facilitation Program?
          1. The Goals of the Facilitation and the Measures of Success
          2. Manner of Facilitation
          3. Group Composition
          4. Available Information
          5. Climate and Environment
          6. Location
          7. Logistics and Room Requirements
          8. Equipment, Supplies and Materials
          9. Food and Refreshments
        2. Before the Facilitation Sessions
      8. Starting the Facilitation
        1. Introduce Yourself
        2. State the Reason for the Program or Session
        3. Welcome and Acknowledge Everyone
        4. Make Introductions
        5. Set the Rules of Conversation
        6. Identify Motives
        7. Begin with a Punch
        8. Starting with a Punch Line
          1. Personal
          2. Unexpected
          3. Novel
          4. Challenging
          5. Humorous
      9. During the Facilitation
        1. What If the Group Resists Being Facilitated?
        2. What If the Group Is Pressed for Time?
        3. What If the Team Is Going around in Circles?
        4. What If the Group Ignores Its Own Rules?
        5. Prevention
        6. Non-Intervention
        7. Low-Level Intervention
        8. Medium-Level Intervention
        9. High-Level Intervention
          1. Step 1
          2. Step 2
          3. Step 3
      10. Ending the Facilitation
      11. After the Facilitation (Follow-up)
      12. Chapter Summary
  9. SECTION II Core Facilitation Skills
    1. Chapter 3 Mastering Facilitation: Behavioural Techniques in Facilitation
      1. Core Values of Mastering Facilitation
        1. Flexibility
        2. Confidence
        3. Authenticity
        4. Integrity
        5. Patience/Perseverance
        6. Leadership (Presence)
        7. Initiating
        8. Perceptive
      2. The Art of Listening
        1. Synergistic Listening Is Deliberate
        2. Synergistic Listening Is Empathetic
        3. Synergistic Listening Is Multisensory
        4. Synergistic Listening Is Active
        5. Synergistic Listening Is a Learning Experience
        6. Synergistic Listening Is Non-Judgemental
        7. Synergistic Listening Is Dynamic
      3. How the Master Facilitator Listens
        1. Verbal Listening: Listening with Words
        2. Non-Verbal Listening: Listening with Your Body
          1. Do
          2. Don’t
        3. Para-Verbal Listening: Listening with Your Voice
      4. Listening to the Group: Getting the Big Picture
      5. The Art of Synergistic Questioning
        1. Blooming Questions
          1. Knowledge Level
          2. Comprehension Level
          3. Application Level
          4. Analysis Level
          5. Synthesis Level
          6. Evaluation Level
        2. Asking like Socrates
      6. Throwing APPLES: What to Ask, When to Ask, How to Ask
        1. Affective Questions
        2. Managerial and Structuring Questions
        3. Rhetorical Questions
        4. Focusing/Refocusing Questions
        5. Open and Closed Questions
      7. Quick Tips in Questioning
      8. The Ladder of Inference: A Framework for Making Minds Meet
        1. Lesson 1: Rule Your Mind or It Will Rule You
        2. Lesson 2: Stay as Low as You Can
        3. Lesson 3: Learn to Swim before You Dive
        4. Lesson 4: When in Doubt, Check It Out
        5. Lesson 5: Avoid Simplification
        6. Lesson 6: Different Folks, Different Strokes
      9. Chapter Summary
    2. Chapter 4 Conflict Resolution and Decision-Making
      1. The Nature of Group Conflict
      2. Conflict Resolution
        1. Strategic Responses to Conflict
          1. Competing Strategy
          2. Collaborating Strategy
      3. Compromising Strategy
        1. Avoiding Strategy
        2. Accommodating Strategy
        3. Guidelines for Negotiation
          1. Benefits of Interest-Based Negotiation
          2. Create Safety
          3. Facilitative Listening
          4. Feedback
          5. Reflection
        4. Attributes of Skilled Negotiators
        5. Consensus Decision-Making
          1. Conditions for Consensus
          2. Working Together
          3. Commitment to Reaching Consensus
          4. Trust and Openness
          5. Sufficient Time
          6. Clear Process
          7. Facilitation
          8. Key Skills for Consensus
          9. A Consensus Flowchart
          10. The Decision-Making Process
          11. Guidelines for Reaching Consensus
          12. Agreement and Disagreement
          13. Consensus in Large Groups
      4. Chapter Summary
  10. SECTION III Advanced Facilitation Skills and Methods
    1. Chapter 5 Understanding Groups and Individuals: Facilitating a Synergistic Dynamic
      1. Dimensions of Group Interactions and Relationships
      2. Cycles of Group Development
        1. Forming
        2. Storming
        3. Norming
        4. Performing
        5. Adjourning
      3. Adult Learning Styles
        1. Kolb’s Learning Styles
        2. Honey and Mumford’s Learning Cycle
        3. The Attention, Generation, Emotion and Spacing (AGES) Model
        4. Attention
        5. Generation
        6. Emotions
        7. Spacing
      4. Principles of Adult Learning
        1. The “Four-Quadrant” Opening: Motivating the Adult Learner
      5. Levels of Focus
        1. Vision
          1. Aim
          2. Challenges
          3. Opportunities
          4. Facilitator Focus
        2. Planning
          1. Aim
          2. Challenges
          3. Opportunities
          4. Facilitator Focus
        3. Details
          1. Aim
          2. Challenges
          3. Opportunities
          4. Facilitator Focus
        4. Problems
          1. Aim
          2. Challenges
          3. Opportunities
          4. Facilitator Focus
        5. Drama
          1. Aim
          2. Challenges
          3. Opportunities
          4. Facilitator Focus
      6. The CARER Model
        1. The CARER Model Explained
          1. Certainty (Predictable)
          2. Autonomy (Discretion)
          3. Relatedness (Bonding)
          4. Equity (Fairness)
          5. Reputation (Status)
        2. Dynamic CARER Domain Links
        3. CARER and Facilitation
      7. Conclusions
      8. A Facilitative Approach to Learning
        1. Types of Facilitation
          1. The Neutral Facilitator
          2. The Trainer as a Facilitator
        2. Process versus Content
        3. Organising “Brainstorming” Information: The ToP Method
        4. When organising lists:
        5. Pyramid Brainstorming
          1. Forced Comparison: Use of Sticky Dots
          2. Process
        6. Basic Tools
          1. Flipcharts
          2. Providing a “Group Memory”
          3. Facilitating the Process
          4. “Presentation” Skills: The Use of Colour and Graphics
          5. Here are some of the things that you might need to consider:
          6. Some useful tips and some things that could be practised:
        7. Summarising and Paraphrasing
        8. Paraphrasing and Clarifying
        9. Questioning
          1. Multiple Learning Styles
      9. Chapter Summary
    2. Chapter 6 Special Facilitation Techniques
      1. Facilitating Executive Teams
        1. Overall Approach and Attitude
        2. Establishing the Right Tone for the Session
        3. Establishing Discussion Guidelines
        4. Strategic Alignment
        5. Maximise Your Executive Team’s Capabilities
        6. Conclusion
      2. Facilitating Change
        1. Change Management: The TFDS Model
      3. Facilitating Virtual Teams
        1. Use Video
        2. Do a “Take 5”
        3. Assign Different Tasks
        4. Forbid the Use of the “Mute” Function
        5. Penalise Multitaskers
      4. Facilitating Project Improvement
        1. Facilitation Skills for Today’s Project Leaders
          1. Inspires a Shared Vision
          2. Good Communicator
          3. Integrity
          4. Enthusiasm
          5. Empathy
          6. Competence
          7. Ability to Delegate Tasks
          8. Cool Under Pressure
          9. Team-Building Skills
          10. Problem-Solving Skills
      5. Chapter Summary
  11. SECTION IV Evaluation and Conclusion
    1. Chapter 7 Facilitation Skills Evaluation and Improvement
      1. The Six Megatrends
      2. Facilitators We Dread
        1. Vince Lombardi
        2. The Drill Sergeant
        3. The Guardian
        4. The Know-It-All
        5. The Ice Cube
        6. The Blabber
        7. The Pretender
        8. The “I Can’t Hear You” Guy
        9. The Marathon Man
        10. The Parrot
        11. The Molasses Man
        12. The Passenger
        13. The Storyteller
        14. The Centrepiece
        15. The Tunnel Driver
      3. Facilitation Skill Levels
        1. Chinese proverb
      4. Self-Assessment
        1. Trust and Support
        2. Communication
        3. Making Group Decisions
        4. Cooperating
        5. Teamwork
        6. Problem-Solving
        7. Leadership Roles
        8. Giving and Receiving Feedback
        9. Respecting Personal Differences
        10. Closure Questions
      5. Participant Evaluation Template
      6. Group Questionnaire
      7. Questionnaire: “Burnout”
      8. Questionnaire: “Session Feedback”
        1. Presentation Indicators
        2. Content Indicators
      9. Impact Indicators
      10. Chapter Summary
    2. Chapter 8 Conclusion
  12. Bibliography
  13. Appendices
    1. Appendix 1 Functions of a Facilitator
      1. Create Collaborative Client Relationships
      2. Plan Appropriate Group Processes
      3. Create and Sustain a Participatory Environment
      4. Guide Group to Appropriate and Useful Outcomes
      5. Build and Maintain Professional Knowledge
      6. Model Positive Professional Attitude
    2. Appendix 2 List of Verbs for Constructing Learning Outcomes and Questions*
    3. Appendix 3 Session Scope
    4. Appendix 4 Participant Evaluation Template
    5. Appendix 5 Group Questionnaire
    6. Appendix 6 Questionnaire: “Burnout”
    7. Appendix 7 Questionnaire: “Session Feedback”
      1. Presentation Indicators
      2. Content Indicators
      3. Impact Indicators
    8. Appendix 8 Tips for Online Facilitating
      1. Preparation
  14. Index

Product information

  • Title: Mastering Facilitation
  • Author(s): Morgan L Jones
  • Release date: October 2020
  • Publisher(s): Productivity Press
  • ISBN: 9781000213942