NEWSLETTER: June 2008

In This Issue:

1. Extreme Facilitation
2. Team Building Our New Offering
3. Method Review - Open Space
4. Update IAF Africa Facilitator's Conference in Jul'08
5. Profession Update

EXTREME FACILITATION, "Are you ready for it?"
Extract from Suzanne Ghais's book, Extreme Facilitation, Guiding Groups Through Controversy and Complexity.

"Facilitation is not for wimps. Extreme facilitation is about facilitating challenging situations - ones that are controversial, complex, large-scale, emotional, or otherwise exceptionally difficult.

I was recently reminded of a situation where we were contracted to facilitate a strategic planning session with the executive team of a medium-sized financial services company, which was successful financially but coming apart at the seams internally.

They had progressed through three CEO’s in four years. The current CEO had acquired his role after waging a stealth campaign to discredit his predecessor. Allies of the previous CEO had begun sending emails to the board of directors criticising the current CEO. Some members of the executive team just wanted to forget these “ego wars” and get on with their work. Others believed it was only a matter of time before the distrust translated into decreased productivity and increased staff turnover. There were already signs – a couple of valuable managers had resigned, some were already taking sides. We had been contracted by the chairman of the board to facilitate a 2 day strategic direction setting workshop to “turn this ship around”. I went into this session with sweaty palms and a queasy stomach, feeling ill prepared for such a crisis situation.

The concept of a facilitator - a person who focuses on the process of meetings, as distinct from the person who makes the decisions, is widely practiced and accepted today. The harsh reality of facilitation is that tough situations require facilitation with more depth, more adaptability, and more strategy than what is taught.

What I learnt from the extreme situation described above is that facilitation is more than just keeping a group focussed on its meeting agenda, keeping order and taking notes. It can be the catalyst that transforms how group members interact with each other and view the issues. It can allow organisations to initiate and implement major change or to conquer severely depleted morale or communication problems. It can provide a way for strong emotions to be channelled into productive decision-making. However, the key to this type of facilitation is that the facilitator must be equipped with a broader, deeper set of skills than is commonly assumed. This high-impact approach is what extreme facilitation is all about.

There are some core elements of extreme facilitation which we adopt for every workshop, although the specific process is different for each group and each situation.

The extreme facilitator is an architect of a custom process – one designed to suit the group and the situation. This customisation requires a deep understanding of the group – its needs, goals, culture, and external conditions (pressures, requirements and constraints). But it also requires knowledge of a wide range of possible techniques to effectively manage the group dynamics and outcome. This does not mean that facilitation is all about techniques. Certainly not! The process design, whether developing a PESTLE analysis as part of a strategic planning process or defining the scope of a project as part of the planning phase of a project, the process design should be driven by the group and it’s needs, and by the techniques that the facilitator is comfortable to facilitate. The extreme facilitator needs to have a large selection of techniques in order to pick one – or invent one – that will be just right at a particular moment.

The extreme facilitator must have a strong personal presence. So much of a facilitator’s success lies in the intangible impression they make. Is the facilitator in control, is he credible, does he care about our needs, can we trust him, and does he remain centred as the going gets tough?

The extreme facilitator must draw on all of the group’s capacities – physical, intellectual, emotional, intuitive, creative and even spiritual. Each of these is a need that the facilitator must help fulfil, as well as a role the participants can provide. For example, if someone’s need for logical analysis and clear information is met, he/ she can put her intellect to use in helping solve tough problems. If someone’s emotion can be expressed and understood, he can offer the ability to be receptive to others’ strong emotions.

Finally, the extreme facilitator must be able to confidently handle the challenges we most fear, such as:

• Individuals who dominate the discussion
• Efforts to undermine the facilitator’s authority or the process
• Hidden agendas
• Cultural clashes
• Angry outbursts
• Altercations between participants
• Physical aggression

Extreme facilitation does not provide for easy, step-by-step recipes for success. While such formulas are comforting, they don’t allow for the flexibility and customisation that are so crucial for extreme facilitation".

Whether you are a professional facilitator or your profession calls on you to be savvy about group process, extreme facilitation will help you be more confident and competent to face the most daunting challenges. Bon courage, and happy facilitating!

Jerome

IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator

To learn more about extreme facilitation, why not consider taking our 2 Day Advanced Facilitation Course. Click here for more information.

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TEAM BUILDING OUR NEW OFFERING

Our facilitated team building activities are designed to help groups develop effective communication and problem-solving skills. Our approach to team building stimulates problem-solving tasks designed to help group members improve their capacity to work effectively together, whilst creating a fun and non-threatening social environment in which everyone feels welcome to participate.

Our team building sessions are typically incorporated as part of business planning workshops, and can be programmed to achieve learning goals utilising experiential learning principles, such as goal setting and strategic visioning.

Much depends on the role played by the facilitator. In the hands of an experienced facilitator, even the simplest game can become a significant experience for the participants; with an ineffective instructor, even the most well-designed activity can go awry.

Because MasterPLAN™ facilitators are accredited in group process effectiveness, we are able to “frame” and “debrief” activities. Framing is about creating a story or scenario or metaphor around an activity, whereas debriefing refers to a structured discussions or “reviewing” of “what happened and what was learnt”, which is typically tied back to a learning goal. In this way the jewels of the experiential learning are taken away from the session and incorporated into the real world.

Through carefully designing, understanding the situational context and what the client wants to accomplish, the selection and sequencing of team building activities which will work is compiled. Techniques that work incorporate high or low energy activities, problem-solving exercises, initiative games and trust building activities.

Click here to enquiry more what our new team building offering can offer your organisation.

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METHOD REVIEW - OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY

The most important discussions at strategic conferences or workshops always take place during the coffee breaks! In truth the informal spirit of a coffee break is so creatively energetic and easygoing that one often wishes it for one’s own organisation. Open Space allows this self-organisation to fully develop. Open Space was developed worldwide with the cooperation of many people and significantly by Harrison Owen.

The name “Open Space” shows that you stumble across an open room, contrary to the known conference procedure. Room to meet about common topics, room to move through dialogues and literally go where you can learn or contribute something. Room to find solutions together.

Open Space is based on the ability of people to self-organise for their mutual needs, given a few guidelines for meeting together. The facilitator in this case opens the meeting or conference and helps set the tone and intention for the group, then stands back to allow the individuals to group and regroup around their individual issues of interest and passion.

Open Space is different in that the participants do not look to the facilitator to lead them but look to themselves, with the presence and support of the facilitator. It is considered a large group intervention to increase and maximise the participation of groups from 50 to 5000 or more, on more or less any topic or issue.

The facilitator must place special importance on the diversity of the planning group members, as many different opinions, interests, functions and fields as possible are represented.

The approach also includes the provision of a highly interactive method where the information from various conversations are gathered and consolidated into a final document of proceedings.

A fundamental landmark and characteristic of this approach are the Four Principles and One Law which are explained by the facilitator at the beginning and then hung up on posters around the room.

To learn more about this method visit http://www.openspaceworld.org

1. Whoever come are the right people.
2. When it starts is the right time.
3. What ever happens in the only thing that could have happened?
4. When it’s over, it’s over.

The Law of Two Feet
If you find yourself in a situation where you are not learning or contributing, go somewhere where you can.

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IAF Africa 3rd Facilitator's Conference 23 -24th July '08, Misty Hills, Johannesburg

The conference is an ideal opportunity for facilitators to learn about the leading thinking in our profession from a range of leading international and local speakers. The speakers originate from all over the world including South Africa, Jamaica, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA Singapore and the UK. Our very own Jerome Passmore, Managing Director and founder of MasterPLAN Consulting and IAF Africa representative will be leading the opening interactive session.

These experienced facilitators will share some cutting edge and practical insights covering a broad range of topics relevant to the profession.

Topic highlights include:

The Project Meeting Facilitator practical techniques that will help you facilitate meetings more effectively, transforming them into well-planned, well-managed journeys that engage the team while achieving the intended goals.

Co-Facilitation how do facilitators learn to work to navigate the minefield of co-facilitation – what do they need to think, feel and do before and during the event to deliver?

The Safari Café mastering the use of the World Café

Creative Facilitation of Change and Transformation Leadership creative methods for mobilising the organization and toolkit for facilitating difficult change sessions/processes

The Facilitator - A Catalyst for People in Action the values and benefits of using the dual approach/process of Open Space and Appreciative Inquiry to create and sustain participation and collaboration with small or large groups.

Meeting the Mindset Challenge experience first hand a fantastic tool for facilitating change when quantum mindset shifts are required.

Outcome Mapping for the Facilitator's Toolbox enable groups to move to desired results with an action list in a painless and extremely positive process.

Flipchart Graphics learn how to increase meeting Communication and Understanding with Graphic Facilitation

If you have not yet registered, book on-line at www.sbs.co.za

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Latest News about the Profession

Since its inception, the International Association of Faclitators has been an evolving organisation supporting an evolving profession – and I want to emphasise “profession". The IAF is an industry association – an association of Facilitators. They have come from a time when facilitators were fairly obscure doing a job that few understood. Through the efforts of many, they have moved into the realm of a “profession” where recently:

• The U.N. publishes reports that state, “participatory dialogue serving purposes ranging from increasing mutual understanding through facilitating to create collective visions of the future…”
• For the first time in almost 50 years, politicians are using words like “collaboration,” and “consensus-building”.
• Companies and government agencies are requiring Facilitators who are CPFs (Certified Professional Facilitators).

If you're serious about the "profession", why not consider joining the IAF. You get to make a contribution to our evolving profession and receive some awesome benefits. Visit the IAF

Thanks for Reading!

We hope you have enjoyed this newsletter and found it useful. Please forward it to any friends or colleagues who might be interested. If you have any feedback, or if you have a tip you would like to share in a future issue, please email us.

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