HR Resources

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HR Resources

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Facilitation Skills
This pack can be used to structure a half day
to one day facilitation skills seminar
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The Presenter as seen by an Audience

• Audience Perception
• Expert
• In Control
• Has something to offer
• Presenter feelings
• Afraid
• ILL Prepared
• Threatened
• No Useful Knowledge

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Facilitation skills

• The roles of a facilitator are many and varied
• Scribe
• Referee
• Policeman
• Librarian
• Cajoler
• Diplomat
• Behavioural Psychologist
• English teacher
• Coach
• Secretary
• Driver

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Facilitation skills

• The responsibilities of a facilitator
• A Meeting Manager
• Pre-briefing meeting with client(s)
• Agreeing objectives, agenda and structure of the
  meeting
• Pre-positioning people who will attend
• Ensuring everyone knows what their roles are
• Running the meeting according to the agenda/
  ground rules or contract
• Following up after the meeting

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Facilitation skills

• The responsibilities of the Client
• Agree with Facilitator before meeting agenda,
  objectives, output, process
• Identify peoples expectations
• Identify sensitive topics
• Debriefing with facilitator after the event

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What does good facilitation look like

• Generates Ideas
• Listens
• Draws quiet people out
• Shuts up noisy people
• Probes -keeps a focus
• Draws a conclusion
• Arbitrates conflict
• Knows when to intervene
• Shapes ideas

• Non-judgemental
• Directs group
• Challenges
• Tests understanding
• Notes ideas Tests solutions with group
• Clarifies/builds
• Co-ordinates sub-groups
• Supports ideas

What models do each of these statements relate
to Which model do YOU work to most often Can you
see an opportunity to try others?
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Facilitation skills

• Models Of facilitation

Facilitator as leader
Facilitator as wallpaper
mechanical
neutral
interventionist
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Neutral Facilitation

• Used when the group needs to find a way forward
  and deal with issues it doesnt yet understand
• Non- directional
• Doesnt steer or direct the learning process
• Doesnt set or fix an agenda
• Stays out of content
• Non valuing
• Totally learner led
• Manages interpersonal boundaries
• Allows all to have a voice
• The facilitation effect is to give the group
  confidence to explore and then to shape the
  discussion towards awareness and commitment

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Interventionist Facilitation

• Used when the group has a generally agreed
  direction to go in (change facilitation)
• Analyses the effects on group of facilitator
  intervention
• Focuses on the pace of progress and learning
• Contract based
• Micro-teaching
• Challenging where appropriate
• Responsive
• The facilitation effect is to keep the group
  moving towards the goal, agreeing, learning and
  committing along the way

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Mechanical Facilitation

• Used when the facilitator is required to get to
  group to a specific end state
• Timetabled
• Adheres to set routines
• Scripted
• Fully controlled by the facilitator
• Uses pose pause pounce type questions
• Uses teaching or instruction interventions
• The facilitation effect is to bring the group up
  to a common/shared standard of knowledge,
  awareness or skill

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Best Practice in Interventionist (Change)
Facilitation

• Develop this from your own experience
• Asking permission / setting ground rules
• Relevant and significant for the individuals you
  are dealing with
• Work with real world content and issues
• Challenges when and where appropriate
• Refocuses where necessary
• Meaningful
• Helps the individuals to relate learning to the
  real world
• Creates transferable awareness

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Effective Meeting Process Flow
PLAN Meeting Preparation
DO Conduct Meeting
REVIEW Meeting follow-up

• Meet with client
• Objectives and agenda determined
• Contend AND process planned
• Determine appropriate players
• Roles and responsibilities defined
• Key contributors pre-positioned
• Logistics arranged
• Follow-up mechanisms arranged

• Execute to meeting plan and process
• Ensure everyone contributes
• Allow silent periods
• Control out of process activity
• Use a benefits and concerns list to keep
  objections manageable
• Bring to closure with next steps,
  accountabilities and timetables

• De-brief immediately
• Publish minutes
• Follow-up on next steps
• Incorporate benefits and concerns in next meeting
  plan

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Roles and Responsibilities
Client
Team member
Facilitator

• Meeting preparation
• Decision making
• Assignment of actions
• Resolution of concerns
• Meeting logistics and notice

• Generate ideas and recommendations
• Complete assignments as required
• Build on ideas of others
• Add expertise
• Share commitment and drive
• Jointly responsible for inputs and outcomes

• Meeting preparation support
• Control of the meeting process
• Timekeeper
• energiser

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The Features of well facilitated meetings

• Team and client motivated and feel positive
• Agenda worked and objectives met
• Action plan developed
• Meeting ended on time
• Every member of the team has contributed
• And has ownership of the solution
• Credibility built

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What to do if..
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What to do if..
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What to do if..
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What to do if..
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What to do if..
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What to do if..
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Tips and hints for facilitators

• The most important skill is planning
• 31 ratio of preparation to delivery
• Identify the client what is his/her objectives
• Pre-position sensitive issues against each of the
  parties
• Your job is to weave a path between logic
  politics- emotions
• At the start ask What does success look like
  how will we know
• Always seek permission to facilitate
• Always be seen to be fair
• Seek to builds professional presence
• Find and use intervention levers e.g. chairman
  role , timekeeper
• Have your toolbox of methods always at the ready

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Facilitation dos and don'ts

• DO
• Ensure roles and responsibilities are understood
• Stick to the agreed process
• Keep flipcharts and get them typed ASAP
• NEXT STEPS every time
• Follow up the meeting
• Give people notice and send out an agenda
• Keep close to the client

• Dont
• Take off the facilitators hat without saying so
• Get bogged down in details take off line
• Change the objectives set up another meeting if
  necessary
• Assume everyone understands ask them
• Discount ideas
• Forget that meetings are small projects, with
  goals targets and benefits