lviv ba community meeting: intro to facilitation within ba work
DESCRIPTION
Presentation used in the 2nd Lviv BA community meeting, dedicated to the community members discussion and lessons learn sharing about their facilitation experience leaded by Inna and TarasTRANSCRIPT
Facilitation within BA work2nd Lviv BA Community Meeting
Who we arePersona #1: Inna Granishevska
• Business Analyst (ELEKS)
• MSc in Security Systems
• 6 years of BA experience• Biotech Industry• Engagement • Financial Risk Management
• Facilitated multiple:• International events such as OST, Workshops, NGOs, etc. meetings• Strategic sessions facilitation • Trainings facilitation
• Refers to herself as Intermediate BA
• Workaholic from time to time
• Experienced in soft-skills trainings and NGO management
• Traveler ;)
Who we arePersona #2: Taras Zakharkiv
• Business Analyst (ELEKS)
• MSc in Economic Cybernetics
• 8 years of IT BA and PM experience• Time-Tracking systems for Legal Firms• Automation• Telecom, FMCG
• Facilitated multiple:• Requirement elicitation meetings• Recruitment activities• Coaching sessions
• Experienced in questioning technics, critical thinking
Problem to Solve
Mining Group Gold
Why?
• IMHO Facilitation should be default BA competency• I use it on the day-to-day basis • Its interesting to know how others deal with different
situations
What’s the point? • Recall a meeting you recently participated in?
• What issues prevented this meeting from being effective. What was challenging• What strategies helped make this an effective
meeting . What worked?
• Your understanding of facilitator and facilitation?
The definition of facilitate is "to make easy" or "ease a process". What a facilitator does is plan, guide and manage a group event to ensure that the group's objectives are met effectively, with clear thinking, good participation and full buy-in from everyone who is involved.
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
As Group Facilitator
Process is the task, …..Or, of you prefer: the task is a process
Facilitation should bring
Safety Inclusion
Trust
BasisThere are two areas of Facilitation framework:
Facilitation itself – knowledge about working with groups and group dynamics, designing and facilitating process and interaction
Interpersonal Communication - skills for these folks coming to the meeting in how to deal with big bosses and challenging individuals
Facilitation itself 3 main roles facilitator deal with:
1 Architects (Planning stage) • Knowing the stakeholders &
Processes • Purpose of meeting • Desired outcomes • Agenda• Check lists
3 Guide • Leading the group though the
challenges to the results - Facilitating
2 Pilot (within the road)• Logistic and materials• Start point • Follow ups and
summaries
Interpersonal Communication
The good news is:
You already know most of this• We’ve all been group members• You likely have much of the knowledge• You know the group dynamics • It’s all about communication, conflict solving,
negotiations, etc..
Key characteristics of good facilitator
• Solid verbal communication skills • Ability to work with a wide variety of people in challenging
situations • Common sense and good judgment • Flexibility in handling multiple demands of program • An open mind and willingness to learn • Ability to remain calm in stressful situations • Empathy (caring) for others • Willingness to play and share• Good sense of humor
Micro Skills
• Confronting• Silence• Modeling• Advanced empathy• Parcing• Problem Solving/Advice
giving• Psychoeducation• Goal setting
• Active Listening• Paraphrasing• Reasoning• Basic Empathy• Summarizing• Immediacy• Linking• Blocking• Validating / Normalizing
When and how it can be usedAs BA:
• Status meetings• Internal team meetings – Plannings, Retrospectives, etc. • Strategy Meetings• On-site visits • User Trainings• Just everywhere
In general• OST• Conferences • Trainings • Consulting• etc
My checklist …Tips & Tricks • My checklist: • Standard stuff like agenda, notes, etc• Precise look at the participants (being in each role, trying
to understand their intensions) – kind of know your stakeholders • Pre-defined list of outcomes (also from the mentioned
ppl)• Observation of involvement.. • SWOT within discussions and decision making • Finger Rules, etc • Facilitator ethics and values (where do you draw a line)
Experience…3 cases… Intro for discussion…
Case 1: OnsiteInput:• Planning by PM• Schedule specifics• Product vision presentation• First visit + sales challenge
Retrospective:• Planning by a person who will drive• Successful criteria of a visit + outcome• Reserve time boxes for ongoing tasks (+ unexpected ones)• Reserve time for analysis and documenting•Question lists (per role)
Case 2: InterviewsInput:•New person each time•New position each time• CV vs. reality•Unique approach•Questions & Workflows• Feedback & Assessment• Responsibility
Retrospective:• Agenda… Complete agenda!• Sync workflow with attendees• Investigate CV• Session useful for all. Long term relationships• Segmented questions, cases, workflows
Case 3: Technical projectInput:•New-old team• Bus-effect challenge• Key persons overloaded• Automation… HW+SW•Meeting minutes challenge• Find your place man…
Retrospective:Status: immersion
Case 4 Input:• Business Partners’ teams • Lots of “Senior” people•Different level of English•Not agreed “real” goals of the meeting•No initial facilitator• You are one of the participants
Retrospective:•Discuss roles•Make breaks• Agree with the boss• Summarize within meeting• Signed action items
Recourses & Links • IAF LinkedIn Community • Group Facilitator Handbook • MindTools: Managing Overconfident People• Controlling Disruptive People • http://prezi.com/vq4ecsqn5cph/meeting-facilitation-workshop_gr
c-17/ • http://prezi.com/i-hbgfbvgru6/facilitationnegotiation/• Community Tool Box: Developing Facilitation Skills • There are several excellent facilitation books : The Secrets of
Facilitation, The Skilled Facilitator (Roger Schwarz), Facilitation with Ease (Ingrid Bens), Questions that Work (Dorothy Strachan), and The Art of Facilitation (Dale Hunter). Mining Group Gold (Thomas Kayser)