Susan Jakes, PhD

March 26, 2015

Facilitation 101

What does it look like?

• Right half of the room: Take 2 minutes and draw what GOOD facilitation looks like

• Left half of the room: Take 2 minutes and draw what BAD facilitation looks like

• Work in pairs on individually – 2 minutes

Introduce yourself

• Name• What you hope to get out of today• What bad/ good facilitation look like

Frequent asides

• What have we done so far?• Why?• Did it work?• What else might have worked?• If I forget – STOP ME!

Why facilitate?

Facilitation is to create

Participatory groups

instead of

Conventional groups

What kind of work do you do?

Why do we want participatory groups?

The nature of decision making…

Decision Making 101

Decision Point

Decision Making 101?

?

?

?

Decision is made

Decision Making 101

?

?

?

?

Decision Point

Decision Making 101

Decision Point

Divergent thinking Convergent thinking

G r

o a

n Z

o n

e

Decision Making 101

Decision Point

Divergent thinking Convergent thinking

• What do you think are skills of a good facilitator?

Ground rules/ Shared Expectations

• How to participate• What to say - Say “and”, not “but”• Limiting distraction• How to treat each other• Group values

Facilitation practice

• Quick facilitation tools– We are going to break into groups of 2.

Each group will be given a quick tool to learn, why to use it and how.

– Next design a quick exercise to demonstrate the tool to the group.

– You will have 10 minutes to do this

Demonstration – Summarizing / paraphrasing

• Think of your favorite vacation spot in NC, tell me what you like about it and why in 20 seconds or less.

Open discussion tools• Drawing People Out• Mirroring• Gathering Ideas• Stacking• Tracking• Empathizing• Intentional Silence• Encouraging

• Balancing• Making space for a

quiet person• Acknowledging

Feelings• Validating• Linking• Summarizing/ closing

Alternatives to open discussion

• Example: Listing aka Brainstorming• Variations:

– Small group Jump start– Multi-topic Multi station– Using Sticky notes and later group– Brainwriting

Alternatives to open discussion

• Practice – Pick a topic, get in a group of 5, create a scenario to demonstrate the tool. Include information on variations.

• 5-10 minutes to plan• 7 minutes each to demonstrate

Alternatives to open discussion-topics

• Structured Go-Arounds• Small Groups and Break outs• Individual writing• Tradeshow, roleplay• Scrambler, fishbowl

Putting it all together

• Set the frame– Here is what we are going to do– This is why we are going to do it– This is a description of the process– This is why we are doing it this way– This is how long it should take

Debrief each exercise or grouping

• Now that the exercise is complete…– How did this go for you?– What have you learned?– What concerns has this raised for you?– What feelings did this bring up for you?– What have you noticed about this group?– What do you think of our prospects for success?– Have you heard anything fresh and new?– How do you react to hearing so many points of

view?

Wrapping it up

• 1. Pick a question from the previous slide

• 2. Choose a format to ask question – go around, popcorn, etc.

• 3. Go to next item on agenda OR ask Where do we go from here?

After today• Brainstorming and list management strategies

Chs. 8-9

• Dealing with difficult dynamics/ Classic facilitator challenges Ch. 10

• Decision making options: Why/ when Ch. 17

• Designing agendas: Process Design Ch. 12

• Designing agendas: Defining Goals Ch. 11

• Facilitators Guide to Participatory Decision Making (2007)Sam Kaner with Lind Toldi, Fisk and Berger

THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK!

Susan Jakes, Ph.D.

Associate State Program Leader, Community and Rural DevelopmentSusan_jakes@ncsu.edu