2. 2002 Basic Facilitation Primer
PREFACE Team Members
What you are about to read is the result of the de- Dennis W. Burke Ned Ruete
dication and hard work of several professional or- Lean Promotion Officer Process Specialist
ganizations and individuals. The ASQ Human Devel- TRW Automotive Computer Sciences Corp.
opment and Leadership Division sponsored and en- dennis.burke@trw.com nruete@csc.com
listed both the Association for Quality and Partici- 734.646.8346 860.425.6060
pation and the International Association of Facilita-
tors membership to collaborate on this basic meet- Melanie Donahoe Ed Smith
ing facilitation guide. This marks the first collabo- Quality Circle Facilitator Quality Circle Facilitator
rative publication effort for HD&L and, we hope, not Pelco, Inc. Pelco, Inc.
the last. The Authors realize the need to assemble mdonahoe@pelco.com esmith@pelco.com
additional facilitation guides that will capture more 800.289.9100 800.289.9100
specific information. The next Primer will be pub-
lished and ready for distribution at the 2003 Annual Rudolph Hirzel Deborah Starzynski
Quality Congress in Kansas City next year. IdeaWorks, Inc. President
ideawork@bigtools.com Starzynski Consulting
616.449.2924 Associates Inc.
As the HD&L Publication Committee Chair, it has
deb.starzynski@starzynski.net
been my pleasure to work with this very talented
Linda Mather 905.665.6567
and selfless group of professionals. On behalf of
President
the Human Development and Leadership Division, I
Forums Institute for Jo Ann Stoddard
want to express our thanks to their dedication, pro-
Public Policy Director
fessionalism, and spirit of volunteerism. We sin-
lmather@forumsinstitute.org School for Managing and
cerely hope you will find this 2002 Primer useful,
609.720.0136 Leading Change
and appreciate your comments, suggestions, and opi-
joann@aqp.org
nions. You can contact any member of the 2002 Ba-
Gail Morgenstern (Princi- 513.381.1979 x126
sic Facilitation Primer Team at their Email address, pal)
or by phone. Morgenstern Associates
Dennis W. Burke GSMorgen@aol.com
610.667.2245
3 4
3. INTRODUCTION WHAT IS A FACILITATOR?
This primer presents a basic introduction to facili- A facilitator is someone
tation. Consistent with the mission and vision of the who uses knowledge of
Human Development and Leadership Division, it is group processes to formu-
assumed that anyone can perform basic meeting, late and deliver the needed
team, or group facilitation given the right tools and structure for meeting in-
opportunity. We hope that this primer will provide a teractions to be effective.
basic guide for those who are periodically called The facilitator focuses on
upon to facilitate and for those who are first time effective processes (meeting dynamics) allow-
practitioners. We realize that a document of this ing the participants to focus on the content or
size cannot possibly be inclusive. As a result, this the substance of their work together.
primer represents the first of a series on facilita-
tion skills, techniques, and competencies. Other roles exist for meeting participants besides
facilitation. These include scribing, recording,
Facilitators can serve many different roles including timekeeping and leading discussions. The Facilita-
developmental intervention in meetings, running tor’s role is unique, although no more or less impor-
workshops, conducting experience-based training, tant, since their primary focus is on the meeting
and guiding team development. The focus of this processes. Facilitation can involve many different
primer is on the role of the facilitator in relation to levels of knowledge and skill, can include work on all
meetings. It is recognized that many meetings in- kinds of problems and challenges, can assist the
volve teams. However, there also exist many situa- group in fulfilling its desire, or can include pushing
tions where meetings are held to share information participants to new levels of understanding. Most
and make decisions, in which the participants are importantly, however, facilitation includes both an
not recognized as a team. It is for these kinds of ability to recognize when effective meeting proc-
meetings that this primer may be especially useful, esses are needed and an ability to provide those
though the information provided here is equally ap- processes.
plicable to team meetings.
In its loosest definition, a facilitator is any person
who jumps up during a meeting and starts writing
5 6
4. key points on a chalkboard as they are being dis- apply equally to teams or groups because both need
cussed. Or someone who puts up a hand and sug- to meet to be effective. The basic assumption un-
gests that the participants focus on a single prob- derlying meetings is that two (or more) heads are
lem. Or even a participant who suggests that they better than one; that better decisions can be made
find out a little about each other, or agree on how if there is more input. However, to assure that bet-
they're going to make decisions. These actions that ter decisions are made, the meeting often needs to
define facilitators are based on an intuitive sense be facilitated. In fact, a well-facilitated team
that something in the meeting is amiss. Though this meeting generally is both more effective and more
intuition is fundamentally important to good facili- efficient. Meetings occur for a number of reasons
tation, it must be emphasized that intuition alone where participants are called
does not replace an understanding of the skills and upon to:
techniques that are the foundation for the profes-
sion. Ø make decisions
Ø share information
Ø plan work
WHY DO MEETINGS NEED FACILITATORS? Ø learn from each other
Ø create buy-in
People come together and Ø solve problems
meet for a variety of rea-
sons. Sometimes the par- The results of these actions may be seen in the de-
ticipants are referred to as sign of a new product, improvements to a system,
teams, groups or commit- development of a marketing plan, or suggestions for
tees. Although these terms improving work conditions. In some cases, the meet-
are used interchangeably, it ing may have more than one purpose or the purpose
is generally recognized that may shift over time. For example, after designing
teams have a common bond, interdependency, and/or the plan, the meeting discussion may move on to
commitment to a goal. Groups, on the other hand, creating buy-in for the plan.
are usually not as cohesive, not accountable to each
other, and may meet on a less regular basis. In ei- No matter what the meeting’s purpose, participants
ther case, the techniques discussed in this primer need to clearly understand the goal and how to work
7 8
5. together. One meeting myth is that getting all the Preparation
experts in the same room will automatically produce If you have a chance to prepare
good results. In actuality, getting the experts to- before the meeting, take advan-
gether is just the beginning, the beginning of being tage of it! Preparation involves
able to work together effectively. deciding what methods and tools
to use/provide. The following
Learning to work together does not necessarily questions will aid you in making
come naturally. Nor is it always easy. The role of this decision.
the facilitator is to help the participants learn how
to work together by providing the structure (proc-
ess) while they remain focused on the content. In Why
any meeting, the facilitator must constantly balance Why is the meeting being held? What tasks
process with content. Processes include the meth- are planned? What is the overall goal of the
ods and tools used to help people interact produc- meeting? Is this meeting only a part of a lar-
tively with each other, including how decisions are ger goal? Has this been written down?
made and making sure everyone has an equal voice.
Content focuses on topics or subjects under discus- Who
sion at any meeting. Determining the tools and Who is invited? If decisions need to be made,
methods to use to create this balance is an impor- are the right people going to be present? Who
tant task the facilitator has to perform. Time is not going to be there? How does attendance
spent in thoughtful preparation goes far to assure a affect successful completion of tasks? Who
successful meeting. cannot come? Who is not invited? Why?
When
When is the meeting scheduled? How long
should it be? Is there enough time? If it is
close to lunch or dinner, should it be catered?
How much time can be allotted for each agenda
FACILITATOR PREPARATION AND PLANNING item?
9 10
6. Where planning. These include charters, meeting agendas,
Where is the meeting to be held? Do you and and ground rules.
the participants need directions, suggested
lodging, and airline recommendations? Are Charters
there adequate resources (overheads, flip For a team, the charter is the document that de-
charts, white boards) available? How is the fines why the team exists and its overall goal(s).
room arranged? Is the room appropriate for However, even if the meeting does not involve a
the task? You might decide it would be better team, the basic elements of a charter are important
to have the meeting outside on the lawn! because they define the purpose of the meeting. It
is used to ensure that the participants understand
What who is sponsoring the meeting, and that they clearly
Consider possible group dynamics. Do the par- understand the focus of the time they will spend
ticipants know each other? How well? What is together. If a charter already exists, the facilita-
the history of the participants? How long have tor needs to review it before the meeting. If a
they been meeting? Have they had specific charter does not exist (because the meeting does
problems working together in the past? What not involve a team) the facilitator should discuss
are potential problems with this meeting? Can this item with the leader before the meeting and
they be mitigated or eliminated before the develop a purpose statement for the meeting. Typi-
meeting begins? cal items included in a charter or purpose statement
include the participants, the sponsor, a description
Planning of the goal, and a due date (if applicable).
Once information is gathered about the meeting,
the facilitator can start planning. During the plan-
ning stage, the facilitator needs to decide which
tool or technique to use where. For example, while See the Example Charter/Purpose Statement
using a voting system for decision-making is fast and Form Below. Blank Forms Are Included in the
efficient, it may leave too many people dissatisfied Attachments Section of the Primer.
with the result. Therefore, more discussion or con-
sensus building may be called for. There are a few
tools that need to be reviewed and developed during
11 12
7. Example: CHARTER/PURPOSE STATEMENT FORM practice to allot times for each task (or agenda
item) to help assure that the meeting will end on
Name: Training self-enrollment process. time. If the agenda has not been prepared and dis-
Members/Participants: R. Patterson, Operations,
tributed, the facilitator should get the pertinent
P. Smyth, Client Services, T. Gordon, Employee Development,
J. Freeman, Steward, C. Greig, Operations information to the attendees to ensure that the ne-
J. Vakil, Quality Advisor, S. Beaudry, IT cessary people attend and that they come prepared.
Sponsor: Evelyn Green; VP Employee Development
Outcome and Deliverable: The “training self-enrollment proc- The facilitator uses the agenda prior to the meeting
ess team” is mandated to develop a self-serve enrollment proc- to determine specific processes to be used, and dur-
ess for employees in the Client Services and Operations de-
partments. ing the meeting to keep discussions on track. In ad-
Deliverable Due Date: November 30, 2002 dition, meeting agendas help participants know what
Tasks and Activities:
to expect and how to prepare for the meeting.
- Develop the process steps and sub-process elements.
- Define the user community needs.
- Ensure the process supports the manager-employee devel- See the Example Agenda Form Below. Blank
opment planning process and tools.
- Area of focus is Operations and Client Services depart- Forms Are Included in the Attachments Section
ments, process should be scalable to other departments. of the Primer.
- Existing IT systems are to be utilized, enhancements under
3 man-months are within scope. Example MEETING AGENDA FORM
- Delivery of training & communication to the stakeholder
groups. Meeting Objective: Create the team’s communication plan for the
new training enrollment process.
Ground Rules: 1.) Participants are expected to attend all meet- Meeting Location: 4th Floor Conference Room B
ings, 2.) Meeting roles will rotate among team members, 3.) All Date: Tues, April16
ideas will be considered, 4.) Decision-making process is con- Time: 9:00am – 12:00
sensus, 5.) Participants are expected to complete action items Attendees: R. Patterson, P. Smyth, T. Gordon, J. Freeman, C.
and assignments on time, 6.) A group list-serve will be set-up Greig, J. Vakil
for team documents. Tasks &Activities Duration Expected Outcome
Copyright 1999 IdeaWorks
Warm-up & Review 10 min Team readiness
Meeting Agendas Agenda
1. Share interview 40 min Shared understanding of dif-
The meeting agenda is the document that defines information ferent Stakeholder views and
what will be done at any particular meeting. It concerns about the training
enrollment initiative.
should include the date, time, and location of the
2. SWOT Analysis & 30 min Completed audience map of
meeting, the objective of the meeting, and the list Stakeholder needs communication requirements.
of tasks to be addressed. In addition, it is a good assessment.
13 14
8. 3. Develop key mes- 45 min Decision on critical goals of spect” or “everyone has an equal voice.” Another im-
sages and & guide- the communication plan.
lines for the commu- portant aspect of the ground rules is making sure
nication plan that participants understand how decisions are to
4. Action Planning 30 min Determine action items, and
timeframes for the communi- be made. It may be necessary to discuss the op-
cation plan. tions with the team if they do not already have a
5. Checkpoint 15 min Validated communication
decision-making norm. Options may include multi-
plan.
Plan Next Meeting 10 min Decide purpose and date for voting, majority rule, consensus, or a combination of
Critique Meeting next meeting. Team evalua- two different methods.
tion of meeting effectiveness.
Common Ground Rules:
Meeting Preparation: Facilitator role: Ron; Note Taker role: Clare • Attend all meetings
Items/Information to Bring to the Meeting: Notes from April 4
th A final note: not every and be on time.
meeting – brainstormed ideas. Completed interview data. meeting has or needs • Listen to and show
Copyright 1999 IdeaWorks charters, agendas, or respect for the opi-
ground rules. And nions of others
Ground Rules sometimes they are • Follow the agenda -
Ground rules help meeting combined together, such stay on track
participants establish ap- as when a meeting only • The only stupid
propriate ways to interact occurs once a year and question is the one
with each other during the the agenda and overall that isn’t asked
meeting. If the meeting task are the same. Even • Ensure that credit
involves a team, they will after these tools are is given to those to
probably already have es- developed in some form, whom it is due
tablished ground rules. If participants may still be • No disruptive side-
the participants have confused about why they conversations
never met or only meet oc- are at the meeting and • Cell phones and pag-
casionally, they may not how they are expected to ers off
have developed ground rules. If this is the case, be behave. Don’t expect to
prepared to develop them at the beginning of the please everyone.
meeting. The rules do not have to be extensive. Understand your role as facilitator and do all you
They may be as simple as “treat each other with re- can to assist within that role, but remember, you
15 16
9. can’t be all things to all people. Preparation and for them to stay focused on the task and the
meeting plans can help avoid most meeting pitfalls, process but also provides a basis for facilitator
but you cannot possibly anticipate every need, intervention which helps the team stay on track. At
dynamic, and nuance of human interaction. The real the beginning of the meeting, the facilitator needs
job of facilitation begins once the meeting starts. to review the meeting agenda and ground rules to
It’s the facilitator’s ability to recognize problems ensure everyone understands, agrees to, and will
and respond appropriately that becomes important. abide by them.
Specific items should be discussed:
FOCUSING THE MEETING Ø Review the charter with the participants, if it
exists.
As important as it is for the Ø If there is no charter, review the purpose and
facilitator to properly prepare the expected outcome of the meeting.
for the meeting, it is equally Ø Review the ground rules to reinforce what the
important that the participants participants have already decided.
be focused. This requires Ø Review the items for discussion and the time line.
making sure that all attendees
are informed of the purpose of
the meeting and that they If the ground rules do not exist, then you must
come prepared to participate. assist the participants in developing them. A quick
A meeting without focus will usually be and easy way to develop a list of ground rules at the
unproductive, and may result in conflict. Since the beginning of a meeting is to ask the participants,
facilitator’s role is to help ensure successful, “When you attend meetings, what lights your fire
productive meetings, purposeful direction is and what burns you up?” You will sometimes get
necessary. To focus the meeting effectively, the surprising responses, but don’t try to force them
facilitator needs to be concerned with both into a common mold. Remember, each meeting has a
elements of conducting meetings mentioned unique character that you have to work with and
previously - the content and the process. respect.
Making sure participants understand the meeting
agenda and ground rules provides not only a basis
17 18
10. KEEPING THE MEETING ON TRACK meeting on track, with example suggestions on how
to intervene in each situation.
Keeping the team on track
starts with good prepara- Ø Side-Bar
tion and includes the use of Conversations Process Intervention &
appropriate process inter- Desired outcomes:
vention. Process interven- Ø Staying on
tion is an interruption by Time
1.) To keep the process on
the facilitator of the meet- track and moving for-
ing process and conversation Ø Never Ending
ward with all partici-
in order to refocus the participants and/or to re- Discussion
pants engaged, making
balance group interactions. best use of time and re-
Ø Conflict
sources.
Most interventions can link back to the posted (personal
2.) Balance participation
ground rules or group norms. As a guideline, always attacks)
with the meeting results
start with the lowest level of intervention, which is
Ø Returning
the least obvious and least threatening to the indi-
from Breaks
vidual or group. As facilitator, your goal is to sup-
port the participants in achieving their desired out-
comes by staying on track and balancing participa-
tion with results, so interventions must be suppor-
tive. Speak the intervention clearly using assertive
language, with supportive tone of voice and body
language.
The following are examples of the Five (5) most
common situations requiring intervention to keep the
19 20
11. Topic Situation Intervention Topic Situation Intervention
Side Bar A member of the Staying on The group has a lot to
1. A friendly reminder: “Just a 1. Invoke the “keep focused”
Conversations group is having side- Time cover in their agenda,
reminder, we agreed to ‘one ground rule: Suggest the use
bar conversations with but they seem to go
conversation at a time’ in our of a Parking Lot to capture
other participants down rabbit holes and
ground rules for today.” items that need to be pursued,
throughout Sam’s may veer off into other but are not the focal points for
presentation. topics. this meeting.
2. Direct the reminder: Make
eye contact (with Susan) and 2. Specifically re-focus on the
restate, “One conversation at a particular topic/agenda item:
time please.” “I’d just like to remind you that
we are discussing item 4,
3. Personalize it: “Susan do you team budget, please hold dis-
have a clarification question for cussion on other topics until
Sam?” or we get to them.”
“Susan I can see that you have 3. Attempt closure of item:
something to contribute; when “Team, we have 10 minutes
Sam has finished we’ll hear remaining for this item. We
from you.” need to re-focus. What do we
still need to discuss to con-
4. Make a direct request: “Su- The discussion has clude this item?”
san, please hold your com- continued for some “We are almost out of time for
ments until Sam has finished.” time and you are run- this item, there appears to be
If Susan is the only ning out of time for the more discussion required is
one interrupting or 5a. Talk to her at break, one- item. that true?”
having side conversa- on-one. Follow-up a yes response with,
tions. “What do you need in order to
close on this item?” or “Why
If there are many peo- 5b. Put the process on hold and are we unable to close on this
ple interrupting or hav- ask the group “Do we need to item?”
ing side conversations. take a break?” 4. Give participants a choice
on how they spend their meet-
ing time: “Is this item more
The item is truly impor-
important than the remaining
tant and just wasn’t
items on the agenda and if so,
given sufficient time for
Note: If other participants are reacting to the material, suggest when will you address the
the necessary discus-
“parking the issue” while completing the current item(s). Address sion and action.
other items?” Note: The an-
this/these new topics after the speaker or the agenda topic discus- swer should not be to keep
going until all the items are
sion ends. completed.
See “Use of Parking Lot” – page ‘31’
21 22
12. Topic Situation Intervention 2. Direct the inquiry: Make
Never-Ending eye contact with Bob and
Discussion ask, “This sounds to me
Never-Ending Information Barriers Follow the same guidelines Cont’d like familiar turf, is this a
Discussion under “Staying on Time” it
recurring theme?” Then
Sometimes a discussion may be that there is insuf-
make eye contact with the
will not come to closure, ficient valid information to
other participants. At this
usually because of infor- progress, in which case the
point Bob will usually ‘fess
mation that is insufficient, team should park the item
up’ that this is either a war-
inaccurate, or unreliable. for another meeting. If the
story that everyone has
Sometimes a topic leads remainder of the meeting is
heard, or a favorite ‘com-
to significant emotional dependant on the comple-
plaint.’ Acknowledge him,
reactions. tion of this item, then re-
ask what key piece of the
schedule the meeting with
discussion he would like
action items to ensure that
captured, and then move
participants bring whatever
on.
is required next time.
3. Personalize the request:
Personal Agenda or
“Bob we agreed that this
“Hobby Horse” 1. Gentle interruption: item would remain parked
Once you’ve determined (or off-topic), has anything
Whenever a topic comes that an individual is in a changed its status?”
up, an individual may be- familiar story mode, and
gin to recount the same what’s being said does not
war stories, etc. You can appear to contribute to the It is unlikely that a person 4. Firmly restate the re-
often tell by reading the item under discussion, gen- will continue raising the quest: You can restate the
faces of the other partici- tly interrupt him to ask, issue. In the event that he intervention comments un-
pants (look for rolling “Bob, excuse my interrup- does. der either 2 or 3 and that
eyes). The individual, of- tion, but I’m not sure how should allow the group to
ten oblivious of the reac- this fits with our topic. Can continue forward without
tions of others, settles you clarify for me?” using up valuable time.
into the story.
5. Talk to him privately at
break: Give feedback (gen-
In the rare case where tly) about the effect his be-
the individual cannot let havior is having on the
go. group and the session. Ask
for his help in keeping the
session moving forward.
23 24
13. 4. Gentle, public reprimand:
Topic Situation Intervention Conflict: In a gentle tone say, “Bill de-
1. Apply gentle humor: If you Personal spite my reminders, you con-
Conflict: Individual Attacked don’t know this team or the Attacks tinue to make critical com-
Personal individuals, observe Joe’s Cont’d ments towards Joe’s ideas. If
Attacks A group member reaction and Bill’s demeanor there is a personal disagree-
takes “pot shots” at and body language. Say noth- ment between the two of you,
other team members. ing the first time unless you it is inappropriate to play it
For the example, Bill are sure that it was inten- out here. Can you participate
is taking ‘shots’ at tional, or make light of the in this meeting productively or
Bill persists with
Joe. first occurrence: “I hope that is there another issue which
comments aimed at
comment isn’t an indication needs to be addressed before
Joe
that we need armor for this the team can continue?” (This
meeting.” gives Bill the opportunity to
bow out of the meeting. If he
2. Restate the ground rules: chooses to leave, ask the
Make eye contact with Bill team if they can continue
and say, “Our ground rules without him)
Bill takes another
clearly state that….We wel-
shot
come all ideas, comments The same intervention could
that build or clarify ideas etc., be made one-on-one with Bill
but not negativity.” at break.
Group Attacked 1. Apply gentle humor: If you
don’t know this team or the
3. Confront Bill directly: firm Bill is taking potshots individuals, observe their re-
words, supportive tone and at everyone. actions and Bill’s demeanor
stance. and body language. Say noth-
“Bill this is not the first time ing the first time unless you
that you have targeted Joe are sure that it was inten-
with your remarks, please tional, or make light of the
Once again, Bill aims stop.” Then redirect him with first occurrence: “I hope that
another sarcastic or “What is the concern you comment isn’t an indication
belittling remark at have with the issue/idea? that we need armor for this
Joe How would you modify it to meeting.”
improve 2. Restate the ground rules:
it?” Make eye contact with Bill
and say, “Our ground rules
Bill takes another
clearly state that….We wel-
shot
come all ideas, comments
that build or clarify ideas etc.,
but not negativity.”
25 26
14. Topic Situation Intervention
Conflict: 3. Address problem directly:
Personal Bill continues. At this “Bill you have made several
point he has made negative comments to group Returning 1. Light reminder: “Remem-
Attacks
several remarks to members. Is there something From ber, you agreed to return
Cont’d
various group mem- else going on that is interfer- Breaks from breaks on time because
bers and you have ing with your ability to partici- it helps you finish on time, it’s
redirected his com- pate here today?” one of your ground rules.”
ments and reminded Or throw it to the team. Team members are Just before the next break
him of the ground “Team, how do you feel when late returning from remind the team to be back
rules. Bill makes this type of com- breaks. on time, and advise them of
ment?” when that is. You may want
to lighten the tone by sug-
gesting that you all synchro-
nize your watches while whis-
tling the tune to Mission Im-
4. Personal Confrontation: possible.
If the attacks continue and
the group is reluctant to say
anything to Bill when dis-
cussed as in 3 above, then
speak to Bill at break as in
2. Ask for input: “Out of curi-
Step 4 above.
osity, why do you have a
ground rule that says return
from breaks on time, and yet
consistently several people
are late returning from break
Team members are
each time? What do we need
chronically late re-
to do for this to work?”
turning from breaks.
Facilitate a discussion around
If it is the same
the ground rule and expecta-
members each time
tions – perhaps there aren’t
then remind them
enough breaks, or they are
when they return.
too short, members may need
some flexibility from time to
time to accommodate other
needs – build it into the sche-
dule at the start of the meet-
ings.
27 28
15. MANAGING DATA amount of memory visible at one time, keeping pages
in order, and transcription. Find the tool that works
One of the keys to meeting suc- best for you, the participants and your environment.
cess is managing the information Then practice with the mechanics (posting flip
that the participants are dealing charts, copying the dry-erase board, dealing with
with and producing. It is up to the technology of web-based tools) until the medium
the facilitator to make sure that doesn't get in the way of your facilitation.
everyone hears, sees, and under-
stands what is presented, what is Some facilitators use a recorder or scribe to keep
offered, what is going on, what is running memory (When used with an electronic tool,
agreed to, and that work prod- the recorder is sometimes called a technographer).
ucts and decisions are accurately This frees the facilitator to focus on group dynam-
captured. ics, traffic control, staying on topic, meeting proc-
ess, honoring agreements about working together
One way to do this is to keep a running memory. The (ground rules/group norms), and other aspects of
running memory is a consciousness thread used to facilitation. Other facilitators prefer to have more
keep individuals focused and working on one thing in control of what is recorded, and wield the marker
a logical sequence. Running memory is the documen- (or keyboard) themselves. Recording the right
tation you post on the walls or otherwise collect things at the right level of detail, summarizing with-
where everyone can see it. It is where you keep all out changing essential words, and knowing when to
comments, ideas, discussion, agreements, thoughts, check back with the speaker are all skills that re-
votes, and decisions, so each person can see “what quire practice, and for some people, just don't fit
we're talking about now.” with how they process information. Consider using a
recorder, but make sure you know who it is and are
Running memory can be kept on flip charts on an ea- comfortable working with them.
sel, butcher paper covering the walls, chalk or dry-
erase boards, electronic documents projected on a If you are not using an electronic medium for the
screen, or shared materials using web-based virtual running memory, you may wish to have a scribe cap-
meeting tools. Each of these has advantages and turing the information as you go. Scribing is an art
disadvantages in terms of setup, handling, and the form that is very similar to recording.
29 30
16. Ten Basics of Managing Data KEEP LEARNING AND GROWING
1. Write it Down and Hang It on the Wall
2. Work on one issue at a time. Let the group choose and word the is-
sue. Write it Down and Hang It on the Wall
Finally, it is important that as a
3. Agree on how to work on that issue. Tap the group wisdom for how to facilitator you continue to learn
work before offering your own process. Write it Down and Hang and practice new techniques. Keep
It on the Wall
4. When someone offers an idea, Write it Down and Hang It on the
a generic meeting evaluation form
Wall. If they offer it repeatedly, point to where it is written (see example form in the Attach-
down and hanging on the wall. ments section), and have partici-
5. If someone attacks a person for a "dumb" idea, ask them where the
idea is written down and hung on the wall. Move to it. Move the pants fill it out anonymously. Review the responses,
discussion to the idea, away from the person who offered it. If and incorporate specific suggestions. If you do not
additions, qualifications, clarifications, or pros and cons are of- want to use a written meeting evaluation, then set
fered, Write it Down and Hang It on the Wall
6. When the group is discussing, voting on, or coming to consensus aside a few minutes at the end of each meeting to
around a solution, Write it Down and Hang It on the Wall ask the participants about what meeting processes
7. When the group moves away from the agreed-to issue, go to where worked, and what did not. Ask for suggestions to
you wrote it down and hung it on the wall, call their attention to
it, and give them the choice to change the issue, go back to the improve the meeting process for the next time.
one they agreed to, show how this one affects the one they
agree to, or put a time limit on the digression. Whatever they
Specific attributes of an effective facilitator in-
decide, Write it Down and Hang It on the Wall
8. When the group moves away from the agreed-to process, go to where clude:
you wrote it down and hung it on the wall, call their attention to • Openness
it, and give them the choice to change the process, go back to • Honesty and fairness
the one they agreed to, show how this one affects the one they
agree to, or put a time limit on the digression. Whatever they
• Consistency in actions
decide, Write it Down and Hang It on the Wall • Focus
9. When someone says, "We ought to ______," find out who will. Write • Active listening
it Down and Hang It on the Wall
10. Before breaking up, find out when the group will get back together.
• Accessibility
Write it Down and Hang It on the Wall • Flexibility
• Assertiveness
The same precautions about choosing a recorder ap- • Enthusiasm
ply to choosing a scribe. The facilitator may decide
to scribe to control information flow and discussion. These attributes will be covered in more detail in
subsequent primers.
31 32
17. REFERENCES 7.) Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making, Same
Kaner, New Society Publishers: Philadelphia, PA, 1996
8.) The Complete Guide to Facilitation: Enabling Groups to
We have included here a list-
Succeed, Tom Justice and David Jamieson, HRD Press:
ing of additional reading and Amherst, MA, 1998
information resources to help 9.) The Art of the Focused Conversation: 100 Ways to Access
you continue to learn more Group Wisdom in the Workplace, The Canadian Institute
about Facilitation. The writ- for Cultural Affairs: New Society Publishers, (ISBN 0-
86571-416-9)
ten reference materials listed
10.) Facilitating With Ease: A Comprehensive Guide to the Prac-
vary from basic to full-blown tice of Facilitation, Ingrid Bens, Participative Dynamics,
instructional texts. The web- Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA
sites for the American Society for Quality, the As-
sociation for Quality and Participation, ASQ Human
Development &Leadership Division, and the Interna- Also you can contact the following organizations for
tional Association of Facilitators are good sources training courses and additional topic information:
for additional information and course listings.
The International Association for Facilitation @
These websites also have areas to post questions
http://www.iaf-world.org or 952.891.3541
for topic experts, and to discuss facilitation topics
with others. The Association for Quality and Participation @
http://www.aqp.org or 800.733.3310
1.) Facilitation at a Glance, Ingrid Bens, M.Ed., Goal/QPC &
The American Society for Quality
AQP: Cincinnati, 1999
2.) The Facilitator Excellence Handbook, Fan Rees, Jossey-
@http://www.asq.org or 800.248.1946
Bass: San Francisco, CA, 1998 The Human Development & Leadership Division
3.) The Facilitator’s Field Book, Thomas Justice and David W.
@http://www.asq-hdl.org
Jamieson, AMACOM: New York, 1999
4.) The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom for Developing
Effective Groups, R. Schwarz, Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, Course Recommendations:
CA, 1994
Facilitator 4Hire, Inc., 294 Hook St., Alpharette,
5.) Intervention Skills: Process Consultation for Small Groups
and Teams, W.B. Reddy, Pfeiffer & Company, 1994
GA 30004, 770.333.7541, www.facilitator4hire.com
6.) Facilitation: From Discussion to Decision, A. L. Zimmerman
and Carol J. Evans,
33 34
18. ATTACHMENTS CHARTER/PURPOSE STATEMENT FORM
Name: (optional)
MEETING AGENDA FORM
Members/Participants:
Meeting Objective: Who is involved on a regular basis?
Meeting Location: Date: Time:
Attendees:
Sponsor:
Who determined the members had to meet? Who is interested in the outcome?
Tasks and Activities: Time Allocation: Expected Outcome:
Warm-up
Outcome and Deliverable:
Review Agenda What is the expected result of the meeting? What is the form of that result? A de-
cision? A plan? Completed action?
1.
2.
3. Deliverable Due Date:
4. Tasks and Activities:
What specific topics/issues need to be addressed? What information needs to be
gathered? What decisions need to be made?
5.
Assign Actions
Plan Next Meeting
Critique Meeting
Meeting Preparation: Ground Rules:
How will participants treat each other during meetings? How will decisions be
made?
Items/Information to Bring to the Meeting:
Copyright 1999 IdeaWorks
Copyright 1999 IdeaWorks
35 36
19. MEETING EVALUATION
Meeting length and pace:
◊ Excellent ◊ Above Average ◊ Average ◊ Poor
Name (optional):__________________
Comments:
Survey Date ___/___/___
Meeting, Workshop, or Training Received:
_____________________________________________________ Overall meeting effectiveness:
◊ Excellent ◊ Above Average ◊ Average ◊ Poor
Facilitator: Comments:
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Group/Department/Team: Meeting room:
_____________________________________________________ ◊ Excellent ◊ Above Average ◊ Average ◊ Poor
_____________________________________________________
Comments:
In an effort to evaluate the meeting process and to continuously improve,
we are asking you to please take a few minutes to fill out this survey. Re-
turn the survey to the Facilitator. The information will only be reviewed by
the Facilitator and will be used to determine the effectiveness of the meet- On a scale of 1 to 10, rate the group’s enthusiasm, why?
ing/training, the materials provided, and the overall participant experiences
to determine what areas can be improved. Please verify that the informa-
tion you completed above is correct for the Facilitator and Meeting. Rate
each category below by marking your response in the appropriate box.
Make any comments that you feel are appropriate for each category. What would you change to improve the meeting’s effectiveness, why?
Thank you for your time and participation.
Facilitator/Trainer knowledge/ability:
◊ Excellent ◊ Above Average ◊ Average ◊ Poor
Comments:
Meeting materials, equipment, & tools:
◊ Excellent ◊ Above Average ◊ Average ◊ Poor
Comments:
37 38
