Schuman S. - The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation (2005)(en)

then have to go back through its earlier stages in order to create a new balance (Cini, 2001). The facilitator may help the group by having the newcomer go through some small rites of passage, such as completing a personality inventory, if that had been done, and having the newcomer and the group briefly revisit the personality preferences of all members. While new group members may cause some minor readjustment in functioning, they may also bring in new energy and ideas and speed up the group’s accomplishments. While some facilitators prefer groups to remain intact, research shows that this new vitality may prove useful in the facilitation process (Cini, 2001).

Group Culture

Another area on the process track that has emerged from psychology and with deeper roots in anthropology and sociology is the importance to the facilitator of understanding the culture in which she is operating. Groups, like organizations and societies, possess a culture. Taking a cue from anthropology, we are defining culture as the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors that the members of a group use to cope with their world and with one another. Once developed, that culture is transmitted to each new member. It may reflect a way of being within an organization or the broader values of the group members or even the culture from which they come. If the facilitator comes from outside the organization or is not from the larger culture that it reflects, he or she needs to begin to identify and honor the culture in which the facilitation work is taking place.

The culture of the organization begins at its inception with what is referred to in appreciative inquiry as its positive core. This consists of its values, mission, and purpose. Over time, this culture may become invisible, turning into a taken-for- granted set of assumptions that are held by the majority of members of an organization (Schein, 1996).

According to Schein (2003), in order to understand culture, the newcomer must examine several diverse areas, such as language, customs, traditions; norms, standards, and values; formal philosophy and mission; rules of the game; climate; embedded skills; habits of thinking and acting; shared meanings; and metaphors or symbols. Although Schein addresses these concerns to the organization development consultant, they are no less important to the facilitator who is brought in to work in the organization. In fact, the facilitated change process recommended in the more recent writings of management guru Peter Drucker begins with uncovering the culture through what he refers to as an internal summary (Stern, 1999).

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Organizational culture may grow from societal culture (and vice versa). Following is an example from modern Japanese business culture attributed to more ancient relationships, in this case between rice farmers and samurai warriors. The samurai were dependent on the rice farmers for food, and the rice farmers were dependent on the samurai for protection. Although this relationship no longer exists, the cultural values it represented provided a natural bridge to the present. Today, management depends on its workers to produce products or services, and workers depend on management to take care of them. Scholars argue that the cultural foundations made it easier for the Japanese to embrace this codependency and the team concept it represents compared to other cultures without similar historical roots. By better understanding the historical culture, the facilitator has the potential to be more effective by honoring the underlying or core values.

Group Intelligence

Yet another component of working with groups are the many new theories on intelligence. Howard Gardner (1993) posited seven and then eight forms of intelligence. Each type brings a different and useful way of thinking to the group. Exhibit 3.4 lists the intelligences and posits the implications for the group facilitator.

Exhibit 3.4

Multiple Intelligence Theory and the Facilitator

Intelligence	Implications for Facilitation
Linguistic	People in this group learn through reading. Ensuring that
	work is displayed in written form (as on flip charts) is vital,
	as is capturing their words as spoken.
Logical/	Good at patterns and relationships, these participants can
mathematical	be called on to see how ideas cluster and relate to the ex-
	ternal environment.
Bodily	Learning through sensation and the body, group activities
kinesthetic	that call for movement or skits maximize participation and
	involvement.

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	Intelligence	Implications for Facilitation
	Spatial	The use of drawing or creation of symbols will help these
		individuals, who are great with images and pictures.
	Musical	While music is less likely than the other intelligences to be
		focused on in facilitation, having music before the meeting
		and at breaks sets a positive tone for this group.
	Interpersonal	Picking up on mood and the feelings of others, this is the
		group best able to help look at process issues and the sen-
		sitivities in the larger group.
	Intrapersonal	More internal, reflective, and self-motivated, these individ-
		uals can be counted on to gather information or work on
		projects that are brought back to the group.
	Naturalist	The environment is most important in the learning of this
		group. Having a comfortable ambience and harmony with
		that environment is vital for them to use their skills.

As with understanding and using personality profiles, facilitation that draws on multiple intelligences is likely to produce more valuable outcomes than if the work was based on the particular intelligence of the facilitator alone.

CONCLUSION

This chapter has examined a few of the many psychologically based practices important to the art and practice of facilitation. I hope it entices readers to search out other areas that go beyond methods of facilitation to help the individuals and groups involved.

APPENDIX 3A: FOUR SEASONS PERSONALITY PROFILE

Instructions to the facilitator: Provide a copy of the quadrants to all participants. Ask them to select which quadrant contains the words that they are most nearly like. While some individuals will be able to choose one quadrant quickly, others may have a hard time. The facilitator can give the group a couple of minutes, and if they are unable to choose, ask individuals to arbitrarily select one quadrant.

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FALL	SPRING
• Dependable • Prepared • Loyal	• Personal • Warm • Compassionate
• Sensible • Punctual • Organized	• Sympathetic • Communicative
• Caring • Concrete • Clear Values	• Sincere • Spiritual • Enthusiastic
• Value Home/Family/Tradition	• Imaginative • Romantic • Flexible
• Follow Rules and Respect Authority	• Authentic • Nurturer • Empathic
• Proud to Serve • Concerned	• Harmonious • Sensitive
WINTER	SUMMER
• Logical • Innovative • Analytical	• Impulsive • Witty • Bold
• Global • Conceptual • Abstract	• Spontaneous • Generous
• Cool • Calm • Investigative	• Optimistic • Eager • Need Fun
• Perfectionistic • Nonconformist	• Charming • Immediate • Restless
• Problem Solver • Visionary	• Hate Routine • Competitor
• Insightful • Inner Directed	• Trouble-Shooter • Adventurous

Divide the group into four subgroups based on which “season” the participants identified. Assign the following task:

Create a perfect meeting environment for the stereotypical person described by your quadrant. Include a description of: the layout of the room; how the meeting would be run, led, or facilitated; how decisions would be made and implemented; and what role you see people from your quadrant playing in a group with mixed personalities. You are to come up with a catchy slogan that describes your own quadrant. All of this is to be presented back to the larger group in whatever creative form you choose. You might do a skit, lecture, song, or rap, but it must be performed by all the quadrant members.

Give the following warning (tongue-in-cheek):

“Springs: Do not spend all your time getting agreement, participation, and buyin, as that might hold you back.”

“Summers: Do not put off the task until the very end. Allocate your time so the task gets done.”

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“Falls: “Leave time to practice your presentation, as it’s important for you to get things as perfect as possible.”

“Winters: Focus on the task at hand; do not get diverted by discussions on world affairs and social issues.”

This process can be completed in less than thirty minutes. It is followed by a facilitated discussion, which might take another thirty minutes, on how each seasonal personality type can add to the workings of a group.

The facilitator might ask the participants to guess his preferred “season.” This question can be used before or after the groups divide into the four subgroups. In any case, if the group is not familiar with the facilitator, they might be given the opportunity to ask questions that might give clues.

For more comprehensive details, contact the author at [e-mail].

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P A R T T W O		Plan
	Appropriate
	Group Processes

1.Select clear methods and processes.

•Fosters open participation with respect for client culture, norms, and participant diversity

•Engages the participation of those with varied learning and thinking styles

•Achieves a high-quality product / outcome that meets the client needs

2.Prepare time and space to support group process.

•Arranges physical space to support the purpose of the meeting

•Plans effective use of time

•Provides effective atmosphere and drama for sessions

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Eight Ps of Effective

Facilitation Planning

and Preparation

c h a p t e r

F O U R

Jeff Bracken

You are at the front of the room facilitating a group. Suddenly something is wrong. You have the group’s complete attention, but you cannot remember the next step in the process. Or the group does

not understand your instructions for an exercise and responds with blank stares. Perhaps there is an unexpected shift in group dynamics that throws the meeting off track, and you cannot seem to bring it back. Maybe you cannot locate a handout or a prepared flip chart. Or the process you designed is not producing the results you expected. These seemingly unrelated problems often share a common root cause: ineffective facilitation planning and preparation.

In response to these challenges, I have developed an approach that has consistently worked for me in successfully facilitating hundreds of groups over the past ten years. It works particularly well in planning and preparing for complex, high-stakes facilitation projects, where the situations and issues are complicated, and personal relationships and organizational performance are at stake. Specific examples of these types of projects include leading the design, development, and delivery of an organizational survey-feedback-action planning process, and designing and facilitating a multiday event with fifty or more participants to address a critical business issue.

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The level of facilitation involved with this kind of work demands that you delve deeper in planning and preparation than simply reviewing a checklist of things to do before facilitating. You need to reach a fairly sophisticated level of shared understanding, support, and acceptance with the client regarding a variety of important issues.

This approach is not a linear, generic cookie-cutter template that applies to all facilitation situations. However, it does provide a clear process and useful guidelines that professionals can customize to their unique requirements.

The Eight Ps in this chapter and the dozens of practical tips and techniques that they include will help make the task of facilitation planning and preparation easier and increase your personal effectiveness as a facilitator.

Following is an overview of the approach:

•Perspective—developing an understanding of the client’s organization and operating situation to provide a context for your facilitation project

•Purpose—clarifying the needs and expectations of the client and their stakeholders

•People—considering stakeholder demographics and dynamics

•Product—defining the specific work product, content, and format to meet client requirements

•Place—anticipating and managing the details and logistics of the physical meeting space

•Process—customizing the facilitation process design, materials, and evaluation to the client’s perspective, purpose, people, product, and place

•Practice—reviewing process documentation and materials and rehearsing your delivery

•Personal preparation—being mentally, emotionally, and physically ready to perform and paying attention to your long-term personal and professional development

PERSPECTIVE

It is critically important to gain perspective about your client’s organization and operating situation at the outset of a project. A fact-based context helps you make informed decisions and eliminates guesswork and faulty assumptions about what the client needs and how to best meet those needs.

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