January 20, 2012

• Facilitating meetings

  Facilitating #meetings

  Reflection

  I facilitated a operational planning workshop for our Information and Communication Technology Division. The output required was a detailed operational plan of all activities that will be undertaken in the 2012/2013 financial year. The business #plan is used to report on in terms of work completed and budget consumes. Using public funds places an burden to be extra careful how and where funds are being used. This is just a reflection of the two days in terms of how the process of facilitation went in order for me to capture some learning experiences. The overall process was successful and I think we achieved the objectives we set out for the workshop to achieve. The workshop consisted of five sections and a contingent of about twenty people.

  Some basic #facilitation things I did this year that worked well were:

  • I maintained a positive atmosphere by ensuring that the objectives and aims relates to personal objectives and aims.
  • I prevented discussions on the facilitation process itself. There is almost always a bright spark who thinks they can facilitate the sessions better. When I started facilitating meetings I was more open to these ideas but if you give it attention, is turns into an hour or more discussion that does not add at all to the outputs of the meeting. A facilitator can not afford such time wastage. This time at the first suggestion that we should do things differently, I made it clear that I will entertain suggestions only during breaks and the only person who can change the process is the head of the division. I had done several facilitation and I know how to get us to the outputs. This might sound arrogant but I had no such interventions after that and we all worked well.
  • Coming from Toastmasters, I introduced people to clapping for there co-workers after presentations. Clapping is an amazingly effective tool. Firstly it creates a sense of unity and in the other it does support the speaker and makes listeners more attentative. Later people clapped sponteneously without encouragement.
  • A facilitator must work with a stop watch. I set times for presentations, give the speaker a warning when that time comes to an end and when the time is done get up and thank the speaker for their contribution. At first speakers find it annoying but the rest of the audience are grateful for the intervention and the following speakers soon realises that they can not continue with verbiage that does not make sense. It keeps the programme focused.
  • I liaise frequently with the owner of the meeting during breaks to ensure he/she is happy with progress and if they want us to go faster or slower.
  • Break-away's and breaks always causes problems because some people will take an half an hour to get back to the venue after a fifteen minute break. As facilitator I make it a point to go around three minutes before the time and just simply remind people that we will be starting within the next three minutes and reiterate the time we agreed to be back. A simple gesture like that helps a lot.
  • In the role of Toastmaster of the day I have learned many bridging techniques from a joke to an insertion to an interesting fact. This is a skill that comes in well when facilitating. The facilitator must make sure there is something between speakers that are of interest to bring their attention back to the task at hand.
  • On the second day, I put on a white T-shirt with a huge number one on it. I explained to them that it is to remind them that they want to be the number one team. Simple things that is an additional almost subliminal message works extremely well to change the focus and mood of the meeting.
  • Finally it is important to do the normal things required from facilitation....ensuring everybody gets an opportunity to contribute (Everybody speaks through the facilitator and not to each other), summarising what has been said and highlight the positive contributions that were made.

  That is a few thoughts on facilitation that made this round of facilitation an enjoyable experience. At a point in time one of the people said to me: "You are really enjoying yourself, aren't you?". I had to confess that it is true. I love to play a part and see that my contribution uplifts the group to achieve more than normal. That is what life is about...to be an edifying influence on the people that cross our path.

  

  The venue where we had our planning session for two days.

   

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