Facilitation Skills for Chaotic

Times

Vancouver Public Schools

Module 1 –

www.stevezuieback.com

2 Big Questions

How to know what to do when?!

How to be able to do “what when”?!

Diagnosis

Design

Micro Skills

Process Skills

How do you know what to do when?

How to be able to do “what when?”

           Bridges 3 Phase Model of Transition

Neutral Zone

Meaning Attribution Caring

Structure & Executive Control

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Emotional Stimulation (stress)

Irv Yalom and Team Performance

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Model of Facilitator Effectiveness

“5 Finger Model”

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Rational Outcomes •  Plans, tasks, work products

•  Measurable and tangible

•  Content driven

Experiential Outcomes •  Experiences, relationships, ways of

operating

•  Soft and intangible

•  Process driven

Two Types of Outcomes to Consider

Communication Presuppositions

  Each person’s experience is uniquely different.

  The meaning of communication is the response you get.

  Underlying every behavior is a positive intention (it may be deeply buried)

  Experience has a structure. Change the structure and you change the experience.

  There is an interconnected relationship between you and others that goes on over time.

  The element of a system which has the most flexibility (choice) has the most control (ability to influence) within the system.

Perceptual Positions

2nd Position

3rd Position

100% of your is distributed around these 3 positions: 1st + 2nd + 3rd = 100%

1st Position: SELF focused

2nd Position: OTHER focused

3rd Position: SYSTEM focused

The Meta Model of Communication

Clarifying Unspecified Nouns

What _______________ specifically?

Clarifying Unspecified Verbs

How ______________ specifically?

Asking High Quality Questions

 Questions that aren’t answered by a “yes” or a “No”

 They are not answers ‘disguised’ as questions (Don’t you think you should……)

 Cause the person to seek and find their own answers.

Some Examples

  What would you like to have happen?

  What’s upsetting about this situation?

  How will you know you have achieved what you are after?

After Action Review

What happened?

What did we learn as a result of what happened?

What will we do differently?

Gaining Permission as a Facilitator

  Connection around values and beliefs leads to rapport

  Rapport leads to relationship

  Relationships lead to Permission

  Permission allows you to pace and lead

Individual

Facilitator Group

Far From Agreement

Close To Agreement

Types of problems we face in our organizations

Far From Certainty Close To Certainty

Focused Discussion Method

  Developed by the Institute of Cultural Affairs in 1960’s

  Method takes approximately 30 minutes.

  Method useful for developing understanding and moving a group to agreement/action

  Uses 4 sequential questions: objective, reflective, interpretive & decisional.

Description of the Four Questions   OBJECTIVE: This question asks for factual

information and everyone in the group responds to this question. “What did you hear in the presentation?” (optional)

  REFLECTIVE: This question asks for a personal reaction that group members have related to the topic area. “How does what you heard match your experience?”

  INTERPRETIVE: This asks for interpretations about the topic and gives people a chance to share the potential impact, significance, etc. “What is the impact on the work we are doing?

  DECISIONAL: This is designed to get group agreement about next steps or action. “What do we now need to do?”

Ladder of Inference – Argyris and Schon

Facilitation Skills for Chaotic

Times

Vancouver Public Schools

Module 2–

www.stevezuieback.com

2 Big Questions

How to know what to do when?!

How to be able to do “what when”?!

Diagnosis

Design

Micro Skills

Process Skills

How do you know what to do when?

How to be able to do “what when?”

Reflection Process

•  Select 2 of the areas you have practiced and have questions about

•  Gather into small groups around one of your selections and engage in the following questions:

1.  What were the circumstances in which you applied this process or concept, and why?

2.  What questions does the group have about this process or concept?

3.  Group attempts to answer questions. Unanswered questions are charted on the flipcharts.

Identity Current state

Relationships Connections

Information Will

Identity Current state

Intention

Tensions Issues

Relationships Connections

Principles Standards

The Work

Information Will

Deep Learning Sustainability

New Context Structures Strategies

Where are we? Who are we?

What are we trying to achieve?

What are the tensions &

issues?

How can we be with and

work with one another?

What ground rules shall we follow?

Who will do what when?

How can we open up all the information

to all?

How can we keep learning, adjusting and sustaining it?

What new context and overall way of

working – approaches?

Simple Process Enneagram

Discussion Method Confidence Line

Enneagram

Life Stories Appreciative Inquiry Need Set

Nominal Group Process

Mental Models Imaginization Appreciative Inquiry Enneagram

Mental Models Imaginization Ladder of Inference Crumple & Toss Handling Difficult

Totems Taboos and RI Need Set Appreciative Inquiry

Workshop Method Action Planning After Action Review

After Action Review Discussion Method Appreciate Inquiry Enneagram

Workshop Method Mental Models Enneagram Paired Weighting Decision Matrix Action Planning

Facilitation Process and the Process Enneagram

Appreciative Inquiry

  Developed by Dr. David Cooperrider at Case Western University

  A process & philosophy that assumes in any system there are things that work, these should be appreciated & built upon

  The process is particularly effective with groups that are stuck in the negative

Assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry

  In every organization something works

  What we focus upon becomes our reality

  The act of asking questions influences the group & determines the focus

  People have more confidence & comfort to journey to the future (the unknown) when they carry forward parts of the past (the known)

  It is important to value differences

  The language we use creates our reality

  We create a preferred future through on-going conversations

Sample Questions

  Thinking about your experience with this group, what have been the high points?

  What is it you appreciate/value most about the people you work with?

  Where’s the passion in the system?

  How can we create what we want in the future?

  How will we measure our progress and success?

Points of Focus – Michael Grinder

Michael Grinder

1st  Point     Looking  down   When  under  a4ack;  Transi8ons;  Crea8ng  a  conversa8on  in  a  team  

2nd  Point     Looking  at  the  other  person  

Maintain  rela.onship;  focusing  on  the  future;  solu.oning  

3rd  Point   Looking  at  the  paper,  the  screen,  a  flip  chart,  etc.  

To  objec.fy  difficult  informa.on;  to  specify  a  problem;  to  focus  the  a>en.on  on  the  problem  

4th  Point   Gesturing  away  while  maintaining  eye  contact  

Discard  the  idea  rather  than  put  on  a  “parking  lot”  

Model of Facilitator Effectiveness

“5 Finger Model”

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Discussion Method – Sustainability

  Objective: What stood out as a key insight from the prior conversation?

  Reflective: What compels you to be part of this team working on this issue?

  Interpretive: What seem to be the most important factors for us to consider about the current state of this issue so that we are all on the same page?

  Decisional: What are the most important current state issues that we agree upon as we move forward with this planning conversation?

Identifying Intentions

1.  Break up into Issues Teams.

2.  Select a facilitator. Facilitator identifies feedback area.

3.  Facilitator utilizes the Appreciative Inquiry or Discussion Method

4.  Preparation of facilitators

5.  Team designs questions

6.  Facilitate the conversation

Handling Difficult Group Dynamics

At your table, please

identify the most

difficult “group

dynamic” that you

experience when

working in groups.

Handling Difficult Group Dynamics

•  What are the specific behaviors that you see/hear that’s evidence of this dynamic?

•  What specific strategies could we use to deal with this behavior & maintain respect for the individual?

•  Think of a time that you exhibited this behavior, what was going on for you or in the group that prompted it?

•  Given what was just said, what insights do you NOW have about the meaning of this & other difficult behavior in groups?

These consequences trigger feelings in you

These feelings lead you to ascribe hidden

motives to me

You formulate a response

These feelings lead me to ascribe hidden

motives to you

You act

Your actions trigger consequences for me

These consequences trigger feelings in me

I formulate a response I act

My actions trigger consequences for you