Why this book?
This was my May 2020 book selection for my Year of Reading 2020. I started reading it on 9 July 2020 and completed it on 8 August 2020.
See my answers to this in Q1 in Chapter 1 below.
My reading of the book
I read each chapter making notes as I read.
At the end of each chapter, I set myself some application questions (that are usable by others) and answered those questions. These were then posted in LinkedIn.
The full set of questions only can be seen in this article.
When I finished the book. I posted the full set of my notes, the questions I devised and my responses together here in this blog post.
My overall assessment and response to the book
See my responses to this in my notes from Chapter 14 below.
For information about the book group for this book, see this article.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Book Group Q&A
Q1: Why did you decide to read this book?
A1: The life and career review and planning work that I am doing on my own nd with others continues to point to workshop facilitation, meeting management and running events as giving me most joy and satisfaction. I was first made aware of the book via Nadja P recommending the book in a LinkedIn post many months ago and I added it to my "My Year of Reading - Books To Be Considered" list. I took a quick look at the content of the book and it overtly appeared to be a skills development book. Meeting and workshop management is one of my strengths and I am a strong believer in developing our strengths instead of always focussing on our weaknesses. It made the cut when I compiled my "My Year of Reading 2020" list.
Q2: What would be a good outcome for you in reading this book?
A2: That I will have learned some new techniques , tools and practices, that I will have already started putting them into practice in my various life roles and seem an increase in my effectiveness in all my workshop/meeting roles. I am also looking to develop my virtual facilitation skills. My expectations are high.
Q3: How do you plan to read and engage with this book?
A3: I will apply my best practice which has evolved over the last 3 years. I read a chapter, I take notes as I read in Evernote, I reflect and devise questions on the content of that chapter, I answer those questions, collate my notes and my Q&A and post a chapter-specific post in the book club group for the book in Workplace from Facebook. I also collate a Questions post for those who just want to use my questions and that gets updated after each chapter with that set of questions. I post this as a separate post in Workplace from Facebook. At the end of the book,I collate all my notes and Q&A into a single post that goes onto my blog. For "Nimble", I am trying an experiment of also posting my questions as a LinkedIn article to see who tags along. I am also posting this Chapter 1 Q&A as a separate LinkedIn article for the same reason. Part of the rationale for this is to widen out my working out loud / show your work practice.
Q4: What is your experience of reading along with other people?
A4: I have been a member of and facilitated a number of face-to-face book clubs including fiction and non-fiction books. One of the challenges is people reading at the same pace or even just reading the book at all. In some groups, there have been weekly live broadcasts of the leader hosting a discussion about the book via comments. My most recent example of hosting a Designing Your Work Life book group is my most productive and successful book group to date. I continue to look for people to join me in reading specific books for mutual learning. One of the advantages of using a collaboration platform such as Workplace from Facebook is that people can read at different paces and still join in discussions even when the book was "completed" some time ago.
Q5: What was your immediate response to the opening quote from Mike Tyson "Everyone has a plan 'til they get punched in the mouth"?
A5: Not everyone has a plan. Some take great joy in "winging it". Always good to have a plan. It is a rare plan indeed that is executed to the letter of the plan. As a project manager at my core, risk assessment and risk mitigation is a key part of my role and looking at severity and probablility for what needs to be done to mitigate a risk. Part or the planning of meetings/workshops can assess similar risks to meeting the goals. Definitely good to be flexible as appropriate when facilitating or chairing anything.
Q6: This section talks about the various groups of people that the book would be helpful for. Summarise what you do that makes this book relevant to you.
A6: Lots of my life in various roles is taken up with leading, facilitating and being a member of groups of all kinds - internal to my employer, internal and external to my employer, in my learning life outside of my working hours and as part of the leadership team of a church for which I run various streams of meetings/sesssions with all kinds of different objectives. I am looking to enhance my skillset as a host, organiser, leader and facilitator but also helping others to improve as well as being a more effective participant myself.
Q7: As you start this book, describe your understanding of the word "nimble" in contexts other than meetings and workshops.
A7: The dictionary says nimble means all the things in this graphic:
I always see people and animals as "nimble" and "fleet of foot" meaning they travel on the ground quickly and take into account changes to the landscape, especially hills and mountains, to make progress. Looking up nimble animals, I found "World's fastest ant revealed as Saharan insect more nimble than a Cheetah". I often personally use "mountain goat" as a parallel with speedy people. See these next two videos:
and
I was also reminded of the "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick" nursery rhyme.
There is also a brand of bread in the UK called "Nimble". See TV ad below and thesong used in the ad here.
Q8: Say something about whether you are more of a workshop / meeting attender or facilitator - for facilitator, include the roles of chair, organiser etc.
A8: Although I asked the question, when I come to answer the question, I see you could answer this in two ways - do you do more of one or the other as well as what is your preference. I am always a both/and person not an either/or person per Jim Collins so I will answer both. I do more of the organising and leading in most of my life roles and often when I am not in overall "charge" of the session, I am often influential n the running of parts of all of the session. My preference is to lead and drive but I am happy to take any role in any session that I am involved in.
Q9: What is your overall view of meetings and workshops in organisational life? Include in organisations, groups of people outside of work life.
A9: My mantra is that we have too many of the wrong kinds of meetings and not enough of the right kinds of meetings. Lots of work can be done without meetings e.g. via use of collaboration platforms. A favourite article on using such platforms for reducing the number of meetings is this Slack blog post "Meetings that work (and don’t) in Slack". Meetings are often organised and run badly with lots of meeting management 101 being unknown or simply ignored. Well-run meetings give me an adrenaline rush where the meeting objectives have been met, all views heard, pros and cons of options explored and decisions made as appropriate. As with all things, I do try to lead by example.
Q10: To what extent are you guilty of failing to listen to those whose views you think you already know?
A10: I may do this occasionally but definitely not guilty of doing this often. This is a real danger in groups and teams that you have worked with over the long term. This is also a danger where you know that people in the group are unchanging in their views over time.
Q11: Say something about you and the level of your listening skills.
A11: These skills are key to lots of my roles when I am trying to understand requirements, understand a problematic issue, hearing different people's points of view to gain consensus or come to a conclusion. The tell-tale signs of an issue in this area are where I am waiting for a pause in breath by the other person so I can say what I want/need to. As I get older I have less of a need to express an opinion or to have my share of air-time. Much of this is down to my increasing curiosity and wanting to hear other people's views. I am aware that I have the occasional lapse and lose track of the thread of a conversation and need to ask the person to say something again. I should track that to understand when and why it happens to identify any recurring theme and eliminate it happening! This video of Tom Peters on listening is gold:
Q12: What specific development activities have you undertaken to develop your facilitation skills? Give some good examples and some not so good examples and include courses, books, seminars, talks etc.
A12: From what I can recall, this has been minimal over the years. The best example I can recall as doing an Internal Consultancy 4-day course that I did back in 2001 delivered by Techniques for Change. Lots of practical exercises and getting us to devise workshop agendas for specific goals. This is a good reminder that I should revisit that content as these skills are now back in focus as I read "Nimble". See the course handouts cover, delegate list and running order.
I am also reminded of a favourite skills book that I read back in the late 1989 - "Consulting Skills for the Information Professional" (1989) by three Index Group as-was consultants. See the cover and table of contents:
I have been on a number of leadership and management development courses over the years where meeting management was part of the content. I also remember a previous employer collating and publishing a paper on meeting management which was largely obvious but good to set the expectation for how all meetings in the organisation should be run. Two recent books that I have read have also included material on facilitation skills: “Community: The Structure of Belonging”; Peter Block and "Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don’t Agree with or Like or Trust"; Adam Kahane.
Q13: What for you would be mastery in the craft of facilitation?
A13: The ability to facilitate any form of workshop, meeting or session, proficient using a huge range of techniques and approaches, with a wide variety of objectives, complexity and stakeholders with experience to match. The ability to coach and lead other facilitators. To be a thought leader on the subject and practice of facilitation.
Q14: Explain to someone new to facilitation why nimbleness is such an important skill?
A14: It is a rare meeting that goes exactly as per plan given that groups of human beings are involved. Nimbleness is required to steer the meeting appropriately as soon as the facilitator senses that the meeting is veering off-course.
Q15: Oblivious Facilitator was a persona introdiced in this section. What is one?
A15: This is a facilitator who takes no account of what is being said and what the atmosphere is of the meeting and does not then flex the steering of the meeting in response to what is happening.
Q16: What do you understand by the term "scaffolding" in the world generally? Is that a helpful term for you in the context of facilitation? If not or if you have a better word, what is that word and why?
A16: Never really thought about this question. Scaffolding per the dictionary is "a temporary structure on the outside of a building, made of wooden planks and metal poles, used by workmen while building, repairing, or cleaning the building". Scaffolding in an education sense per the dictionary is "variety of instructional techniques used to move students progressively toward stronger understanding and, ultimately, greater independence in the learning process". Also see the Wikipedia entry for "Instructional scaffolding". I am torn as to whether the word is helpful. Scaffolding for me is a framework that is temporary and only used during building or changing a building. I understand the support and security dimensions of the word but I would hope that as facilitators we would continually use the scaffolding to stay on top of and improve our facilitation game. Suggested alternative words from me would include framework and toolbox.
Q17: For each of the 4 x Ps - people, purpose, place, process - describe your ideal facilitation session using each of the Ps as headings.
A17:
people:
-
the right people in the room
-
clear roles of each person
-
people qualified to perform those roles
purpose:
-
stated and agreed objective of the session so that people can assess success or failure
place:
-
the physical or virtual environment is appropriate for the session for the participants to take part comfortably
-
all those using specific tools in the session are proficient and confident in their use
process:
-
all people present understand the process that the session will take and how that process ties to the objective of the session
-
the facilitator is proficient in that process
Q18: Describe the 3 x As of facilitation chronology - anticipation, agility, absorption - and then say what percentage of total time you typically take for each of those stages.
A18: Stages
anticipation
-
all activites related to the planning, organising and setup of the session including agreeing objective with the client
agility
-
all activities related to the actual running of the session from setup to closure of the session
absorption
-
all activities reviewing and reflecting a session that has taken place
split of time - I decided I would split off set-piece meetings from regular meetings. This activity was a challenge to answer validly so I need to measure these for real!
-
set-piece: 40/50/10
-
regular: 45/54/1
Q19: Assess yourself on that percentage split. Is that optimum or could you improve? How? Why?
A19: Given that my answers to Q18 were guesses, I need to measure these formally moving forwards as part of my professional practice so that these are more like actuals. I rarely review the regular meetings as they are just habitual. I was surprised that the regular planning is greater than the set-piece meetings. This is probably due to these being status-type meetings where I am asking various people for their status updates.
Q20: Say something about how you focus on yourself and on others in each stage of the facilitation life cycle. What could you improve about this?
A20:
anticipation
-
me: I am always keen to have a clear running order for each meeting that I facilitate
-
others: I am always clear with my client what their objective of the session is, where possible, the agenda is agreed with the client and all participants get "joining instructions" ideally in one "place" or communication ahead of time with a clear statement of the process and who is doing what in the session
agility
-
me: always conscious that I need to meet the objective ideally and be aware of when we are going off-piste and to bring us back ahead of that worsening to go off-the-rails
-
others: always aware of how or not all present in the session are contributing, what is being said, what is not being said and what the overall atmosphere of the meeting is, is it productive and helpful or unproductive and unhelpful
absorption
-
me: I do try to continually improve how I run sessions in the light of experience
-
others: I do formally get feedback of set-piece sessions, more so when these are one-offs but also when they are more frequent. I could do this more and be more explicit in my obtaining, validating and implementing changes in the light of feedback
Q21: The "invisible facilitator". Discuss.
A21: Ideally, those in the session should not be aware of the facilitator's role in the session. They should just be happy that the objective is always in mind, that the process is being followed and that progress is being made and that ultimately the session meets the objective. The facilitator enables things to happen and does not drive their point of view or their preferences as the session takes place.
Q22: Do the quiz from the end of this chapter - where do you fit on the spectrum? score yourself from 0 to 10 and do not use 7 (replace the n for each question with your score).
4 - doing something at short notice terrifies you
-
Only when I am expected to provide "technical" subject-specific knowledge that I am not aware of
-
Happy to have adrenaline rushes from time-to-time
8 - your meeting agendas contain lots of detail
-
This would include start/end times, heading, who is leading that item, activities - often these are prompts for me but also help attendees
6 - when you give a talk you write it verbatim
-
I usually include structure, headings, bullets and specific detail so I do not forget
9 - when you plan an event, you triple check all the details
-
These are usually complex events and are worthy of double etc checking especially where others need to be briefed and prep-ed ahead of yime
7 - with a speech you are more likely to rehearse it
-
rare for me to do set-piece speeches
-
I do tend to rely on a script
-
no current desire to do a TED-type talk
9 - if someone provides you with a detailed agenda but does not follow it, you get stressed
-
Probably more mad than stressed!
-
Would also depend on whether I was impacted directly or not re needing inputs from a prior agenda item
-
this would be less of an issue if the session made better progress due to the change - that would beg the question why the agenda was so wrong in the first place!
3 - when you go on vacation, you plan each day's activities
-
we usually have a list of things we want to do at some point but not lengthy and not day-by-day
2 - your plan for next weekend is already in place
-
all very free-and-easy and spontaneous
-
in non lockdown days, church activities on Sundays are the priority
Q23: Do a commentary for each of the 8 questions i.e. why did you score yourself with that number.
A23: My responses annotated above.
Q24: What has the quiz revealed to you about yourself as you start reading the book?
A24: Need more confidence in set-piece talks. Becoming more spontaneous - a challenge for project managers! A good balance of planning and flexibility. Happy with loose structures to give some structure but not in concrete.
Q25: To get you thinking about your recent experience of workshops and meetings you have been involved in or that you are planning, list as many such meetings as you would like to in the table in the document here. saving your own copy.
A25: See list here.
My Book Notes
"Everyone has a plan 'til they get punched in the mouth" (Mike Tyson)
unpredictability of group interactions
book is for various groups of people:-
-
planned a meeting that has not gone as planned
-
wanted to handle an unexpected challenge in a session better
-
wanted to rerun a whole meeting
-
group process facilitator without skills to handle session go off-script
-
people who spend too much time in meetings and want to change something about your recurring meetings for greater engagement and creativity
-
chair meetings
-
trainer or teacher with lesson plans to follow and curriculum to deliver
-
negotiator where emotions can run high
nimble means being agile
real life rarely matches the script
we all have spent too much time in unproductive meetings
badly run sessions are a sign of disrespect - all our time is valuable
the book is a coaching guide keeping you calm and focused
let it infuse you with confidence
sometimes we need the unexpected to make our meetings more effective
beware teams as families where each member "knows" what each other member will say on specific subjects
a structured process to guide collaboration that is flexible when rapid change is needed
preventing off-script panic and reaching your potential
book contains practical strategies for pre-, during and post- sessions
give you the confidence to hold your carefully-crafted plan surprisingly loosely
mastery in your craft
book based on deep experience of more than 20 years as a professional facilitator and related roles in various contexts
ability to be nimble - adjusting to various circumstances - is a valuable skill to have and deploy
nimbleness is a teachable skill that can be learned preventatively rather than solely through practical experience of disasters
cf teaching landing skills before sky diver gets into the air
book terminology:-
-
facilitation:
-
when someone provides a structure for people to make better decisions together
-
-
facilitator:-
-
different from trainer or consultant or teacher
-
a leader of group process
-
does not preach, teach, give advice
-
creates environment where group discovers info or becomes aware of things they may not see without help
-
-
nimble:
-
being quick and light in action and comprehension in response to circumstances in the session
-
-
agility:
-
adaptability and nimbleness
-
-
script:
-
your facilitation plan
-
explicit or implicit
-
-
in the room
-
in-person or virtual space
-
-
sponsor or client
-
the person to whom you are accountable for the outcomes of the session you are facilitating
-
may be your peers or a peer when no formal sponsor
-
1.1: Why is being nimble important?
too much facilitation training is all about the tools and techniques only - about 60-70% of what you need
your agility, flexibility, willingness to hold your script loosely completes the 100%
why does flex matter?
-
instead of saving time, you may cost the group time by going off-script
-
you sacrifice credibility by becoming the Oblivious Facilitator
-
not listening to the group
-
your facilitated session needs to accomplish more than the value each individual could have generated by working for the same amount of time
1.2: Off-script vs. off-track
with humans, this is the rule not an exception
may not be a problem , often exactly what is needed to address the real issues
adapting the script is not a sign of poor prep or facilitation skills
may indicate stellar performance as facilitator - a sign of skillful, nimble facilitation
do not be an Oblivious Facilitator
off-the-rails is a different thing!
-
deviation from script
-
strating from the purpose of the session
difference betwee being challenged and being stuck
beware process not leading to wiser decision making, may include lowest common denominator decisions or group think
off-track includes rules of engagement and behaviour neing flouted or running over time etc
knowing he difference between off-track and helpful wider conversation is a nimble facilitation skill
when the group destination needs to change, off-the-rails may be helpful - better objective, the real objective, an appropriate now objective - should be agreed with the group before continuing and then that is the new track to stay on
key is to spot when off-track veering dangerously towards off-the-rails
1.3: Scaffolding that structures this book
skills:-
-
recognising a session is going off-the-rails
-
diagnosing how and why that happened
-
steering the session back on course
discernible patterns for going off-the-rails:-
-
people
-
lack of trust in faciltator based on their identity, behaviour
-
issues with relationships between those in the session pre-dating the session
-
individual or small group behaviours that hijack/distract from effective group process
-
-
purpose
-
lack of clarity or transparency about the purpose
-
lack of relevance of that purpose
-
loss of focus on that purpose
-
spoken or unspoken disagreements on purpose
-
-
place
-
context
-
features of the venue itself
-
"vibe" in the room or environment in which convo happening has direct impact on a session's productivity
-
-
process
-
when sequence or activities or outputs not contributing to the achievement of the purpose - session becomes lost or stuck
-
due to:-
-
activities not connected well enough to the outcome
-
activity being used ineffectively
-
-
chronology based on phases of facilitation is another key element of the book's structure:-
-
in advance - anticipation
-
in the room - agility
-
afterwards - absorption
when facilitating, assess which of these Ps are in play
-
people
-
in advance
-
about you
-
about others
-
-
in the room
-
about you
-
about others
-
-
afterwards
-
about you
-
about others
-
-
-
purpose
-
in advance
-
clarify it
-
use it
-
-
in the room
-
clarify it
-
use it
-
-
afterwards
-
clarify it
-
use it
-
-
-
place
-
in advance
-
leverage it
-
learn from it
-
-
in the room
-
leverage it
-
learn from it
-
-
afterwards
-
leverage it
-
learn from it
-
-
-
process
-
in advance
-
script it
-
hold it loosely
-
-
in the room
-
script it
-
hold it loosely
-
-
afterwards
-
script it
-
hold it loosely
-
-
1.4: A nimble facilitator is invisible
masterful facilitation is actually invisible
people do not notice you - just carried along willingly and productively
sweet spot where orchestration and improvisation meet
pic of 2 triangles:-
-
improvisation
-
high spontaneity
-
hardly seen
-
low scripted
-
-
orchestration
-
low spontaneity
-
seen
-
high scripting
-
do not err on one side or the other
before starting the detailed content of the book, where is your natural style or default or preference?
cf tennis player not going with the flow but great shot skills vs one who has great shots but not match awareness
the challenge of this book is to get you to develop discipline + rigour that will provide scaffolding within which your creativity can flourish
where do you fit on the specturn? questions - score yourself (put X on line from high to low, a line per question)
-
doing something at short notice terrifies you
-
your meeting agendas contain lots of detail
-
when you give a talk you write it verbatim
-
when you plan an event, you triple check all the details
-
with a speech you are more likely to rehearse it
-
if someone provides you with a detailed agenda but does not follow it, you get stressed
-
when you go on vacation, you plan each day's activities
-
your plan for next weekend is already in place
In Advance: Anticipation
Chapter 2: Why Plan?
Book Group Q&A
Q1: What does "meetings should be designed" mean for you?
A1: Productive meetings do not happen by chance. Unless you are very skilled and experienced, we all need to plan and design sessions we are responsible for running. This i to ensure we do not waste anyone's valuable time including our own. "Design" for me means spending time understanding what the client (which may be us!) wants out of the meeting and why and then planning a structure of activities for the session that maximises the chances of the session achieving those goals and minimises the risk of wasting everyone's time,
Q2: What does "preparation is prevention" mean for you in the context of meeting design?
A2: If you prepare well, lots of the issues that could cause the session to go off-track or off-the-rails would be designed out.
Q3: What is your typical format of an agenda? If you do not use the label "Agenda" what label(s) do you use?
A3: Headings as follows:-
-
Session Name
-
Workstream
-
Client
-
Background - to give context for any attendees that may not know anything about this session for whatever reason (!)
-
Overall purpose of sessions
-
Attendees including job title, department, team, company
-
Date of Session
-
Timings:-
-
Overall Start Time
-
Overall End Time
-
-
Format
-
e.g. face-to-face or virtual
-
-
Venue/Room Address
-
how to get there
-
-
Joining Instructions
-
including links and passwords
-
-
Agenda items
-
Title
-
Supporting Explanation
-
Start Time
-
End Time
-
Who is leading that item
-
Any how instructions
-
Inputs (e.g. docs)
-
Tech being used
-
-
Roles
-
Types
-
Facilitator
-
Chair
-
Timekeeper
-
Scribe
-
-
Any variations of the above for specific agenda items
-
-
Refreshments
-
info about drinks, food, food preferences etc
-
-
Supporting Info not covered by the above
-
Close
-
including comments about outputs, action items from this session, any next steps
-
Q4: Do you tend to use the same version of an agenda for your facilitation use as well as issuing to attendees?
A4: Yes but where I want some confidential prompts for me to e.g. ask specific questions or bear certain things in mind at specific points in the day. I will note these down in red in my version.
Q5: You are scheduling a half hour call/meeting involving three other people later this week, what do you typically include in the meeting invitation?
A5: Typically a heavily-stripped down version of the above, e.g.
-
Date
-
Start time/end time
-
Location (room, address or virtual room joining details
-
Background
-
Purpose of Call/Meeting
-
Agenda Items
-
Title
-
Who leading
-
-
Inputs
Q6: What are you pet hates about call/meeting invitations that you receive?
A6:
-
zero context
-
unclear title of meeting
-
no objective
-
no agenda
-
no explanation
-
no notice
-
no time to prep
-
not clear what to prep
-
unclear why all attendees are required
-
missing attendees from the list
Q7: "Recurring meetings benefit most from creative design to stop familiarity". DIscuss,
A7: I run lots of these. Main objective is not to take up everyone's time for longer than necessary. Very rare that I do things differently. Occasional variation in agenda but usually a common process for speed and familiarity reasons. This question did make me think what I could do to shake things up. Even today, I have one such call where I will probably put a big item first for a big piece of work that needs doing sooner rather than later. One issue in response to this question is to confirm that the recurring meeting is needed and are there better ways to achieve the same objective. Not aware of any of my recurring meetings that I am responsible for that are failing. Sure, they could probably be improved and be tighter in some respects. I would hope I would get positive feedback for my meeting management in comparison to others.
Q8: Give your shortest summary as to why preparation is key to nimble facilitation.
A8: It helps to eliminate obvious issues that often derail meetings by considering what may happen ahead of time so that your planned approach can mitigate the need for lots of nimble facilitation. I usually simulate the meeting in my mind to "test" the running order and approach to confirm it makes sense from a sequence and a completeness point of view.
Q9: How do you balance freedom and structure when designing meeting agendas?
A9: I am well aware that you can over-structure and destroy the life of a session. Definitely need some form of structure. If we did not have our skeleton, we would just be a blob on the floor. Too much freedom and there could be chaos. Depends on the nature of the objective and how clear or otherwise people's thinking is. You can plan spontaneity by adding time to agenda items or having specific ones for reflection.
cf church event planning and God will do what God wants to do, may have to rip agenda up! Same as in other sessions, other issues may come to the surface at any point and can't be left and need to be addressed there and then. All changes to agenda in mid-flight should be agreed with those present as appropriate - some things can and should be parked for later consideration to give people confidence that they have been heard and not fobbed off
Q10: How did you respond to the "know yourself" section in relation to running sessions?
A10: This section made me think deeply. I am aware that we all have our own style but lots of things we do as facilitators are common, Made me wonder how much of what I do is standard practice and how much is specific to me. I am aware that we are all unique with our own strengths, weaknesses, idiosyncracies and foibles. Being "match ready" reminded me of my pre-big event routine which includes songs such as "Stars are Stars" (been psyching me up for exams since Q4 1980 !!) and "Galvanise" (the latter would be my walk-on song. I definitely try to be fully-preped and organised on the day of a session and the more so for more significant and complex sessions. Never really thought about the impact I have on the session apart from the mechanics of the session. I do certainly think fast and process info and think out loud and is often really hard for people to keep up with where I have gone, where I am going and why. I am getting better at verbalising the mental connections I am making. I can come across as an interrogator when I am on a relentless quest to get to an answer, resolution, root cause of something etc. I believe I read the room well and handle going off-piste well when connected to the overall session purpose. Challenged by the including/excluding things that I am good at. I probably tend to focus on word-based things and not more creative activities such as drawing. I am reminded how I felt when I had to draw things as part of a recent Facebook Live journalling group. I felt really uncomfortable - so bad at drawing! Aware of the issues with co-facilitators but ideally others involved means we complement each other and do not conflict but have an agreed running order for how we will play the session. Aware too that different facilitators need to be more or less detailed in their preparation to be comfortable when in the room. I agree too with the do not do therapy on stage and am reminded that I do like to be vulnerable and authentic when facilitating sessions to encourage others that this is a safe space but I do need to be careful that does not go too far.
Q11: What are some challenges you have experienced when working with co-facilitators?
A11: Not planning together, differing styles that conflict, us not agreeing on approaches or even the objective in some cases, the other person taking over in the room and being the cause of the session going off-the-rail, because of the organisational status of me and the other person/others, me/us deferring to the most senior facilitator, arguing in the session and/or it becoming obvious that there is not harmony.
Q12: "We perform better when not in stress". Discuss.
A12: I believe that no stress means that we perform at a level. Too much stress and we cannot perform. As stress increases to a certain point, our performance increases to a maximum level and as stress increases beyond that performance declines. This is a classic bell curve, normal distribution.
Q13: To what extent is your facilitation design for a session invisible to the attendees?
A13: The running order will be visible with information about each agenda item. Depends how much of my version of the agenda I share. Some may understand how the design helps us to get to the desired destination but that may only be obvious to those who are into meeting design. As I run a session, I will explain in part why we are doing the things the way we are but without being lengthy and opening up the opportunity to question the approach. This may be later in the book but a thought here is that if a sesson was to get into trouble, suggested alternative approaches to an agenda item from the floor may be helpful and should be deployed.
Q14: What are the pros and cons of you as the facilitator being invisible to the attendees?
A14: The session should not be about me. I should not be a topic of conversation or challenge during the session, The attendees should be able to apply 100% of their brain power and attention on the task at hand and not the process.
Q15: Answer the self-awareness facilitator tool questions using the template here.
-
I tend to be someone who ...
-
therefore, as a facilitator, I am likely to be ...
-
this is an asset because ...
-
I may need to counterbalance this by ...
A15: See my responses here.
Q16: List as many basic facilitation skills you think a facilitator in 2020 and into the near future needs to be "successful". Ideally, do the list as one stream of consciousness without huge editing, consolidation etc.
A16: My list:-
-
Planning use of time to meet an objective with groups of people
-
Listening
-
Use of exercises/activities
-
Requirements elicitation
-
Problem solving
-
Welcoming
-
Leading and chairing meetings
-
Timekeeping
-
Keeping people on track
-
Scribing
-
Challenging points of view
-
Obtaining everyone's input
-
Providing a place of psychological safety
-
Playing back what you have heard
-
Use of open and closed questions
-
Marshalling multiple people's input to a conclusion
-
Not imposing their own point of view
-
Driving out action points for beyond the end of the meeting
-
Creating agendas
-
Tech savvy for the tools being used
Q17: How do basic skills relate to nimble facilitation skills?
A17: The basic skills are a pre-requisite and the foundation on which nimble
Q18: What lists of facilitation skills are you aware of? If none, do some Google searching for at least one such list.
A18: The main list I found was the The International Association of Facilitators (IAF) core competencies list:
https://www.iaf-world.org/site/professional/core-competencies. These are split into the following groups:-
-
Create Collaborative Client Relationships
-
Plan Appropriate Group Processes
-
Create and Sustain a Participatory Environment
-
Guide Group to Appropriate and Useful Outcomes
-
Build and Maintain Professional Knowledge
-
Model Positive Professional Attitude
Q19: Are there any of these skills that you are surprised are on the lists? Why?
A19: That list is so wide and, arguably, a great list for anyone to aspire to and develop themselves towards mastery. Being an expert and/or meeting all these requirements would make you a formidable professional in any context.
Interested, in a positive way, to see the word "drama" (!) in the competency "Provide effective atmosphere and drama for sessions".
Q20: As you quickly review the lists, what immediate specfic things come to mind for specific skills?
A20: I have included these comments in the commentary in A22 below.
Q21: If anything, what is missing from these lists in your opinion?
A21: Given the widespread, increasing and now-prevalent use of virtual rooms, I would have expected to have seen something about virtual and face-to-face facilitation whilst understanding that most of the related competencies would apply to both virtual and face-to-face facilitation.
Likewise with virtual tools but again I would not expect these listing specifically as the list would be huge and being out-of-date as soon as published. I am aware that there are lots (!) of facilitation tools and techniques that can be used in some or all contexts.
Q22: Assess yourself for each skill on one of the lists or your own or any combination (0-10, do not use 7), give a commentary for your score and where you want to develop further any of the skills, what would you need to do to do that (use the template here)?
A22: My assessment can be found here.
Q23: Watch a video of three or more people interacting, pretend that you are scribing and facilitating the meeting, take notes flipchart style on a 1st pass, give some examples of what you have heard via saying "what I hear you saying is ... " and suggest some "where I would like to take this from here is ...". Feel free to use this video as the example: Q&A session at EntreLeadership Summit (2019) with Ken Coleman, Simon Sinek, Marcus Buckingham and Dave Ramsey. When you have done that, what came to mind along the way.
A23: See my notes at the end of this Q&A section. The example video is not ideal but does show how hard it is to transcribe session content in real time!
Q24: Provide a set of instructions for each activity for a recent call or meeting you have facilitated, pretending that you are giving those instructions at the start of each item on the agenda. When you have done that, what came to mind along the way.
A24: This running order is a good example of how I plan All Age Worship sessions at church. The document is the output of a planning session with 4 other people that consolidates our thinking in a 1-page summary for us to finish off the prep and then "deliver".
A more recent example is this virtual church event that I planned and then executed via collating a playlist of pre-existing and recorded-specially videos on YouTube for one of our virtual church events during Covid-19 lockdown.
Q25: Describe your challenges when you multi-task as a facilitator or chair of a session? How do you mitigate those challenges?
A25: Roles performed can include simultaneously:-
-
chairing / facilitating
-
main input on specific items
-
scribing
-
timekeeping
-
observing
-
refereeing
-
overseeing group work
Challenges include:-
-
actually being expected to do all those roles
-
doing justice to all those rules
-
which of the roles take priority at particular points along the journey
-
attendees not undertstanding the different roles you are performing
Mitigation:-
-
NOT doing all those roles
-
assigning some roles to others]
-
co-facilitation partners
-
being clear with attendees which roles you are performing at specific times
Q26: What aspects of agility or nimbleness would you like to strengthen? Why? How will you do that?
A26: Understanding more about what nimbleness means per the book and assessing myself against that for development areas but include:-
-
mitigation before needing to be nimble
-
practical ways of being nimble in the heat of battle
-
layering on 2, how to do that assertively and not objectionably/agressively
-
how to spot more quickly when a session is going off-piste or off-the-rails
-
how long to leave the session running as-is without intervening
-
nimbleness when seeing a small group of many getting into "trouble"
Q27: Say something about your ability to remember people's names and facts about them.
A27: Not a strength in face-to-face situations better virtually when you have names and email addresses and speaking to groups in small numbers. I suspect I hide this well. Remembering facts is something that I am getting even better at. Not sure if I have always done thisbut definitely do this even more when connecting with people first due to work or non-work interests via Working Out Loud circle exercise "50 Facts About Me".
Q28: What hints and tips would you offer to those who find this challenging?
A28: Suggestions (note that some of these will help me and other attendees in sessions):-
-
name cards on desk
-
names personalised on Zoom etc calls, often not and is only the organisation's name
-
I repeat back the person's name when saying hello back
-
keeping table map of names in face-to-face
-
where possible try not to get lots of names all in one go
-
where possible, tie something unique to the person's name eg where they live or work if group spread geographically
-
persisting in getting people to restate their names
-
practice using their names in social parts of the session
Q29: You are preparing for a session. You have had one productive planning session with the client. She has given you an organisation chart and a list of names of those who are attending the session with their job titles, where they are on the org chart and a brief summary of their interest in the session. What would you do next if you wanted to find out more about each person before the session.
A29: Do in-depth trawl of their online presences via LinkedIn then Google, Challenge is to uniquely identify someone. Note that LinkedIn has Contact option on a person's profile that lists their other online presences often including blogs and Facebook. Add info relevant to you and the session against their names in your notes. I may even connect with the person via following on Twitter if relevant (and if the person is interesting!) and sending LinkedIn connection request. Then later I would leverage that info in relevant and appropriate ways at some points in the running of the session. I would also find out within my organisation if others have dealt with the person before and any info on the state of that person's relationship with us re fan, critic etc. plus things to watch for. I would also look on our CRM app for any info about the person. I would also do a quick search through my All Mail folder to see if the person had been named in any prior correspondence that I was copied etc. General Google searches may also reveal other info about the person.
Q30: Say something about your experience of jargon during your career to date.
A30: All organisations and sectors have their own jargon and language that they use as shorthand to speed up comms as they do their work. Many of these manifest themselves as acronyms. I try to always spell out the acronym if full before then using the acronym. Actually defining each piece of jargon in a glossary is well worth the compilation work and often reveals different meanings within and across organisations. One to watch also is seemingly ordinary words that teams and functions are using to mean different things than common parlance would suggest. A classic current example of confusion is if you knew someone was an "HR Manager" what would you list as their responsibilities? As a data analyst and data designer as one of my core attributes, I need to have definitions for everything so I can consult and advise appropriately.
Q31: When starting a session face-to-face or virtually, describe your actions on the day of a session including the period from the time the first person enters the room to when you start the session.
A31: My tasks as facilitator on the day:-
-
arrive early
-
set up and/or check that the room(s) are setup as you need/mandated
-
check all the tech is working
-
meet and greet all attendees (unless large numbers in which case as many as possible)
-
don't think I have ever been in a green room (!) - physically at least, I have been in the equivalent virtually! BUT try to mingle with attendees - I am so impressed when I am on the receiving end of this and amazed that a keynote speaker or facilitator should actually do this
-
start on time (!)
-
do the admin of toilets, running order, when the breaks are, any fire alarm tests, evcauation instuctions
-
run through the agenda, ideally sticking to timescales including breaks so the attendees know they are in safe hands
-
mingle in the breaks to understand how the group is feeling, getting on, do not spend lots of time with one person or one group etc
-
when closing, if appropriate get feedback on the session on all dimensions including environmental (room, virtual room, refreshments), admin, understanding of objective, assessment of meeting the objective, process review, etc
-
as appropriate, feedback to specific people and the group to finally close the session life cycle.
-
review the session with the client including recommendations for any future work from either party
Q32: What assumptions are you conscious of that you need to validate as you run the session?
A32: I will have drawn up a list of these while I planned and prepared for the session. Overall assumptions, I would have reviewed with the client. Assumptions are things that are believed to be the case but may not be - there is some uncertainty by me or others as to whether something is true or not. These can be for anything relevant to the session. Often some of these relate to the scope of some dimension that the session is covering. I would try to introduce each assumption in the appropriate part of the session when the subject comes up. I also try to be extreme in some cases to confirm whether somethin is in scope or not. To truly understand the scope you often need examples of things that are outside scope so all parties know where the "line" is.
Q33: Say something about the relationship between preparation and agility.
A33: The more preparation you do the less you will need to be agile. Facilitation always requires you to be agile to some degree because no session will go exactly as you planned it and arguably elements of spontaneity. Ideally, agility is only fully required in extreme circumstances some of which we can be tooled up for via development using the Nimble book etc.
Q34: (Added when I started answering the questions!) What are the joys of co-facilitating with others?
A34: Joys:-
-
working as part of a team
-
play to the strengths of each facilitator
-
able to do more complex sessions
-
see other facilitators in action
-
help in planning and executing a session
-
get feeback from a fellow facilitator before, during and after a session
-
share facilitation roles out
-
interchangeable roles during the session
-
more satisfaction than doing facilitation on your own?
-
kindred spirit in the room
APPENDIX - Notes for A23
Q&A Session at EntreLeadership Summit (2019)
-
What keeps you going?
-
helping people
-
a just cause - small businesses is mine - backbone of our economy
-
existential flexibility
-
courage to lead
-
an infinite game
-
there is no end game - no IPO etc, dont want to work for other people
-
I want to make it big and own it myself
-
be comfy in my own skin
-
personal balance
-
-
marketing consultancy
-
when Simon started, customers expect you to be good at everything
-
as if !!
-
you can't do everything
-
good at left foot - strengths
-
if need Ivy league degree, I will get someone who has one
-
-
work/life balance
-
work is included in life so a strange balance
-
love / hate is the right balance
-
red thread - what are you amazing at
-
life for us to draw strength from
-
which bits of learning do you love, what/when then make that contribution
-
kids get different message - all about tests
-
teachers not able to actually teach
-
how do the kids get this message?
-
-
how do you make this sustainable?
-
how draw strength from school?
-
when did days fly?
-
each kid unique
-
how change school
-
standardised test - horrendous 2 word combo
-
Godin - school set up as production line where everything needs to be uniform
-
not efficent
-
knowledge work does not work like this
-
importance of teams
-
series of machine factory sequencing - people are different
-
not efficient to fight against it
-
James Collins - get the right people on the bus then right seats
-
people blossom in the right seat
-
talent - find someone who will pay you for your talent
-
parents - cherish uniqueness of your child
-
some facts learning is good
-
teach people to pass tests
-
breeds test takers not path finders
-
need to teach curiosity
-
-
what does unheathy growth of an organisation look like
-
I want to be on the cover of Slow Company not Fast Company
-
obsesson with fast growth
-
beware what growth does to your culture and the damge to your people
-
a dial - based on need
-
fast growth needs fast training - may need slower speed to train properly
-
growth cf cancer cell
-
beware the ideology of growth
-
need meaning
-
love military analogy - battle lines should not grow faster than supply lines - if no fuel/bullets, frontline soldiers will die
-
supply lines more important
-
beware growing faster than money, tech, people
-
if you stretch to breaking pont - we get killed like soldiers
-
we are waiting for the hire to get trained so they are ready
-
-
leading yourself before others
-
leader job - rally people to better future
-
MB got to 100 people in compoany, was not happy as leader
-
15% people in USA engaged at work, a disgrace
-
my why - not enjoying 100
-
I am a researcher not a people manager
-
how do I lead when I don't want to lead huge numbers of people
-
extend scale in my current role not a differemt one - I was necoming a B player
-
do you know your place - for me coming out of CEO role, led to a better world for me
-
where is your biggest impact / role
-
other take on this
-
SS - I am on a cause bigger than myself
-
success for me 13 years in is tip of iceberg
-
I want to change how the world works - engaged/fulfilled
-
so much more under the water
-
those with me - leaders and followers
-
leaders rush 1st to unknown/danger
-
rest go with them
-
be vulnerable
-
answer should change with the seasons
-
beware no progression
-
should be different answers over time
-
stop and ask yourself now
-
I am less of a product than ever before, work on new and broken things, I hate operational processes that work is for others
-
inifinite game, succession - future looks bright
-
I quit liking doing something when I dont want to do it any more
-
-
-
how as leader do I get new ideas from people
-
can't force people to be creative
-
this is like giving people a large idea AND tell them how to get there
-
values as guidelines, mission
-
stay within those and off you go
-
do anything to surpride/delight someone
-
give people freedom to act
-
rules can freeze people
-
give people a target then let them go for it
-
they then automatically handle obstacles because they have freedom
-
why is creativity the god? how about service?
-
how deliver better service?
-
contribution is key
-
best entrepreneurs have customers
-
serve them
-
ideas need customers
-
-
get just cause right and why and people know that re what cause is and where
-
don't kill peoole for non-fatal failure
-
reward the tryers, the barricade destroyers
-
encourages others to try and you get creativity
-
-
-
how does why aligns vision and strategy
-
what comes 1st - vision or mission = semantic debate = who cares!!
-
the words lack standard definitions
-
tired!
-
both answers include "why" so is a better word
-
we all agree
-
we all get something
-
why from past - origin story, who you are
-
just cause is the future, where you are going
-
start with why - that is the foundation
-
strategy is how
-
tactics is what - the little things
-
frame just cause as a question - wouldn't it be great if ... what??
-
strategy is what if - alternatives - contingency planning
-
why we follow you is for these questions
-
-
small to big org
-
transition - people who you thought you would end your story with you won't and it will hurt
-
if they have not personally grown to keep up with you they cannot stay
-
people you love will get hurt, be angry because they did not want it as badly as you wanted it for them
-
they could not get the tools
-
so do we stay small for them or get larger and lose them
-
many times cried in growth
-
we were going places they could not go
-
to grow fall in love with specialisation
-
-
advice for seeing/dealing with blind spots
-
how do you see a blind spot !!
-
you can stay small
-
what are you the source of truth for?
-
we are only reliable raters of ourselves
-
be super humble
-
source of truth of my own experience
-
eg if the other person keeps talking you are a good listener
-
WW1 line of sight I've got your 6 (your back) below you = blind spot
-
needs to trust those who have your back
-
vulnerability with leaders generating conflict in love to call you out when you need it - judging each other and saying so
-
speak for yourself not for others!
-
-
advice to leaders in tough times
-
winners never quit
-
yes they do - the stupid things, things that do not work
-
we shoot our sacred cows
-
the market place is talking to you about your failures
-
all leaders are optimists, think that things can get better
-
if you are a pessimist do not lead
-
Leaders Eat Last
-
why not written before
-
each chapter could have been a book
-
I kept writing
-
could not make it work
-
I gave up
-
Went on walk
-
Planning on exit from book
-
I would have been humiliated, pay advance back
-
called a friend, he was in special forces - what do you do when you can't complete a mission
-
he quoted a mission which felt like a suicide mission
-
prep helpcioptes on mission
-
co-pilot asked what do we do
-
he replied this is what we signed up for
-
He asked SS if the book was more important than Start with
-
SS said it was impacting me more
-
he said I was going to quit the military but read Start wth Why and I decided to stay
-
Told me we need this book
-
His mission was scrapped they never flew
-
I finished the book
-
lesson is I asked for help - courage to ask for help
-
you cant do life/lead on your own
-
-
My Book Notes
2 assumptions are foundational:-
-
meetings should be designed
-
preparation is prevention
circulating an agenda not the same as designing the meeting
agenda does not show where you are going or how you intend to get there
need process design - not only the what but the how
no meeting too short to be designed
recurring meetings benefit most from creative design to stop familiarity
may mean not holding the meeting if outlived its usefulness
effective meetings are the result of intentional & thoughtful preparation
reverse is true also
prep is critically important, takes longer than race itself
but why in this book?
-
you do not need to adapt to the unexpected when you see it coming in 1st place
-
thoughtful prep can eliminate need for agility
preparation is preventative cf health and accidents
the work of most responsive facilitators is underpinned by detailed planning & solid technique
preparation makes it look effortless (Donna McGeorge)
cf creativity - flourishes when it has edges / constraints - not meant to hinder but to invoke your creative senses to create more mindfully
people often shy away from "pink elephant thinking" - big wild ideas - dismissing them immediately for seeming impossible or unreal (David Usher)
confluence of freedom & structure turn ideas into tangible outcomes
thorough prep means we must be willing to embrace complexity to address it well
create a strong and flexible structure in a facilitated context
e.g. end goal with a couple of milestones along the way
success or failure is never an accident - planning allows you to set intention
in facilitation, the key to effective preparation is anticipation
when when we predict correctly, we are not always thoroughly prepared so we need hacks / disciplines to translate that knowledge into habits that will serve as well when facilitating
even with best prep, we know deviations from plan will happen - accidents are a normal part of running a complex system
accidents usually happen via series of small incidents rather than 1 large one
Chapter 3: People
Book Group Q&A
Answered as part of the prior section's Q&A
My Book Notes
from the outset focus n who will be in the room
what do they need for success?
you at your best
working in a context of mutual trust so they can be at their best too
About You:-
self-prep is self-preservation: building self-awareness, building technical proficiency
know yourself:
you impact the session, you are unique
what do you need to be at the top of your game - be match ready
other aspects of you that impact your facilitation as others perceive you - i.e. understand the power dynamics that involve you not just the people in the room
how does your personal style impact others in the room - speed of processing info, fast/slow pace etc
your personal preference for how to get things done and impact that has on how you design sessions - do not just include / exclude things because you are good / bad at them
your tolerance for risk / ambiguity vs those in the room - "off-piste" vs "off-the-rails" means different things to different people
each facilitator has their own unique style, preferences
challenge of working with co-facilitators - need to each work in a relaxed state
cf birth plans - how would you feel most relaxed - home or state of the art medical facility
difference in performance in threat state vs reward state (Kristen Hansen)
we perform better when not in stress
understand the level of prep & detail you need for peak performance which is easy + relaxed for you
in initial prep stage, it is all about you, less so when you enter the room
a carefully crafted facilitation design should be virtually invisible to the participants as should a well-prep-ed facilitator
don't do therapy (on you) on stage (Matt Church)
self-awareness tool:-
-
I tend to be someone who ...
-
therefore as a facilitator, I am likely to be ...
-
this is an asset because ...
-
I may need to counterbalance this by ...
build your skills outside the room:
nimble facilitation is defo a skill that is honed with practice - can be done in safer more controlled environments than "live"
artificially split skillset into two groups:-
-
basic facilitation know-how
-
ability to adjust under pressure
together a powerful combination
truly separates good from great facilitators
one comes after the other
most start heavily scripted and fixed
std skills include leading a structured discussion, designing agenda
ways to learn the basics:-
-
course
-
job-shadow
-
volunteer for low-risk sessions
-
create opps to build confidence & practice
gradually layer these skills as confidence grows
exercises:-
-
watch vid of people having a convo
-
write down highlights in flips
-
did you keep up, follow, legible writing, seen from back of room
-
-
rapid reframing (Aln Weiss)
-
what I hear you saying is ...
-
where I would like to take this from here is ...
-
-
give out instructions out loud for each of the activities you have planned for an upcoming meeting
-
ask for feedback re clear
-
good start to acquriing core skills
challlenge of multitasking - slows us down
our brains process serially, not in parallel
task switching causes stress
BUT physical task-switching & mental multitasking are a part of a facilitator's role
ideally these tasks will become automatic through practice
you are trying to free up brain capacity to adapt to the unexpected
what aspects of agility do you want to strengthen? practice those in other areas of your life, e.g.
-
adapting to unexpected circumstances
-
remain calmer under pressure
-
handling fear (adrenaline)
idea is to become familiar with this state so you can flex when "live"
About Others:
The power of relationships:-
invest in relational currency
the secret sauce of facilitation agility
people we have time for, no time for
people we go to for help, never go to for help
cf service providers who personalise their service
memory for names etc
all helps build trust
helps when issues in sessions re grace
can start ahead of a session
trust re keeping our commitments - big and small
if you do not know the people in a session, find out info about them
e.g. surveys, video intro to the session, call them, personal creative touches
ideally you want people to be "for you" when you enter the room
greet people with eye contact as they arrive, use their name, ask Qs (remember answers for later)
know your people
use this knowledge in planning the session to include related items
be consistent with how the group likes to operate - fun, serious, both
identify prospective landmines
requires intentionality and attention
instant connections (Click: The Magic of Instant Connections) - the importance of:-
-
vulnerability
-
proximity
-
resonance
-
similarity
-
environment
learn how to find and build these points of connection
if 1st time working with a group, need to ask more and better questions prior
do not just concentrate on agenda of session
prompts:-
-
client's web site
-
attendees
-
who are they, what do they do
-
org lingo
great when you demo you "know" about the group re comments, questions, process etc
they contribute to effectice facilitation agility
deposits in their emotional bank account predisposing them to extend grace to you
helps you anticipate what will work and not work and thereby preclude need to be agile
this is prevention
how to get info for 1st time group - you will be working with informant who invited you in:-
-
your informant's perspective may become yours - beware if they have outlier views, may not have full info, too busy to brief you properly, hobbt horses, axes to grind, limited pov
-
as a result, beware being misinformed or underprepared
ideally you and they need to be on the same page
poor prep requires greater agility
mitigating the risk of unhelpful informant:-
-
ask lots of questions re all dimensions of the session - logistics, venue, timings, personalities, group dynamics, enthusiasm, detemining need for the session, invites, formal and informal hierarchies - challenge your assumptions, preconceptions, the power of genuine, direct and curious questions for psychological safety
-
strive for multiple points of contact - cf diverse investment portfolio - get various perspectives in appropriate ways
-
do what you can yourself - be self-sufficient re tech/stationery/supplies
get as much first hand knowledge as you can
Chapter 4: Purpose
Book Group Q&A
Q1: Why is having a stated and agreed purpose for a session important?
A1: To steer the design of the session ensuring that everything planned in the session is relevant for meeting that purpose. Gives all parties the criteria for whether the session has succeeded.
Q2: What is a facilitator's primary deliverable?
A2: A session that meets the stated purpose.
Q3: Say something about your experience of sessions with a purpose and sessions without?
A3: (as an attendee primarily in these answers, clearly as a facilitator there would be a purpose! OR the purpose might actually be to generate a purpose for a 2nd session!)
With a purpose:-
-
confident that I am there for a reason
-
understand how I can contribute
-
understand why I am there
-
helps me frame my contribution
-
helps me understand what is in scope and what is out of scope
-
helps me understand if we are making progress
-
I can prepare my thinking and input prior to the session including any research
-
all parties know when the session has been successful
-
all parties prepared for their input
Without a purpose:-
-
depressing
-
unproductive
-
success is luck not by design
-
attendees unprepared
-
wrong people in the room, right people not in the room
-
poor outcome
-
probably need another session to pick up the pieces
-
not all tech resources primed and ready for use
-
room not prepared for what is needed
-
no criteria for whether people's input is relevant or not
-
rambling conversations/input
Q4: What is the most important criteria for the purpose of a session?
A4: It is clear, readily understandable, gives clarity of what success looks like, unambiguous, couched in terms understood by all parties, relevant to the attendees' current or future activities.
Q5: What should the outcome be if you cannot agree an objective for a session with your client?
A5: You should walk away if it is so hazy. That should be rare! Certainly happy working with a client in an initial session to firm up the goal for a 2nd session so that the 1st session becomes a brainstorming session to identify candidate goals and prioritise them in that session.
Q6: Give some examples of recent objectives for sessions that you have facilitated or attended.
A6: Example recent sessions:-
-
Review the UK Government's COVID-19 rules for opening up places of worship to assess whether we as a leadership team can open up our church for public worship in a way that conforms to those rules and in what timescale.
-
Review all ongoing systems development workstreams and open support calls to identify and address issues and risks and review overall progress.
-
Identify opportunities for using Designing Your Life with school age children and how.
-
"Getting to Know" each other session between myself and a book author.
-
Identify all work required to migrate a number of client applications from a physical infrastructure environment in one data centre to a virtual infrastructure environment in another data centre in as short a space of time as possible.
-
Understand an organisation's requirements for a collaboration platform such as Workplace from Facebook and propose some initial community design considerations and actual designs (including reverse mentoring).
-
A weekly social "how are we all?" call with an extended team of work colleagues to maintain connections during COVID-19.
-
Weekly book group call reviewing the book content for the week and the outputs of our exercises covering that content.
-
Weekly service review meeting with a client covering all ongoing new development work, changes, service issues and infrastructure changes to address and remove issues and risks preventing progress.
Q7: Say something about having multiple objectives for a session.
A7: I am OK with multiple objectives as long as they are all mutually consistent and not competing or contradictory. I would prefer them to be all stated explicitly and not assumed. Some prioritisation of the objectives may be helpful. It may be that after planning work some of the objectives need to be parked for later or dropped if they do not "fit". Good to see a list of all the things we want to achieve in the session.
Q8: Who should attend a session that you are facilitating?
A8: Those with a direct or indirect interest in the outcome. Those with knowledge and experience to contribute per the running order items. Ideally, no people who are present just to spectate and say or contribute nothing to the session.
Q9: What should be included in your plan for a session (from the chapter content only)?
A9: Items:-
-
Overall objective(s) of the session
-
For each section of the session (including breaks)
-
section objective
-
For each item in the section - activity, supplies/tools needed, start time, end time, who leading
-
Q10: Apply "why" to a session and items within the session.
A10: It is important to not only have a stated objective or set of objectives for the overall session but also to have the same for each section of the session for clarity in your mind and for the attendees why things are being done in a certain way with specific activites during the session. Often, if you have a non-existent or "poor" or "weak" reason for any aspect of the session, that is a warning sign that more prep work is required.
Q11: What do you observe about the 2 templates included in the chapter?
A11: Template 1
-
useful for a high-level breakdown of how you plan to run the session
-
could be done as a high-level walkthrough of what you are thinking with the client
-
not much detail
Template 2
-
detailed
-
I would prefer to use this document and iterate as I fleshed out the detail, adding the detail as I thought of it so the doc was a work-in-progress of my thinking
-
I might not issue the full document to session attendees unless the info was directly relevant to them e.g. use of specific tools/services
-
I would probably do a more detailed supporting document to this one with all the info and prompts that I would need to run the session
-
I would try to use my own template for each client for consistency and so that each client has a consistent view of my service delivery and does not have to learn new ways of working with me each time I work with them
Book Notes
clarify and use purpose to offset the need for facilitation nimbleness
Clarify it
a skillful facilitator is the guardian of the group's purpose
achievement of the purpose is the facilitator's primary deliverable
to clarify a group's purpose, insist they have one then design a session that meets that
Insist on it
many meetings do not have a purpose!
purpose acts as compass through session
purpose of a session is rarely self-evident even to meeting's organisers
can take time
needs to be a shared purpose across all stakeholders
if no shared purpose you should not do the session
Express it
one of most helpful facilitator's skills is ability to succinctly capture someone's intent using that person's words ideally
communicate the objective clearly + often
memorise it
use it as central theme of the agenda + session
have it on the wall
is the North Star for the session
can be multiple objectives - e.g. related to the content being discussed as well as process
content includes topic to be covered + reason for doing so
experience includes the emotional + intuitive experience of the session + methodology to get there
objective is helpful design tool but is also a criteria to assess success
some parts of session when runs may not meet 1 objective of session but meets another
Use it
use it to shape your planning
helps define who should be present
session should be relevant to all present
Facilitation Planning Template (https://rebeccasutherns.com/free-resource-library/)
Address both content and process
purpose allows you to align your methodology
drives the choice of tools from your toolbox
each item in a session needs what the group will talk about and the method you will choose to guide them through
gives visual reminder of need for variety
meetings can derail due to boredom of same activity throughout
need to keep energy high and momentum forward
Plan in chunks
plan meetings in discrete chunks - each with its own purpose
so need overall goal and chunk goals
some chunks will be more critical to the overall goal
cf milestones to final destination
these are contained in the Facilitation Planning Template
Chapter 5: Place
Book Group Q&A
Q1: Say something about your own behaviour and practice when using different places? How mindful of place are you for your own personal activities?
A1:
Home - Office - 2nd floor - has a desk and bookcases. Usually used for when I'm using my laptop mainly for work often for learning. The place where I work from home. The place where I do all my Zoom calls, usually 1:1 or other learning group. No comfy chair so no relaxing here. A poor view out the window - just a brick wall of a warehouse 50 yards away across the street road (cul de sac). Reading non-fiction books which I always take notes from on my laptop.
Home - Lounge - 1st floor - Armchair for watching TV, films, listening to music, reading books (fiction), so a relaxing space. Often sleepy in the arm chair at certain times of day. View out of double door/windows to countryside and trees.
2 sofas in the room. Use these from time to time for reading mainly to try to stay awake!
Home - front room - ground floor - door/windows that fold back for the full width of the house. Sit in the arm chair for eating breakfast and my start of day routine so a thoughtful start to the day then rushing off to work when commuting (usually Moni-Thu), work from home Fridays, same routine on Saturrday and Sunday. Also sit in the armchair or chair on the decking for fiction reading or just being still.
Work - personal desk - at work I've got my own desk. All my work takes place there when I'm working on my own or on conference calls occasionally moving to a meeting room for conference calls because I've got a loud voice and it is sometimes better to be in a quieter place for other people - I also use meeting rooms if the call is potentially controversial political or confidential with particular client.
Work - a number of other meeting spaces at work on the first floor where I work. A kitchen with a sofa and a couple of armchairs. High tables with some high stools - not that comfortable - that I occasionally use when I want to work away from my desk for short periods. There are two cubby holes as I call them - 2 x 3 seater cushioned benches with a computer monitor screen and table. These are too dark for me to work in because the the lights aren't that bright and the wallks are dark with a low ceiling. I occasionally use these when others call meetings in.
Downstairs - largest room is the board room with rectangular dark table, dark walls, dark ceiling, windows, dark floors with large leather executuve chairs. Big monitor on the end wall used for video calls and with laptops. I am not that familiar with using the big screen. I need to get familiar with it especially with wifi/HDMI connections and for video calls. There is big whiteboard on a frame on wheels that can move between rooms and gets left in situ wherever it is last used. Given the size of the room, the table and the chairs, it is hard for people to move in the room and to swap out the whiteboard. I am not a fan of rectangular tables, more into round or oval depending on numbers of people that are present. I believe there is a flipchart. Nothing special for hanging flips apart from the walls. This is the only space we have for larger meetings. Slightly more light in those 2 rooms.
Work - meeting rooms - there are 2 smaller meeting rooms, 1 is for 4 people, the other for 6 people. Odd shaped tables wth more of a round feel so you can see everybody. I use either of those meeting rooms when I arrive at work to read a non-fiction personal development book prior to my working day. This is an environmental thing ever since reading James Clear's Atomic Habits who emphasises the power of physical environment in establishing (and breaking) routines in those environments .
Work - other spaces - on the ground floor there are other spaces with no furniture but you could put a number of chairs in there and we often host customer/ client/ supplier events in that space. Similarly upstairs.
Re the mindful question, I am more mindful these last few months than I have ever been previously about the use of physical space largely due to James Clear's Atomic Habits saying that environment can be helpful to conquer/establish old/new habits with the environment being a trigger to the habit i.e. I am in this place therefore I will do this. I am seeking to apply that at home and at work.
Outside is also a place! At work we are really close to countryside and although I've not done this yet it would be good to do walking meetings with one or two other people while we walk. In fact, I answered some of these questions were answered on my daily lunchtime walk by speaking to my mobile with the speech to text converter Gboard app. I find it helpful reflecting while I walk.
Thinking of other spaces that I use, I'm on the leadership team of a local church, We have a big space for the main public meetings, We have a hall with a stage and lighting rig that we use for special events.
I facilitate a Bible study group at the church in another family's home in their lounge so that's got a restful and informal atmosphere. Plus fresh coffee and home baking.
I take part in prayer meetings at church and often facilitate/lead the session. I usually rearrange the furniture into a circle so we can all see each other.
The leader of the church has a reputation for moving the chairs in the main part of the building to foster different atmosphere and dynamics.
I also run a monthly film club at church where we watch a film, discuss the film. That takes place in a lounge type atmosphere in a room at church watching the film on the big screen and then putting the chairs in a circle.
Re outside spaces, I listen to audiobooks podcasts while walking.
Q2: How much does place play in your session planning?
A2: I am playing around with space more than ever before. My space decisions are primarily driven by numbers attending and what kit I need that is "fixed" in the spaces available to me. If I need a big screen at work, there is one room. If I just need a flat surface and room for two or three or four people, there are multiple options at work. I need to take more advantage of those different spaces for different types of meetings moving forward once we are working back in the office. I am always conscious of the layout of chairs. One-way commns meetings are nearly non-existent.
I am also more mindful when I'm at home now and experimenting with different places in the house to do different things going back to the earlier conversation about somewhere I read there are two sofas in a living room on the first floor - one is a comfy sofa and one is a less comfy sofa. I have put a reading light next to the less comfy sofa and I have started trying to read there.
In summary, I would like to take more advantage of the choice of place for the meetings that I run or attend where I can suggest so I can shake things up a bit.
Q3: In an earlier chapter's questions you listed recent sessions you were involved in, revisit that list and comment on the places where those sessions took place.
A3: Answering these for pre-covid-19 times
-
Review the UK Government's COVID-19 rules for opening up places of worship to assess whether we as a leadership team can open up our church for public worship in a way that conforms to those rules and in what timescale.
Venue: main room at church with a possible layout of chairs if we were to open.
-
Review all ongoing systems development workstreams and open support calls to identify and address issues and risks and review overall progress.
Venue: small meeting room at work
-
Identify opportunities for using Designing Your Life with school age children and how.
Venue: 1:1 Zoom call
-
"Getting to Know" each other session between myself and a book author.
Venue: !:1 Zoom call
-
Identify all work required to migrate a number of client applications from a physical infrastructure environment in one data centre to a virtual infrastructure environment in another data centre in as short a space of time as possible.
Venue: medium meeting room at work
-
Understand an organisation's requirements for a collaboration platform such as Workplace from Facebook and propose some initial community design considerations and actual designs (including reverse mentoring).
Venue: 1: 1 Zoom call
-
A weekly social "how are we all?" call with an extended team of work colleagues to maintain connections during COVID-19.
Venue: Skype auido conference
-
Weekly book group call reviewing the book content for the week and the outputs of our exercises covering that content.
Venue: three weekly streams of Zoom calls and collaborating on Workplace from Facebook
-
Weekly service review meeting with a client covering all ongoing new development work, changes, service issues and infrastructure changes to address and remove issues and risks preventing progress.
Venue: Skype audio call (client suggested the change to this from standard audio con call as easier to join!)
Q4: Say something about place and sessions you have been involved with in those places. (Feel free to think wider than just sessions and wander into wider areas of your life experience).
A4: Not many working life examples are coming to mind instantaneously. Most events/sessions have been in the offices of my employers over the years. Some have been in hotels. All my Asda graduate store management training was done in a hotel in Garforth, Leeds, UK. My Prince 2 project management certification training was done in a hotel by the sea in Poole one Easter for 5 days when it was so warm I could sit on the room balcony in the evening revising.
Probably the biggest venue I have been training in was for customer service training that the whole organisation went through. A great plenary space with all of us around round tables that we could then use for small group work.
I remember being an academic board member for an employer and being part of the end of programme review of the students in groups presenting their findings. In the past and until very recently, my main focus as an attendee and probably too as an organiser has been on the objective, the content and maximising my contribution appropriately by taking advantage of the opportunity of being with this group of people.
I am generally forgiving of place if the other objectives are met unless the issues with the venue are so glaring that they get in the way of the objective.
One 5-day session that on the face of it should not have worked was an Intro to Client/Server Computing course where the room layout was in lines of tables for hundreds of people facing the insructor. He was amazing for his input but also his handling of Q&As where all his answers were from personal experience and not thoery. Also memorable for me having a different cuisine each night near the hotel.
Food and other hygiene factors are bonuses for me like the cherry on the cake. Food and drink are a big part of my life so any venues with amazing food are ideal (if the other session requirements are met as a priority, obviously!). Some time ago I ran a series of 25 design workshop for ta client in our offices and the food that we had was amazing - buffet food where it was a price per head and I made sure we had a wide variety of food off the menu. The food was legendary and still gets mentioned years later!
Not work related but we stayed in a hotel as a family for 2 weeks in Sri Lanka. I loved their use of water, waterfalls and limited walls and the extensive food buffet at every meal - and the views over the ocean, we were by the beach. It was like you were outside and inside at the same time. I did chat to some Sri Lankans who were there for a course!
The Common Purpose programme I was a delegate on in 2004/5 in Bradford was 1 day a month for 9 months looking at all aspects of running a major city. Each day had a theme, a base location and visits to other locations during the day. Themes included crime and justice, health, education, the arts and culture. economy, etc. Eye-opening being part of a learning group learning from experts in their fields in their work envronments. This included 4 of us chatting with the consultant in the middle of his who at the time performed all the bowel cancer operations in Bradford.
As a big music and U2 fan, some of their stage sets came to mind in terms of customer experience. U2's 360 tour had "The Claw" the round stage and four legs. Ar various various points in the concert parts of the internals of the roof came down to just above the band's heads for a more intimate atmosphere. They were made of hexagonal panels that formed part of a video screen. The audience were either inside or outside the claw and got different perspectives of the concert. For an explanation of the design of this stage see this video. U2 ontinue to push the boundaries in their stage set. See videos here and here and here of a giant video screen that formed part of the stage.
Q5: What is your ideal internal space for a session? If it exists, let us know where!
A5: Answering this generally and assuming that everyone is meeting in the same place:-
-
round tables
-
chairs that are readily adjusted up/down and angle and readily moved
-
space for everyone to move easily from table to table without other people moving
-
sound speakers and mics if needed
-
projector/screen to connect laptops to for display - visible clearly from all parts of the room
-
breakout rooms - round tables, chairs as above - close to/adjacent to main room
-
flip charts, pens
-
ability to "stick" flip chart sheets to the walls all the way round
-
digital whiteboards - connectible to the big screen
-
whiteboards/pens plus Post-Its
-
a flat empty floor space for plenary/group work
-
cold and hot drinks available all the time
-
toilets close by
Q6: What is your ideal wider venue for a session? If it exists, let us know where!
A6: Answering for overnight stays as well as day attendees:-
-
space for all to eat in the same place as one group on one or separate tables
-
buffet for all meals with wide variety
-
if venue not in the offices of the client or supplier, an easily accessible location by various modes of transport
-
easy to get outside for fresh air during the day
-
staff easily accessible to address issues, field queries, keep sessions running smoothly
Q7: Say something about your ideal session furniture? If it exists, let us know where!
A7:
-
All chairs adjustable in various ways and moveable easily
-
round tables that can accomodate the number of people using them
Q8: Spend some time Google-ing Scott Doorley and Scott Witthoft and their book "Making Spaces" and learn some more about their work and share any resources and your learning from that content.
A8:
Resources:
-
Red couch at Stanford d: school as a symbol of design thinking and design doing. "Red Couch: Our Longest Living Prototype: From couch to icon status, we explain how a red couch became a symbol of design thinking" at Stanford d.school - article | video
-
Ikea's Klippan loveseat - UK store page
-
Love that all the d: school fuirniture is on wheels for continual movement.
-
Make Space book - Google Books preview
-
"If you are determined to encourage creativity and provide a collaborative environment that will bring out the best in people, you will want this book by your side at all times." (Bill Moggridge, Director of the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum)
-
TEDxManhattanBeach - Scott Witthoft & Scott Doorley - Cultivating innovative behavior using design - video - be deliberate about what you use, set the stage for the experience, physical temperature!
-
Creating the Workplace of Tomorrow - March 20, 2014 - video | slides (sound quality poor, did not watch all) - what is the space trying to do?
-
Design Better Spaces | Scott Witthoft | Design@Large (2017) - video - design for desired behaviours - what do you want people to feel and do - ref to TED Talk - David Byrne - how architecture helped music evolve - "keep your eyes on the prize" (Pete Seeger) - architecture limits behaviour - impose constraints when know the behaviour you want to encourage - introduce the opportunity - force people to overcome the obstacle - use space as a tool for behaviours you want - cinema highly tuned to expected behaviour, view, chairs, can't change the space (low volume, did not watch all)
Q9: What is your assessment of the Space Planning Checklist in the chapter?
A9: Very comprehensive. Nothing obvious to add!
Q10: You have a magic wand (aka no budget limit and no budget authorisation) what would you do immediately and why to make the session spaces in your organisation more effective? If you always use other people's spaces, pick a space that is "poor" and could do with radical transformation.
A10: Work:
-
make the walls significantly lighter and in some spaces, brighten the lights
-
digital whiteboards in each meeting room - in some cases 2 or more - use these as flipchart replacements - also 1 by the high table/chairs
-
look to narrow the main table in the main room for more space for people to move round the room
-
look at making 1 or more of the rooms Zoom rooms
-
reminded of someone saying in a course once that when you go into offices you should know immediately what the organisation does by the layout, what you see etc, that would be good to do
-
reengineer the 2 cubby hole spaces, leave the monitors on the walls in those 2 spaces
Home;
-
No plans to do this but I could remodel the ground floor room with a sofa that is not so low or hard to get out of and include reading light at one end
Q11: Virtual spaces were not covered in this chapter. What are your thoughts on that?
A11: The book does state the following early on in the book:
" “ In the room” can refer to an in-person or a virtual space. I use the term to refer to anytime you’re in the action of facilitating a group process. It is the live facilitation time in front of the group you’re working with."
On a number of subjects I am interested in the overlaps and distinctives between "in real life" and "virtual". I like to say that virtual working exposes or accentuates weaknesses in how we operate "in real life". I am aware that I need to ramp up my facilitation techniques / exercises / activities. This is particularly the case with virtual facilitation services.
Q12: If you were asked to write a specific chapter on Virtual Place as an addendum to this book, what would you cover and why? Feel free to simply list headings but also feel free to go in into detail.
A12: I would look to identify the facilitation Place dimensions that are present in either "in real life" or virtual spaces or both and then do a comparison of similarities and differences and go into detail on virtual.
Sections would include:-
-
Virtual platforms for hosting sessions - characteristics and specific examples
-
Virtual services for doing specific activities on those platforms - characteristics and specific examples
-
Preparation
-
Joining Instructions and wider onboarding
Q13: Re virtual spaces, what resources are you aware of to think through how best to use them?
A13: I am a long standing fan of the book "Mastering Virtual Teams: Strategies, Tools, and Techniques That Succeed"; Deborah L. Duarte and Nancy Tennant Snyder which although it was written in 2001 still stands the test of time as the bulk of the book is about processes and skills with minimal content on the technology that has obviously moved on since then.
I have also recently read "Remote: Office Not Required"; David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried which is a good primer and playbook in all things remote working.
I am definitely interested in any recommendations from anyone of resources in this area.
My Book Notes
both:-
-
the physical space where a meeting happens
-
the vibe/dynamic in that space once the group inhabits it
Leverage It
the physical space you are in will affect the work that gets done in that space
if space works well, kess agility needed
Positive planning variable
creatively chosen venues can significantly enhance the quality of work done
our social environment plays large role in our ability to concentrate, connect, create, stay motivated
same true in facilitated setting
often not much time spent in a group in a specific space so 1st impressions should be positive and features of space contribute to not detract from achieving session goals
"Making Space"; Scott Doorley, Scott Witthoft
as space so important, facilitator should take the lead in selecting spaces for sessions
another way to get attendees on-side and more forgiving of glitches
and vv !!
you always have options when selecting spaces
even change this for recurring meetings
checklist:-
availability:-
-
date/time of meeting
-
early access to room - for setup
-
extended access to room - running late, put away
-
drop dead date/time for leaving room
-
what else is going on near the space
-
larger than truly needed
-
vibe of room meet objective
location/room amenities:-
-
parking and cost
-
toilets close
-
natural light
-
window blinds to block sun
-
dimmer lights
-
room temperature control
-
room acoustics
-
coat racks and hangers:-
eqt + supplies
-
projector, screen, speakers
-
wifi + password
-
extension cords, power bars
-
whiteboard (electronic/normal) + dry erase markers
-
blank walls to post things on
-
facilitation materials /suppliers - tape, paper, markers
room setup:-
-
room layout - what is best for your session
-
who will set room up + when
-
all can see main screen + working walls
-
easily moveable furniture
-
extra table for facilitation supplies
-
extra tables for food/drink
-
jugs of water + glasses
-
hot drink maker + mugs
-
rubbish bins
-
door stopper
-
directional signs for access to space
contacts:-
-
on-site contact for issue resolution + contact number
-
sub
control as many of the details and provision as you can
Negative possibility
physical things can undermine your session
undermines the group's trust in the facilitator
be clear in your questions of space providers
there should be no surprises
Learn from it
space selection is opportunity for you/group to grow & learn
bad selection slows session down
great selection accelerates sesson
Stretch the group
opportunity for you to leverage knowledge of your people
know the style + tolerance of your group
just how far a departure from norm in choice of place and process would help meet the objective
suggestions:-
-
some humoir, playfulness, unexpected can put people in +ve frame of mind
-
design choices consistent with culture/style of group with a bit of reach (to stretch them)
-
choice of venue / activities should always be purposeful
Stretch yourself
choice of venue can stretch you
should match your style
align you, the people, venue, activities but with some stretch
Chapter 6: Process
Book Group Q&A
Q1: Why is "process" in facilitation important?
A1: This is the step where you plan how you will run a session and not simply "wing it".
Q2: What is the main challenge in designing a session?
A2: Designing the session at an appropriate level of detail so that there is a broad structure for the session but not over-designing it so there is no flexibility for accommodating what may happen when the session is underway.
Q3: What do you understand by "alignment between activity and intent" and why is it important in session design?
A3: Making sure that each activity is obviously relevevant to the objective(s) of that part of the session. It is important in ensuring you meet the objectives of the overall session but also in giving confidence to the attendees that you know what you are doing and that the session will meet its objective(s).
Q4: Say something about tools and their uses in any context.
A4: Tools can be single purpose or multi-purpose and both types have their place. Tools should be used for the purpose for which they were designed and not shoe-horned in to meet your personal preferences, knowledge or proficiency. No every part of a Swiss Army Knife is used all the time. A favourite video of a single purpose tool is this one. You could not use that tool for anything else!
Q5: What is your view of having one running order for a session used by all parties to the session?
A6: I do not do that for all the sessions I run. In the most part, I use the same one for all parties. I often have personal notes and prompts on my running order. As per book, some content will be overkill for the attendees to be aware of. It kills surprises if you plan any in! It may also constrain you from varying what you do when the session is "live".
Q6: What is your experience of planning for multiple scenarios? If none or not much, how will you apply this to your session planning? If a lot, what hints and tips would you give to those who are learning this skill?
A6: Can't think of any examples of this. There are some where I may not know how much time specific items will take and therefore the agenda may not be so tied down to specific start and end times within the overall boundaries of the day. I will consciously bear this in mind in planning future sessions and consider what may happen with specific activities.
Q7: Say something about your experience of preparing a session not knowing how many people would show up and then significantly more people showed up. What did you do? How did it turn out? What lessons did you learn?
A7: A very recent example was the 11-week Designing Your Work Life virtual book group. I used a public LinkedIn invitation with no expectation of how many people would express an interest, if indeed any! 60 people expressed an interest. This rapidly went from one weekly call to three weekly calls to accommodate the large number of timezones. It meant I had to "train" 2 other call facilitators and do significantly more admin work to get everyone set up on the learning platform in Workplace from Facebook. But it also meant that we all learned far more from each other as there were more learners and we could watch and comment on other people's calls. It demonstrated agains that my onboarding process for learning groups on Workplace is scalable. A reminder that well-designed processes and groups on collaboration platforms are scalable and will not break. A further reminder that what I do for myself to facilitate specfic sessions and groups of sessions when well-written are usable by others. In the the three streams of weekly calls there were more people who facilitated than just those who originally volunteered when we went to 3 call groups.
Q8: How do your energy levels differ within a day and within a week? How do you do your work knowing this information?
A8: Definitely higher in the mornings. A lull after lunch and my daily walk. Pick up slightly after. I seem to be increasingly in a lull after work for the rest of the day. Weekends are a bit less marked in levels. I am consciously looking to beat the evening lulls!
Q9: What is your experience of using energy levels in yourself and attendees to design more effective sessions?
A9: Another eye-opener was this chapter. Not looked at energy levels at all when designing sessions. I am or have been (!) focused on the objective and relentlessly working towards meeting that objective.
Q10: When is the best time for a keynote speaker to speak?
A10: Rare for me to hear keynote speakers in person. Great to be able to hear them online on demand. Any time would be good for me! I love learning from experts! I am also aware that having such speakers speak last is a good way of keeping the group together with people not rushing off if they speak first thing in the day. However, also good to have keynote speakers at start of a day/conference to set the direction of the entire day/conference.
On a wider point, I am reminded of the criticism of conference design in not meeting how people best learn which is ironic!
"What about the classroom lecture, or the typical in-service training conference that’s compressed over a couple of days? Larsen figures his school’s interns spend 10 percent of their time sitting in conferences listening to lectures. It may be a talk on metabolic diseases, on different infectious diseases, or on different drugs. The speaker puts the PowerPoint slideshow up and starts going through it. Usually there’s lunch, and the docs eat, listen, and leave. “In my mind, considering how much forgetting occurs, it’s very discouraging that we’re putting so many resources into an activity that, the way it is currently done, learning research tells us is so ineffective. Medical students and residents go to these conferences and they have no repeated exposure whatsoever to it. It’s just a matter of happenstance whether they end up finally seeing a patient in the future whose problem relates back to the conference topic. Otherwise, they don’t study the material, they are certainly not tested on the material, they just listen then they walk out.” At a minimum, Larsen would like to see something something done to interrupt the forgetting: give a quiz at the end of a conference and follow it with spaced retrieval practice. “Make quizzing a standard part of the culture and the curriculum. You just know every week you’re going to get in your email your ten questions that you need to work through.”
He asks, “How are we designing education and training systems that prevent or at least intervene in the amount of forgetting that goes on, and making sure they’re systematic throughout the school in support of what we’re trying to accomplish? As it stands now, medical resident programs are simply dictating: you have to have the curriculum, you have to have the conferences, and it ends there. They present these big conferences, they have all the faculty come through and give their talks. And in the end, what we actually accomplish is really kind of minimal.”
[ Brown, Peter C.. Make It Stick (p. 60). Harvard University Press. Kindle Edition. ]
Q11: What is your view of being able to better manage your energy levels?
A11: In the past, I have often thought that this is an issue for me to overcome not manage. I am increasingly trying to "schedule" work requiring specific levels of energy to times in the day when I have that level of energy. I am aware that some task management practices are now looking only at managing energy and not managing time. E.g. "Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time", HBR, October 2007; "The Time-Energy Paradox", Michael Hyatt, March 2018.
Q12; We are at the end of the planning part of the book. Where are you personally at now in your experience of reading the book?
A12: Lots of things to continue doing. Lots of things to start doing with new learnings to me as per previous responses to questions in each chapter to date, including learning some more about specific subjects and putting those into practice (e.g. more awareness and use of place, mixing up recurring meetings, scenario planning, energy). Can't think of anything to stop doing!
My Book Notes
after the above, you can now begin crafting your process design
has enormous power to influence how nimble you will need to be in the room
challenge of scripting the session vs holding it loosely
Script It
Alignment between activity and intent
align activity choice with purpose of session chunk
offsets the need for facilitation agility
if not aligned, attendees will cry foul e.g. you say decision making but activity is brainstorming - you lose trust of group, session stalls
each facilitation tool in your toolbox is best used for specific purposes
choose the right tool for the job
Level of detail
... in your facilitation plan needs to be appropriate
a balancing act
accidents less likely to happen when some slack, redundancy or improvisation is built into the system
design principles:-
-
public agenda less detailed than your personal plan
-
you may constrain yourself unnecessarily
-
-
minimise surprises
-
the more detailed the plan, the harder it is to deviate from it
Hold it loosely
Multiple scenarios
plan for different scenarios
a test for your anticipation skills
play the session in your mind for a chunk, what variations might there be as people respond to you
do 1 design for flow then design another
readies brain for different scenarios including what actually happens
even scrapping the agenda
helps with crafting process designs for different group sizes (see Planning for Multiple Scenarios template)
there are times when you do not know how many people will attend a session - plan for up to 10, 10-20, 20-75 and 75+ - rare to need all 4 but good practice!
Manage mojo
responding willingly / intentionally to group's energy level can help you loosen your grip on your script
we all experience days in 3 stages:-
-
peak
-
trough
-
rebound
in any order
do not start new thing 2-3 pm - we are running out of gas
Wednesday is known as hump day for this reason
mid-life crises as mid-life energy dips
design for the dip for yourself and attendees
steps:-
-
anticipate the lull
-
on a day - early/mid afternoon
-
in a week - Wednesday
-
-
decide what to do about it - ignore, give in to it, counteract with energiser
lety energy patterns in room lead you to more intuitive / resposive facilitation
best time for keynote speaker is not start of day!
plan for your own lulls - make yourself unavailable in breaks, plan things for attendees to do without you
Agility in advance
these 4 Ps offset the need for you to be nimble for things that could have been predicted and avoided
we are now at the end of planning
Chapter 7: In the Room: Agility - People
Book Group Q&A
Q1: Say something about how you feel when you are facilitating? Go as wide and as deep as you would like to and ideally in one stream of consciousness.
A1: I love the opportunity to do this. In a lot of senses it is what I was born to do - marshalling multiple inputs to address a problem or opportunity, helping the group marshall the collective wisdom of the group in the pursuit of a goal. I love the "game", the test and the challenge. I would love to be able to do more of this on a wider front. I love sussing out who knows what and to draw that out of each person regardless of who they are and what they do and regardless of their status within their organisation. I love the journey, the adventure and aiming for the goal.
Q2: Rebecca, the author, says that approximately half of the book covers preparation. Does that surprise you generally and, specifically, in the context of facilitation agility?
A2: As I started thinking about my response, I was reminded of health care which often, invariably, concentrates on curing people of something rather than working on preventing the issue from occurring. Whilst it is usually less painful to prevent than cure, lots of us do not change our lifestyles to help us prevent known issues of our behaviour from occurring. So yes spending half the book on preparation (aka, in part, prevention), was a bit of a surprise but it is encouraging that spending this time on preparation does yield benefits in minimising the likelihood of needing to be nimble but also equipping us to be more nimble when that nimbleness is needed.
Q3: What are the two main rapid recovery skills?
A3: In summary, keeping the session on track to meet the objective(s) and bringing the group back to meeting the objective when they go off course.
Q4: Say something about your usual state of readiness before facilitating a session.
A4: I am always as prepared as I think I need to be for each session. Some sessions can be more significant based on numbers attending, the seniority of the people attending, whether it is internal or external or mixed, the challenging nature of the objective(s). I seek to do the best "job" I can on each occasion regardless.
Q5: How do you operate to gain the trust of the group when facilitating?
A5: By aiming to be a safe pair of hands. Starting on time. Not assuming that people have read the brief. Stating clearly and powerfully the goal of the session to enure that all are on the same page as we start. Doing the housekeeping re toilets, breaks, finish time. Any rules of engagement in the session (e.g. listening, not speaking over people). Introductions by each person to get them speaking. Possibly an icebreaker/connector question.
Q6: Say something about you in relation to curiosity and distractions, and what you have to be careful in these areas when facilitating?
A6: I am increasingly curious about lots of things. Some things I am not interested in. I am easily distracted by things that are in subject areas that I am interested in when I become conscious of them as I live, work and play. I need to stay focused laser-like on the session objective and only let my curiosity run riot when it relates to meeting the session objective even when that is not immediately obvious to the group - I would verbalise why I believe something is connected to our objective. I have a strong desire for people to come to long-lasting conclusions and not the path of least resistance or short term fixes (unless the latter are urgently needed prior to the long term fix. As a facilitator, I know that I need to be careful that my knowledge of specific subject areas does not drive the group but would certainly seek to provide subject input where that could be neutrally done for the group to consider, evaluate etc.
Q7: When reading about you as facilitator in this chapter, what did you learn that was new for you? What will you do with that?
A7: This again is content that I rarely explicitly consider. I consider myself to be a professional in what I do both personally in terms of personal reputation and branding but also as an ambasaador for the organisation I am working for if the facilitation is in that context. So this drives my preparation and execution. Energy levels were mentioned again including designing sessions in such a way that take my and the group's energy levels into account. I need and want to look at that to see how I can incorporate that into my session planning. What also comes to mind is that sessions can be at "home" or "away" and that certain planning things become "easier" or "harder" in those 2 contexts. I am reminding myself that I should never be complacent when at "home". I was also taken with the personal development tip of specifically having an area to develop in delivering a specific session.
Q8: Are you a task person or a people person generally. Score yourself out of 10 for each dimension but only having 10 points to play with e.g. Task 10, People 0 or Task 5, People 5 etc. What does this mean for your facilitation?
A8: Definitely more of a people person as I get older. As a project manager/consultant at my core, you would expect me to have a relentless focus on the goal in all situations. Early on in my career, I was definitely more focused on the goal of the work I was doing - NOT to the extent of not caring for people working with/for me! My strong desire to be a lifelong learner is increasingly spilling over to me wanting that for other people if they are up for it to build our personal and collective capability. So to give that a score, I would say Task 6, People 4.
Q9: What is your attitude towards timekeeping when facilitating?
A9: Definitely want to stick to start time and end time for each session, some flexibility within that but always keen to keep to the break times and again flexibility between those. To ensure continuity and moving on and giving participants confidence, I keep a running "to be discussed later" list so I and the group do not forget.
Q10: When reading about the group that you are facilitating in this chapter, what did you learn that was new for you? What will you do with that?
A10: Again, energy is not something I usually explicitly consider but aware that I sometimes have to flex what I am doing when it becomes clear that the group are struggling energy-wise. Although not in this section, I was reminded of group contracts re rules of engagement in terms of being fully-focused on the group task and not attending to day-job matters during the session activities including use of mobiles and laptops. Challenged by the variety piece as a way of maintaining engagement, I do need to consider mixing things up although lots of my sessions have a similar "obtain requirements", "identify solutions" and "fix problem" nature. And another thing comes to mind around how I get feedback on the session from participants on process. I suspect that your average participant does not explicitly consider these things and in one sense they should not need to if as facilitators we perform our role correctly.
My Book Notes
This is the section most will have bought the book for
roughly half of the book spent on prep to mimimise the need to be agile
can never anticipate 100% of all eventualities, 60-70% at most
building our rapid recovery skills:-
-
help us keep things on course
-
get them back on track when they threaten to derail
level of seriousness to derail varies
tho specifics may vary, common mindsets, skills, behaviours to help you adapt
same focus on 4 x Ps as before
People
About You
in the room is your opportunity to apply your self-awareness
as a facilitator your main tool is yourself
after prep, your job is now to maintain a calm, helpful presence - you are the group's navigator / chaperone - no one wants someone who is edgy + unsure of the way
trust your training for your role
also need to be at your best on game day
your state is more important than your script
Fuel
go to bed early the night before
most imp thing you can do is show up well-rested + sharp
facilitation agility requires mental clarity + energy
sleep strengthens many aspects of neural processing:-
-
insight formation
-
novel language perception
-
visual discrimination
-
motor skills
all imp facilitation skills
other factors:-
-
hydration
-
nutrition
-
exercise
-
morning routine
some of these apply during sessions
session underway:-
-
need to gain the trust of the group right from the start
-
not much time to do this, judgements quickly formed
-
start strong
-
help attendees connect with session purpose
-
excite them
-
show you have skills, insight, energy + a plan
-
show you are worthy of their confidence
-
their trust will give you energy - opposite also true
-
building a loyal team is a preventative facilitation strategy that works
-
-
as sesson proceeds, pay attention to your self-talk
-
ensure inner critic is cheerleader not critic
-
you have planned and are prep-ed!
-
reflection-in-action - what is happening, consider, respond
-
we expect things to go differently than planned
-
responsibility for the success of a facilitated session is the attendees
-
dynamics between the people existed before the session and will continue after
-
-
your obligation to monitor you continues to end of the session
-
look after yourself to the end
-
do not lose your required performance when tiring or coming to end of session and lots still to do
-
Focus
in the session consciously direct your focus:-
-
minimise unhelpful distractions
-
deliberately choose to direct your attention to inputs that will accelerate your performance
beware using mobile even hours before an event so you can focus
importance of managing your focus not your time
manage your emotions - they draw our attention to some things and away from others
leave open space in your schedule before a session
avoid things you know trigger you and look to manage these in a session
lowering unhelpful stress is fundamental to optimal performance
as you prepare for start of session, go through the facilitation plan then set it aside and prep physically = stop prep-ing content, start prep-ing mindset
game-time routines
presence: self-assured enthusiasm that allows us to be attuned to + able to express our truth
apply your focus to something you want to improve on in the session - deliberate attention
ditto with things not to focus on
even do this for things that might seem like worthy distractions
commit to staying curious
do not be frozen but be ready to move
About Others
Fuel
your attendees need fuel to - your responsibility to provide it
pay attention to their needs - nourish them - breaks
helps them stay sharp but will bolster their confidence in you
trust is in the details
helps them focus on the task
stick to broad timings especially for breaks - they need to start back on time
also means feeding their imagination - variety in design - surprise people - delight them - get them up and moving - keep them energised + purposefully engaged
people more willing to follow script if engrossing one
you may not have chosen venue but you can run it
do not let your own reputation carry the cost for mistakes in event planning - do something about it
Focus
manage their focus
distraction undermines productivity
keeping their attention on task in a session:-
-
refuse to let yourself get distracted even if group does
-
you are the guardian of the purpose + process
-
draw their attention back to task and reasons for it
-
-
provide clear opportunities for attendees to attend to other matters
-
practice discernment on when to let the group deviate + when to stay on track
-
may need to ask the group for their steer to have short time on this or leave it for later or another time
-
Chapter 8: In the Room: Agility - Purpose
Book Group Q&A
Q1: What is your personal best practice of using the overall session "purpose" "in the room"?
A1: I start the session with a statement of the session purpose to ensure all are clear. Ditto with any chunk purpose through the session. I tie each chunk/activity to the session purpose. When appropriate, I use the session and chunk purposes when I feel that the group are losing their way and to cheer them on. Where necessary and where I consider it appropriate, I allow the group to change the purpose. At the end of each chunk and the whole session, I review with the group the level of completion of the purpose.
Q2: What is your personal best practice of using the "purpose" of each chunk "in the room"?
A2: Included in my answer above.
Q3: How do you evaluate when to query whether the group purpose should change when the session is underway?
A3: When I or the group feel that the original purpose is turning out to be invalid or inappropriate. I would get the group to review the original purpose and to explain why it is no longer valid. When the group agrees to change it, I would get the group to formulate a new purpose using the usual techniques for establishing a session purpose.
Q4: What are you mindful of when facilitating the group in making a "change the purpose" decision?
A4: It is their decision not mine. I ensure they have explored the rationale for change and have arrived at a clear statement of why the existing purpose needs to change, what the new one should be and the rationale for arriving at that conclusion. Ideally, I would confirm the change in real time with my client, if they are not in the room, and potentially a person from the group to explain where the group are up to and confirm that a change in purpose is appropriate. In some limited cases, the session may need to be abandoned if the revised purpose requires new or additional attendees.
Q5: "Facilitator as calm guide". Discuss.
A5: I continue to steer the group through the session being mindful of the "heat" in the room and ensuring that all voices are heard. When things get heated, to allow that to continue while it is productive and moving the group on. Where this tips over into unproductive and personal input to mirror that back to the group for resolution as appropriate and may be even call a timeout. I am reminded of one session with a client, where 1 of the client managers called a timeout themselves and asked for the room to be cleared of all but client staff to address a particularly heated exchange of views. We continued more productively a short time later.
Q6: What is your personal best practice for using "To be Considered Later" lists?
A6: In many if not all contexts I write everything down so I do not forget! I apply this in this context. I let the conversation continue until it becomes clear to both me and the group that it would be more appropriate to discuss the issue in one of the later chunks or to list it for consideration outside of this session. At the end of the session, I would review with the group the list of "Later This Sesson" items (which I would be crossing off the list in real-time during the session in any case so this is final confirmation) and then review the "To Be Considered Later" list to reconfirm that these are still valid, or need rewording, or need adding to. I would usually agree with the group to discuss these with my client and commit to informing the group of any outcomes and who would do that. This would usually be the client.
My Book Notes
purpose is the test of whether you are on track
the key tool to keep things on track
needs to be clear and used - do NOT leave it in the toolbox
Clarify It
needs to be agreed and kept at forefront of the group's mind throughout the session
Keep it visible to you
remind yourself of overall purpose and purpose of each chunk in the session
keep your eye on the goal
Keep it visible to the group
group needs to buy-in to the purpose
ideally goal was co-created with the group or reps from the group
state the goal at the outset of the session
make it readily accessible to all throughout the session
Use It
Check we are on track
from time-to-time in session, review progress against the goal
OK to go sideways or backwards if overall progress is good and you take the view that this will help reach the goal - "facilitator as calm guide"
clear goal important so that you all know when/if you have arrived
Decide whether to switch tracks
sometimes the purpose itself needs to shift
review with the group whether the goal now needs to change
help the group "fail fast"
the group needs to make the decision - the purpose is theirs as is responsibility for changing it when necessary
if group decides to maintain original goal, use "Parking Lot" to capture items to be addressed later - if likely to stay parked, rename to "Follow-Up Board"
on that list include who, how, when to follow-up - if the group cannot quickly answer those questions, may not be worth listing
Chapter 9: In the Room: Agility - Place
Book Group Q&A
Q1: There is a saying "Fail to plan, plan to fail". How does this apply in the context of you facilitating a session in a specific place?
A1: As far as possible you need to plan the "setup" of your venue and either do a dry run or allow sufficient time to set up in a timely fashion on the day. It is only by so doing that you can check all the relevant practicalities. These would include location of power sockets, furniture arrangement, length of your power leads and are they out of the way of participants tripping over them. I am keen to formally request all the third party input to sessions I host including specific requests for timings and availability of drinks and food (and what types) during the day taking into account participants allergies etc. and then checking confirmations that they have been "ordered". This would include the venue/room! Only by so planning am I minimising the risk of failing.
Q2: How do you feel as a participant when the prep for a session is obviously failing?
A2: After giving the host the benefit of the doubt and not jumping to conclusions about fault, I would seek to find out what happened and if it was the host's "fault", I would start thinking this is not a good start, poor planning, not stewarding our time well, slack, hoping the session content has been better prepared than this. I am usually pretty forgiving regardless.
Q3: The chapter talks about not involving participants in helping you recover from an unprepared start to a session. Do you agree with that view? Why? Why not?
A3: As a facilitator myself, and continuing my prior answer, and as a leader and a helper, I would offer to help and then start helping. This for me me is often a good way of introducing myself and getting to know the facilitator and fellow participants in unplanned/unscripted ways when they may be less guarded than when the session starts. Also help so that we get a shift on to start ASAP! However, I would be happy to follow whatever the facilitator wanted us to do re not helping.
Q4: What does the analogy of party planning for session planning say to you?
A5: To fully address the how, what, when, where, why and who ahead of time so that all guests are informed before they show up. Also speaks to me of fun and helping people gear up for what can be expected. Also means pre-empting people's questions which can take up a lot of time answering especially when you have a lot of people attending. Having to ask basic questions about the session is not a great start from the facilitator.
Q5: Review the Facilitation Supply List and respond with whatever comes to your mind.
A5: I am a stationery geek so I need to be careful I do not overdo it (can you overdo it??!!)). I always veer on the side of caution and assume that I will have to use whatever I bring and I do not rely on what the venue provides. Definitely helps to have lots as well as things you do not plan to use but may use via being nimble! Re flipcharts, agree with the use of self-sticky sheets. Still a big fan of Post-Its and they must be the 3M branded ones which are the stickiest. There is nothing worse than losing info on charts and post-its when they have fallen off when not as sticky! Love the rooms with the flipchart hangers where the sheets can be inserted and slid along to remove. I always use UPPERCASE as my writing is illegible to others and worse often to me after the event. The ToP Sticky Walls sound fun but also a challenge. Yes, nothing worse than not being able to see anyone's writing on flipchart sheets from a distance so needs addressing either by large writing or people reading them out which may be a time suck. Yes, I too use phone to take photos of flipchart sheets etc. I always check the focus is OK! Good to see the bag of tricks list. Great idea re plants! For pens, I would include permanent and whiteboard markers. More electrical leads may be needed depending on what tech you need.
Q6: Say something about how you read the room when you are facilitating including specific comments on difficut people.
A6: This is the same as reading someone in 1:1 situations but on a wider scale. Clearly, it helps if you have direct line of sight to see all participants when they are speaking. I listen out for what is said, the level of confidence in which it is said, pauses, heat and loudness in the voice, how it is said, what is not being said, if my or others' questions are being answered, who is supporting and not supporting what is being said, who is dominating, who is not saying anything. Difficult people are simply on various spectrums of input and contribution. One person's "difficult" is another person's "candid". I would always seek to make sure that everyone is contributing. As long as the group is making progress then anything goes unless personal things are being said about someone that does not help the session. I would expect me or other members of the group to call bad behaviour like this out and for it to be resolved before we move on.
Q7: How do you use formal or informal "translators" during a session?
A7: These can be colleagues or other participants. I am usually happy for others to chip in during sessions to alert me appropriately and possibly indirectly in front of the group as the session is underway. Breaks are a good time for me to directly solicit these views by me asking specific questions of specific individuals either open or closed questions to get their view of progress or any issues etc. I always ask questions to move the group on and not to dwell on specicic issues unless they need to be dwelt on for resolution for the group to make progress. I also use people like this to run ideas for tweaks to a session past them for confirmation or otherwise whilst retaining the final decision for the full group.
Q8: What else would you like to say on the subject of this chapter?
A8: This is definitely a skill that comes with practice. Role playing or coaching on the back of specific or imagined issues/scenarios is a great way of practicing. It is also good when learning this to have colleagues in the room who are specifically there to review you in action to give feedback.
Starting a session on time may be as simple as booking a room to start half an hour earlier than your actual start time to make sure you have the room for that period of time. This can also address issues arising from the people in a room ahead of you being badly disciplined and over-running when you need the room. When booking shorter sessions, I allow for set-up and put-away time so I do not add to the carnage of meetings not starting or finishing on time.
As I read this chapter, some ideas on doing this in virtual spaces came to mind. I have an emerging idea to do a summary response to each section of the book with some virtual facilitation considerations - not that I am an expert on that by any means!
My Book Notes
place refers to venue & vibe in room
use and leverage place by paying attention to it and using it as a resource in the session
Leverage It
No surprises
remember there should be no surprises in your use of the venue
arrive early! - trust is in the details
hard to recover when session due to start and you and the venue are not ready
even when things are not your responsibility you "own" the session
tips when things not prepared and ready on time:-
-
get help - from venue or your own team
-
treat participants as guests, not helpers - find them a room while they wait - get them to introduce themselves - start them off on something related to the session - your creativity here sets the tone in suprising ways
-
stay calm and candid about what is happening and why - help people empathise with you without you seeming incompletent or clueless
Well stocked
think like party planners - they help people understand how etc they can easily + comfortably participate
participants and venue should be well prepared for you to start on time
ensure lots of supplies available for what you want to use
participants should not sense you are running short of anything
Learn from it
Early warning system
watch the room carefully when session underway
group dynamics
watch for clues to pivot, fine-tune
do not be the Oblivious Facilitator
EWS esp imp when conflict is starting or engagement is slipping
do not allow difficult participants to be difficult in the first place - gentler interventions needed when you notice this issue early
you are the guardian of the atmosphere in the room
Translators
people who help you read the room and pick up things you do not eg you know no one in the room so hard to pick up nuances in ongoing relationships between people in the room
make sure you see them trying to get your attention and use breaks for their feedback
you do not know everything and some may behave in "odd" ways due to their current work or life circunstances
this may even mean some people's input is out of date/invalid etc
Chapter 10: In the Room: Agility - Process
Book Group Q&A
Q1: As you start a session, what is uppermost in your mind, what would your affirmation be about the session?
A1: I have planned and prepared. I understand the objectives. I have designed a process to get the group from here to there. I am flexible along the way. I want to get to the objective myself. I am invested in that end result. I am working with a group of people who all have something significant to contribute along the way. They all deserve to be heard as equals to get the best possible outcome. I am not fixed in my approach. I am happy to take the session wherever it needs to go in pursuit of the objective. My responsibility is to guide the group. The group's responsibility is to meet the objective.
Q2: Review the tip sheet and comment on your view of these e.g. what do you often use, what surprises you on the list, what is easy to forget?
A2:
-
Make the objectives visible - always in mind and driving to meet them; could be more explicit during the sessions including chunk within session objectives
-
Adjust when needed - probably could be more flexible
-
Don’t panic - graceful swan!
-
Take a break - rarely done
-
Highlight accomplishments -for longer sessions, I could do this more
-
Diagnose the source of the problem - I may be more concerned about the session objectives and less concerned if the "problem" is not objective related
-
Establish ground rules - used for larger more complex sessions, could do more for smaller sessions
-
Keep the group onside - always seek to do this for self-interest reasons re meeting the objective
-
Name the elephant - I am good at detachment and saying what I see including when that involves me directly
-
Share the responsibility - I possibly take too much responsibility for meeting the objective
-
Clarify the instructions - yes if it looks to me like lack of clarity is causing an/the issue
-
Switch to Plan B - I do need to do more on scenario planning explicitly and not rely on nimbleness
-
Swap learning styles - I am fairly fixed once session designed but see scenario comment above, add more variety in design and in scenarios
-
Align activity with intent - I verbalise how these relate by way of explanation
-
Use a ‘generic exercise' - use more when needed
-
Keep your sense of humour - Always! I love being fun/serious all at the same time suitably tailored to the participants but defo try to be the authentic me at all times
-
Do something unexpected - increasingly better at spontaneity
-
Hang in there - always on a mission
Q3: Say something about you being stuck when facilitating.
A3: Sometimes get stuck when I am looking to get intimately familiar with the problem, opportunity, subject domain to help me guide the group, I need to be careful that my lack of understanding does not compromise the objective. Rarely totally stuck to require time-out call.
Q4: Summarise the behaviours that for you epitomise "challenging behaviours" from participants
A4: Talking too much - close down, ask direct questions of others, state need to hear views of others
Not talking at all - appropriate direct questions to those people, smaller group work
Disengagement - ask open direct questions to encourage involvement, smaller group work, reminder of why they are there
Aggression, personal attacks - drive for the behaviour that is being spoken about and not the person, encourage constructive conflict for group to go deeper
Use of organisational/positional power - encourage wider input from those with less power
Breaking any of the ground rules - remind the group of those rules and what you see being flouted (assumes you have these, that they are listed and signed up to
Q5: What is your own best practice at addressing each of these behaviours?
A5: See comments above.
Q6: What did the "challenging news" section of the chapter bring to mind in sessions you have been involved in? If no real-life examples come to mind, what would be examples of "challenging news" to you?
A6: One example that came readily to mind was being part of a senior mgt team coaching programme with the director and head of X, 4-5 managers (including me) with the objective of increasing the effectiveness of those people working together including two external trainers facilitating. Three quarters of the way through the first of 2 days in a closed session without the trainers we were informed that the "head of" was leaving to pursue other opportunities. We were then given half an hour free time to process that information. It changed the whole tone of the programme. We still met the objectives!
Examples that would impact me as a facilitator would include discovering that the client I had engaged with was not the "real" client, dicovering during the session that the objectives were completely invalid, discovering that we did not have the full set of interested parties in the session and/or that some people were present who did not need to be there, people revealing confidential and/or not-yet-released company strategy info impacting them or others in the room. Even some of these situations may be recoverable in terms of adding value to the client but would need client discussion and agreement by the client and the group to continue as appropriate.
My Book Notes
remember there is lots you can do ahead of time to mimimise risk of session going off track and you needing to be nimble
process design is facilitator's responsibility
achievement of session objectives is the group's responsibility
this is why both parties need to work in tandem
so to fix, facilitator may need to step back not lean in
Script It
the process you have designed is your script and it includes options for how you can respond in specific scenarios
once session starts, progress can stall so need tools to get unstuck
Getting unstuck
see tip sheet and include it in your own session facilitation notes for reference
The group is stuck
-
make the objectives visible
-
adjust when needed
-
don't panic - this is about the group not you
-
take a break - ideally with movement & fresh air
-
highlight accomplishments - even better, get 1 of the group to do that
-
affirms productive progress
-
gives you time to process possible ways forward
-
-
diagnose the problem
-
choose next action to solve the problem
-
-
establish ground rules
-
review these that were set at the start
-
facilitator is guardian of respectful behaviour
-
-
keep the group on side
-
ensure the issue is not you!
-
-
name the elephant
-
what do you notice and what options do the group have
-
makes explicit something the group may be struggling with
-
helps people organise their muddled thinking
-
reminds everyone that group is responsible for the outcome
-
-
-
share the responsibility
-
help group form options and choose
-
-
clarify the instructions
-
sometimes just a case of your instructions not being clear so help them understand
-
-
switch to plan B
-
not an admission of failure but a possible resolution path
-
-
swap learning styles
-
change how the group tackles the work
-
-
align activity with intent
-
may be time to decide and not discuss
-
-
use a generic exercise
-
take temperature of the room
-
-
keep your sense of humour
-
be lighthearted and reassuring
-
-
do something unexpected
-
change the energy etc to change the dynamic
-
-
hang in there
-
often messy precedes breakthrough
-
your patience should exceed the group's by a few minutes
-
You're stuck
how to avoid issues in the first place
example:-
-
use techniques you are familiar with
-
give clear instructions - relevance of task to objective
-
keep people on the path
don't be the source of the group losing their way
the earlier tips work for you too!
trust your prep and go back to it - including what do you need
create space for you:-
-
give the group a task to be getting on with
-
invite the group to co-create a way forward
-
slow things down, recap or use silence
-
complete the following sentence: if we are here to achieve xxx, and so far we have established that yyy, then our next useful step is zzz
-
get the group to join you in reset (clearing heads)
-
finish for the day
Hold It Loosely
dealing with challenging people
often people's biggest concern when learning how to facilitate
can be aggression, withdrawal
fear of this behaviour is more common than the behaviour itself
you doing a good job minimises the risk of this happening
do not jump to conclusion from their outward signs - test them out
do not ignore disruptive behaviours - impacts others in the group who are waiting for you to address
check that the behavour really is problematic
recognise whose responsibility it is - may be nothing to do with you, the process or the session
enforce the ground rules
ask questions instead of being prescriptive
intervene early in small ways - before you need to be extreme
address the problem cleanly and with candour - make the group do the work of addressing
democratise the process - do an exercise that forces all participants to engage
assess whether dissenting opinions are outliers or widely held - test the accuracy in creative ways e.g. graph people's positions
Unexpected news
disruption may be due to disruptive content that you were not aware of or expecting
do not be Oblivious Facilitator
acknowledge the "bigness" of the news, elicit feelings, ask client/group how they would like to proceed - may need to be a break
make progress using your script with the scenarios where still relevant
Chapter 11: Afterwards: Absorption - People
Book Group Q&A
Q1: The "A" word for the final third section of the book is "Absorption". What do you understand the meaning of the word to be generally and specifically in the context of the content of this section of the book?
A1: The dictionary definition of "absorb" gives a number of meanings:-
-
take in or soak up (energy or a liquid or other substance) by chemical or physical action
-
take in and understand fully (information, ideas, or experience).
-
take control of (a smaller or less powerful entity) and make it a part of a larger one.
-
use or take up (time or resources).
-
take up and reduce the effect or intensity of (sound or an impact).
-
take up the attention of (someone); interest greatly.
None of these meanings for me capture the essence of the section of the book that starts with this chapter. In fact, some would give the wrong or incomplete meaning e.g. we are not trying to get participants absorbing content as we may be would if it was a training course with specific things to be learned, practised and tested. We are certainly using time and other resources. Ideally we would be interesting the participants greatly via engaging them. I am interested that I did not give the word a 2nd thought when starting the book and seeing the reference for the first time and interested now as I do a deep dive on the word.
Q2: What other "A" words could be used for this section of the book?
A2: I rapidly thought of the following words with their associated dictionary definitions:-
-
aftermath: the consequences or after-effects of a significant unpleasant event.
-
afterwards: at a later or future time. (I later realised that was the main heading for the final stage!)
-
analysis: detailed examination of the elements or structure of something.
-
autopsy: a post-mortem examination to discover the cause of death or the extent of disease.
Some of these clearly fail at the first hurdle and are not what we want ... at all!!
Possibly my preferred "A" word would be "Analysis" as that is effectively the activity that anyone giving feedback is doing however explicitly or implicitly.
If "A" words were not required other alternatives could include Review, Post-Session Review, How-Was-It-For-You, Debrief, Lessons Learned and so on.
Q3: What is your general attitude to giving feedback?
A3: Forces me to reflect which is a good thing! Happy to give feedback reactively and proactively in productive ways. I am a continuous improver and try to encourage others to be the same. I could give more especially to those who I believe will not act on it.
Q4: What is your general attitude to receiving feedback?
A4: Always welcome it. Especially if this is in a blind spot for me. I tend not to want patting on the back. I am more of a how-can-I-improve person. It is a gift that I can choose to accept or not accept.
Q5: What is your personal best practice to getting feedback from sessions you have facilitated?
A5: Questionnaires tailored to the session that are specific to the session with general questions that apply to all sessions I do. Mainly for set piece type sessions and not recurring meetings or project- etc day-job type meetings. For response rates, I would always do this on the final day of the session with follow-up later as appropriate. I would never wait till after the session to solicit this structured feedback.
Q6: List all the stakeholders who have an interest in the outcome of sessions you facilitate.
A6: As follows:-
-
Me!
-
Client/sponsor
-
Participants
-
Customers
-
Suppliers
-
Colleagues
-
-
My line manager
-
Account team (where the session is for a client)
-
Business Development (future business opportunities)
-
Senior Management Team (often sessions are key customer interactions)
Q7: How do you reflect on your "performance" in facilitating a session include whether you are hard on yourself or not?
A7: General sensing through the session. Soliciting feedback on the way through. Was the objective met. What went well, not so well, what could have been improved. Feedback for the client. Comms to be sent to specific participants (eg resource suggestions triggered by their input to the session). Proactive feedback to colleagues and internal stakeholders including suggestions/possibilities for future work with the client. Ideally some or all of this prior to client feedback.
Usually harder on myself than others would ever be. I am a relentless continuous improver. I need to celebrate more!
Q8: List the aspects of a session that you would want to get feedback on from any source including you.
A8: Session aspects:-
-
Clarity of goals
-
Meeting goals or changing as appropriate
-
Venue - all aspects including temperature, service, quality of drinks/food, tech worked, supplies for participants readily available and plenty
-
Chunks clear and engaged participants
-
facilitator's facilitation - invisible in a good way, not oblivious! sense of humour, not domineering, not forcing a point of view
-
rules of engagement - set, agreed, enforced, complied with
-
contribution by all
-
engagement of all
-
creativity of inputs by all
-
a safe space
-
use of parked item lists - reviewed and covered as session proceeded or agreed for picking up with client/others as session closes
-
would you engage with the facilitator again
-
everyone clear on objective, whether we met it, what was parked for later, actions that we are all taking away
-
what chunks worked well, not so well and why
-
for most, if not all of the above, scores out of 10 but also a commentary box that people are encouraged to use! Not allowed to score 7.
Q9: You are a participant in an off-site 2-day workshop covering delivering customer service. What would you expect to be asked about and how to give your feedback on the session?
A9: As per above
Q10: What issues have you experienced or could you experience in obtaining feedback from the client/sponsor for a session you have facilitated for them?
A10: Brainstorm list (some actuals):-
-
not in the sessions
-
not interested in the goal etc due to the session being a "tick in the box" for compliance or other reasons
-
disengaged
-
their preferred outcome did not happen
-
just a challenge to get feedback
-
more interested in the meeting of the objective than how the group got there
-
how you facilitated would not have been how they would have run the session and that colours their view
-
more than 1 client emerges during the session e.g. the cheque-signer and the person who has the prime interest in meeting the objectives of the session
-
already moved on to the next thing
-
not interested in taking time to review
-
not interested in developing a longer term business relationship with you and/or your organisation.
Note that all of the above can be mitigated either fully or in part during the preparation phase!
Q11: How do you act on the feedback you have received?
A11: Understand the feedback. Ask any questions objectively to clarify what has been said if I do not understand it. Validate it. Compare to my own assessment. Confirm what I will take away to address. Where appropriate, communicate back to those giving feedback what you are doing specifically to address their feedback. Act on the feedback. Review next sessions to assess whether you have changed in response to what you said you would do.
My Book Notes
you completed your session but your work is not done yet
each facilitation experience is opportunity to learn and improve
event happens in the room but learning happens outside
look at ways to translate experience into continuous learning
best time to reconnect with client for debrief but also pave the way for future collaboration
need discipline & imagination - process to go through
About You
did you do a good job? did you leave the client wanting to book you again?
Perspective
do not base this solely on your view
we have different view from participants - they did not fully know our process or our expectations
do not assume your view is valid
Self-Compassion
take into account both positive and negative feedback
what went well, learn from that
if things went off course through no fault of your own, bear that in mind - may have gone as well as reasonably could have been expected in circumstances
About Others
what did the participants think?
hold your own beliefs nimbly
our view may be wrong either way
be open-minded about being wrong - can be a significant block to our own learning
Client/Sponsor
your prime accountability is to your client/sponsor
how happy are they with the end result of the session
how and when will you get their view
ask questions to get the broadest and deepest feedback
good also for maintaining ongoing client relationship with you as trusted advisor
good opportunity for you to express gratitude for the assignment
Participants
how will you connect with them to get their feedback
beware single sheet of Qs at end of the day when they are tired
tips:-
-
leave time for the form e.g. 2nd last item
-
detailed questions with deliberate wording - not generic questions
-
consider +48h sending detailed form out
-
may get less number back
-
but more considered and less in-the-moment
-
-
do both
-
could do visual spots on continuum in session
-
-
tailor format, specifics, length to session (2 hour slot vs 5 day workshop)
-
ask how the session could be improved while in the session and apply as you go
follow-up personally with them esp if you know them indvidually
beware single person's perspective - multiple perspectives are protective
pay close attention to your fave feedback trap - fight it - eg all negative, all positive
there is always something to learn even when we disagree with some feedback
Chapter 12: Afterwards: Absorption - Place
Book Group Q&A
Q1: What do you normally do at the end of a session regarding Place?
A1: Made it clear to all when the session is formally over. Stayed available for anyone who has any questions and comments for me before leaving. Saying any last things to specific people that were not appropriate to say during the session or I did not get the opportunity to do. Make sure I have packed and collected my "stuff". I like leaving rooms as I have found them (if not better). If I have not done so already, give any feedback to the venue on their service (excellent to poor) to the appropriate person as I deemed appropriate.
Q2: "FIrst to arrive and last to leave". Discuss.
A2: As the host for anything, doing this is second nature and good manners. Plus it helps me set the tone for the session from the start to the finish in terms of how I greet and welcome people and how people depart from me. It demonstrates that I care for the group and that each person attending is important. I would also want to indicate by my attitude and demeanour that nothing is too much trouble to make the group feel welcome, to be put at ease, that they are in safe hands and that we are on a mission. I am aware that this is harder for some than others - some people being more introverted than extroverted. As someone on the receiving end of hosts, I am encouraged at the outset when people make time to make me feel welcome and start to get to know me and others in an authentic and listening way.
Q3: The chapter suggests that you do not review the session as it ends but some time later when you are calmer and rested. What, if anything, do you do as you end a session as part of any Close-Of-Session routine you might perform.
A3: I would take notes on my reflections throughout the session so I do not forget anything. There are some reflections that I might want to pass on to people during the session or whilst they are present for the session. Often better to give feedback in person than remotely . I would try to do this in person for any venue-related feedback and ideally early on to reinforce to the venue what they are doing amazingly (or poorly!) to encourage (challenge) them in how they are serving us.
Q4: What aspects of Place are you conscious about remembering for feedback to others and any future application by you?
A4: I need to be more explicit about this. Remembering what worked well and not so well in specific space configurations for specific activities with specific types of people. Some of this may need nimble facilitation to change on the fly. Remembering times when small groups are too close together so they can't have their own discussion independently of others as they can hear different groups.
Q5: Say something about your use and reuse of spaces for sessions you run.
A5: Great to reuse places that work on every level. Rare to find such locations so when you do, remember them. Like recurring meetings, reuse of the same venue with the same groups of people can become too comfortable and that may not necessarily be ideal for creativity etc in all situations. Also, if you always use the same space, you may be missing out on even better venues.
Q6: What else came to mind when reading the chapter and answering the questions on Place?
A6: This is another subject that I often take for granted. I do include feedback questions on all aspects of the venue when designing questionnaires including travel to/from the venue, accessibility, convenience etc. I felt that a lot of the chapter was not directly place-related whilst the content was still valid. As per my responses earlier, even though venue staff are serving us, our attitude towards them can have a significant positive impact on the success of our sessions. A reminder of the power of place and my need to be more aware of the environment that I run sessions in to maximise their contribution to my effectiveness as a facilitator and work through this more.
My Book Notes
most of facilitation nimbleness re place happens prior to and during the session
but some practical tips for ending well
Leverage It
It's over when the last participant leaves
people remember endings - end a session well
stay in role and do not collapse tired too soon
final moments may be best for biz dev opportunities
Not there and then
do not review as you end - rest first, get air, food, change of scenery - recharge before reflecting - recuperation phase
Learn from It
Physical features of the space
anything esp helpful or unexpectedly annoying?
temperature, staff, guest care, obstacles to sight/movement
note down things to watch for if ever rebook this venue or to remember why not to rebook
update Space Planning Checklist
add to your recommended venues list for your or others use
Group dynamics in the space
any issues in session caused by the space from people's feedback?
Chapter 13: Afterwards: Absorption - Process
Book Group Q&A
Q1: What is your personal best practice for ending a session?
A1: As follows:-
-
Summarising where we have been
-
What we said we would do that we have not done
-
Review objectives for completion assessment
-
Review any next steps for this group relating to the objectives of the session
-
Review the Tasks to be Taken Away list including any for review with others not in the session
-
Review the session in all its demensions - task in the session on own and in groups using questionnaire or similar; referemce to any feedback process after people have left the session
-
Thank the particpants and client/sponsor for engaging me
Q2: Say something about your use of time and ending a session well.
A2: The closing part of the session is always on my script. May even amend the programme to ensure we get a good closure section even if thst means cutting short or abandoning a chunk. Vital that we complete on time even if tempted to extend with the group's approval. Getting the group to reflect on our outputs and the process for the session is key to learning and committing to actions.
Q3: What is your reflective practice when completing a session?
A3: Notes taken throughout the session so I do not forget issues to address, actions to take. Emotional reflection of how I felt at the end of the session. Process reflection about the planned and the actual script for differences, exploring those differences and if the outcome was better than the plan. Objectives reflection for objectives achievement plus how was the people vs task orientation during the session. Process all feedback from participants and the client. Commit to specific actions to take on the back of learning as appropriate.
Q4: How do you hone your (facilitation) craft?
[ hone: refine or perfect (something) over a period of time ]
By learning and practising new ways of doing things. This has not been uppermost in my mind. Via personal reflection work, developing my facilitation practice is an increasing priority which was why I added "Nimble" to my 2020 reading list in Decemember 2019. I am glad I did! I need to be more intentional and explicit about developing my practice.
Q5: Teaching what you know is mentioned in the chapter. How are you teaching others?
A5: The best recent examples relate to teaching facilitators to facilitate their own Working Out Loud Circles and Designing Your Work Life groups. These have been volunteers when numbers signing up have been greater then can be part of a circle or where timezones have meant that I could not facilitate the group in one time slot. This has involved supplying facilitation guides for both these types of learning groups, doing videos of how to host Zoom calls and post materials in the relevant groups in a Workplace from Facebook community of learners and in some cases helping them practice with me to increase their confidence. I am increasingly using short videos to share my best practice - often by using Zoom with just me on the call to record myself. I continue to do a lot of my learning practice by working out loud and showing your work so that my process is visible to others to learn from and apply/adapt as they see fit.
My Book Notes
Script It
Script your ending
need to end well
design the ending into your script
tweak it as necessary through the session
tips:-
-
leave time to end well - do not rush it - (sometimes leave blank) - no one complains about leaving early
-
recap + reframe - what did the group achieve - on track - or not
-
help the group develop a to-do list - follow-up tasks - who + deadlines - What Done Looks Like list
compare the script with the actual what happened
how to ensure you learn:-
-
systematic + disciplined reflection - journal
-
compare plan to actual and assess what you learned and what you would do differently
-
debrief with colleague or coach
-
may have been in the room or not
-
helps you absorb and gain perspective
-
-
what skills need development
Hold it loosely
Treat it as practice for next time
each session is opportunity to hone your craft [ hone: refine or perfect (something) over a period of time ]
stay loose with your follow-up
you have now learned things that only experience could have taught you
learning opportunities not failures
balance paying attention to detail with resisting perfectionism
Teach it
teaching something is a proven way to deepen your mastery of the subject
when you teach people you realise there are different ways of doing things
example of teacher who teaches something 3 different ways for flexibility and to teach to wide variey of learners
beware rushing on from a session to your next to-do list item without reflection
Chapter 14: Wrapping Up
Book Group Q&A
[ The book covers for "Talk To Me ..." and "So Good ..." are included in this article header as I have been listening to both these books while reading "Nimble" and are both referenced in this article. ]
So my journey through Rebecca's book that started a month ago has now been completed but my application of her content continues. As I read the 14 chapters, I devised 153 application questions and answered those questions myself but also made the Q(&A)s available to all for your use and application.
Q1: What did you understand by the Noah Harari quote generally for living in these days and specifically when facilitating?
A1: That how we operate in organisations now needs to be less automatic and predictable relying on our traditional strengths. That in increasingly uncertain and volatile times the skills required of Nimble Facilitators are those that will make us more effective in all kinds of organisational roles as we get work done. For facilitation, not to be complacent thinking that we are tooled up for everything that may come against us in sessions that things will get increasingly unpredictable.
Q2: Where are you currently on the Oblivious Facilitator to Nimble Facilitator spectrum and where would you hope to be in 12 months time (you could score yourself out of 10, but do not use 7)?
A2: My scoring is influenced by me viewing myself as very flexible and adaptable when chairing/facilitating sessions but this is more with experience and being ready for anything rather than explicitly practicing some of the nimble ideas explained by the author in her book. I do not have the range of tools and techiques up my sleeve that I know I would need to be adept at to be fully (are we ever?) nimble changing tack multiple times in a session. I would score myself currently as a 6 with a strong desire to be a 9. I suspect that very few people in my view of the world of facilitation would ever get to a 10.
Q3: Equipping facilitators to be more nimble in their practice was the prime objective of this book. What are you taking away on this to apply in your practice?
A3: Specifics for me to apply:-
-
Give more thought on alternative options for each chunk in a session if the main activity "fails".
-
Be more creative about getting things back on-track.
-
I need to be careful that I do not go off-track myself when invariably I am interested in and/or knowledgeable of the subject(s) that the session is covering. It is very rare that I am in full/true facilitation mode only.
-
More careful thought about how much of the agenda etc to issue to participants ahead of time.
-
Be more creative when designing chunks. I am very same-ey with lots of word-based activities.
-
Be even clearer and more explicit about the purpose of each chunk in a session.
-
I have realised I am woeful at understanding and using energy levels of me and others and reading the room during a session. Address that as well as responding appropriately.
-
Look to have a specific learning focus in each session to develop my personal practice.
-
Generally, stretch myself more and add more tools to my toolbox.
-
My poor reflection practice is a known issue. I am very good reactively but not so good proactively at reflecting. I sense that better reflection is key to me being more nimble.
Q4: What other things to apply in your practice are you taking away from this book?
A4: Specifics for me to apply:-
-
I am weak on "place" and should be clearer and more demanding of what I need.
-
Increasingly aware that the true facilitator role is all about the process and not the subject matter expertise that I may or may not have in a specific session. I will look at my practice to see in specific situations where I am facilitating, chairing. contributing etc.
-
The time spent on looking at facilitation practice has made me wonder what other skills and crafts I take for granted and could do with similarly focusing on and developing further.
-
Become more of an Invisible Facilitator.
-
I should review the IAF competencies and my scores and where I want to develop - loved going through that list, interpreting the definitions and scoring myself on each one.
-
Gain more understanding and practice of a wider variety of facilitation activities.
-
Interesting to see how "place" overlapped with my habits work - I would love to get a yellow sofa!
Q5: What other resources would you recommend to those looking to develop their facilitation craft?
A5: As I was reading this book, I have been listening to "Talk to Me: How to Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers, and Interview Anyone Like a Pro" by Dean Nelson. Lots of this book resonated with me as I was reading "Humble"with many parallels in terms of the power of preparation in enabling you to be nimble when interviewing someone, staying on track, getting control back when the interviewee is taking control and so on. The book includes some great real-life examples of interviews that went well or disastrously and why. I drew a direct parallel between the facilitator and interviewer roles whilst recognising the differences. I stumbled over the book via this Rob Bell podcast episode.
I have also been re-listening to "So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love" by Cal Newport. The parallel I drew between this
book and "Nimble" was the developing of someone's craft. Cal calls this the "craftsman mindset": "an approach to your working life in which you focus on the value of what you are offering to the world." Cal also references "deliberate practice" in developing your craft: "An approach to work where you deliberately and consistently stretch your abilities beyond your comfort zone before receiving raw impartial feedback on your performance." (from a book review in this blog post).
Cal also quotes Geoff Colvin:
"Doing things we know how to do well is enjoyable, and that's exactly the opposite of what deliberate practice demands. Instead of doing what we're good at, we insistently seek out what we're not good at. Then we identify the painful, difficult activities that will make us better and do those things over and over. After each repetition, we force ourselves to see - or get others to tell us - exactly what still isn't right so we can repeat the most painful and difficult parts of what we've just done. We continue that process until we're mentally exhausted."
Also see Cal's tribute to Anders Ericsson, creator of deliberate practice theory, in his "A Deliberate Tribute" blog post.
Both are fascinating companions for anyone reading "Nimble".
For more from Rebecca, the author of "Nimble", see her blog, “Wiser Decisions Faster”.
Q6: What do you intend exploring next in your facilitation practice?
A6: Current thinking:-
-
Revisit course notes from Internal Consultancy Skills course from years ago
-
Revisit "Consultancy Skills for Information Professionals" book from even more years ago
-
Review facilitation podcasts for some that catchy my eye
-
Identify best practice resources for virtual facilitation including tools and techniques
-
Identify best practice for scribing outputs from sessions
My Book Notes
“How do you live in a world where profound uncertainty is not a bug but a feature? To survive and flourish in such a world, you will need a lot of mental flexibility and great reserves of emotional balance. You will have to repeatedly let go of some of what you know best, and learn to feel at home with the unknown.” [ Noah Harari, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 2018): 269. ]
Nimble Facilitators need to be like this
whole point of the book is to equip you to respond to any scenario you are faced with in a session
as you gain experience, how the session played out in your mind will be how it actually plays out in real life in real time
there will be challenges that stretch you beyond what you had planned for
just need to be able to react nimbly to what is in front of you in such a way that the group continues to work to meet the session objectives
the session should be a journey and an adventure that the group wants to take with you (Fia Fasbinder)
what adventure are you calling them to ?
what adventure are you on? embrace it
takes considerable courage - to act not in the absence of fear but despite it
Brene Brown: vulnerability is the courage to show up (even) when you can't control the outcome
learning to be nimble is about learning to be a braver version of yourself
No comments:
Post a Comment