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For me,
above exercise underscores three important elements of facilitation:
1) Build a consensual container. Defining and agreeing upon which behaviors are "functional" is "analogous to building a container" within which your groups will function. This container is made up largely of groundrules and external environment. If container is comprehensive, relevant, and supported by group, then they can pretty much do anything inside of it without sacrificing meaning they seek. Just as jumbled words in our paragraph still work within their functional boundaries.
2) Define a clear and relevant context for your work. If a group is clear about why they've come together, what they're there to accomplish, and engage in processes designed to get them what they want, then "who," "what," and "how" of group is congruent. They form and reinforce context for their being together and will therefore present fewer barriers to getting what they want.
Again, just as our gibberish words were understandable when woven together into a cohesive paragraph with clear meaning, connecting people with agreed upon objectives and processes to get there will bring meaning and progress to their work.
3) Clarify and agree upon group expectations. When early work in our groups entails exploration of individual and collective expectations, we can chart a much clearer course to realize them. Thus minimizing many tangents, disagreements, and general confusion that often accompanies people working together toward an "uncommon" goal.
Evoking and managing expectations can help people remove blinders, barriers, and judgements, to better focus on work at hand. This makes everyone's work easier and helps us chart a more direct course to our destination.
I hpoe you ejnyeod tihs atrclie!
675 words.
About Author: Steve Davis, M.A., M.S., is an Facilitator's Coach, Infoprenuer, and free-lance human, helping facilitators, organizational leaders, educators, trainers, coaches and consultants present themselves confidently, access their creativity, empower their under-performing groups, enhance their facilitation skills, and build their business online and offline. Subscribe to his free weekly ezine at www.MasterFacilitatorJournal.com.
About the Author: Steve Davis, M.A., M.S., is an Facilitator's Coach, Infoprenuer, and free-lance human, helping facilitators, organizational leaders, educators, trainers, coaches and consultants present themselves confidently, access their creativity, empower their under-performing groups, enhance their facilitation skills, and build their business online and offline. Subscribe to his free weekly ezine at www.MasterFacilitatorJournal.com.
