Whether you're working with a group or an individual, ask them to assume they're enacting a story. Now based on this assumption, have them uncover elements of their story. Ask them to be detectives, hunting for clues. Looking at their behaviors alone, have them describe story they are living, piece by piece, until "whole" story emerges.

Evaluate your story.

Now have them assess their story. Ask them if this is a story they are happy with. What would they change, remove, or add to this story if it was ideal? Help group come to consensus on authoring of grandest story they can envision. A story that inspires every member of group.

Tell your story.

Facilitate a commitment from all group members to begin sharing their new story amongst themselves and with other important people in their lives. Encourage individuals to talk about their specific role in story and why it appeals to them. The more they talk about their new story, more it will become a part of them.

Rehearse your new role.

Finally, encourage individuals to commit to living their new role in some way. Ask them to commit to making a change or changes in alignment with new story they wish to enact. Assign a "narrator" for group that will report unfolding of new story each week. The group may even assign a "story time" where they explore what kind of changes are taking place and challenges that are showing up as they attempt to enact this new story.

Explore how your new story fits into bigger story of your family, organization, corporation, country, and world.

Your new story may be at odds with bigger story in which your particular group resides. Explore contribution to bigger story your new one can make. Explore any obstacles presented by this bigger story and refine yours if necessary so that it isn't overpowered or subverted by bigger one. Remember, you are authors and you can write it any way you wish. You're only limited by your imaginations!

Action Try above exercise either with yourself, looking at your own life as a story you're enacting, or with one of your groups. I'd love to hear what happens for you. Please email us your comments.

900 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. Contact him at mailto:steve@facilitatoru.com.

Copyright 2003. FacilitatorU.com. All rights reserved.

I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere around second or third solid day of sweeping, something began to shift inside me. I was doing sweeping same way but I think that I must have surrendered to job or something. I guess I stopped judging what I was doing and just did it. And in midst of simple and mindless act of sweeping, my mind came to rest...and began to reflect and review on my life to this point. It began to reflect on my place in world...my relationship to my parents, my sibling, my friends, my desires, my memories, my actions... thoughts and experiences all seemed to flow past in a continuous panorama of insights and healing. I actually began to experience a sense of peace, maybe even joy.

As coworkers walked by on their way to their next task, heads down, serious and unhappy looking, I found myself smiling big and yelling, "Good morning Jim! "How's it going Ralph? What are you up to today John?" I think people were a bit confused as to why I seemed so happy sweeping whole damn factory.

That job took an entire week to do. Five days, eight hours a day of nothing but sweeping. In reality, five days was probably quite fast considering scope of job. Big John was even a little surprised when I returned to him a week later with brooms in hand and smiling said, "All done!" To which he replied, "Already?"

I think that once I began to embrace job I noticed that I became very efficient and focused. And I could tell he was happy with how I handled this job. I think it was a bit of a test. What may have been a test for him actually turned into a "quest" for me. One that I would have never undertaken voluntarily. And one, results of which, I would never have been able to anticipate.

Why did I tell you this story and how does it relate to facilitation? I guess I just wanted you to know me a little better. And to maybe be reminded of some things you may have forgotten in your own lives. And as a facilitator, though I could venture a guess as to what you got out of this story, I wouldn't dare do so. Instead, I hold it up as a mirror for you to reflect upon yourselves. I look forward to your hearing about what you saw in this mirror.

Action This week, use story telling in some way with your groups or in your life as a gift to others. Also, I'd love to hear what this story brought up for you and any insights around story-telling and facilitation that you'd be willing to share. Please email your comments to us.

1060 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. Contact him at mailto:steve@facilitatoru.com.

Copyright 2003. FacilitatorU.com. All rights reserved.