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| Master
Facilitator Journal | Issue #0198, April 5, 2005 | 7,000 Subscribers.. |
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Dear
friends,
No matter how long I've been facilitating, I always love to listen
to or read what other facilitators view as the keys to or essence
of their success with groups. I found just such a list a couple
of months back by my colleague and fellow facilitator, Lynne Goldhammer.
She complied a simple and concise lists of lessons learned while
focusing intently on several facilitation projects over a six-month
period. In this week's article,
"Facilitation Lessons Learned," she
summarizes six basic points of effective facilitation inspired by
lessons learned from her experiences in the field. We'd
love to hear your lessons learned as well. Please send
us any that are inspired by this article.
Also, check out one of our new 5-day teleclasses, "The
Business of Facilitation," offered with my business
coach, Bev Lutz, which will offer a fresh look at building your
business as a service professional in a way that acknowledges your
life as integral to your business. If you're seeking a fresh look
at the business side of facilitation or to make a new start, this
class is for you. Please see details at the end of the article and
take advantage of our early bird registration offer.
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| d |
| Self-Facilitation
Skill |
Facilitation
Lessons Learned
It's
the simple stuff that usually works the best.
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| The
Point |
Whether we're new facilitators
or seasoned professionals who have been facilitating for years, it's always
helpful to go back and review some of the basics. My colleague and fellow
facilitator, Lynne Goldhammer has complied a simple and concise lists
of lessons learned while focusing intently on several facilitation projects
over a six-month period. Below she summarizes six basic points of effective
facilitation inspired by lessons learned from her experiences in the field.
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| Application
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Keep agenda??™s simple. One group consistently created
very ambitious agenda??™s with very specific times for beginning and ending
each topic. This often resulted in folks rushing or dragging things out
to stay on the time target.
Lesson Learned. Keep the agenda modest, with additional
items in mind to expand upon if time permits. Provide the members a list
or overview of the agenda, but don??™t include the times. And, sometimes
there is value in not having an agenda until you get with the group and
ask them what they want to address or discuss that day.
Don??™t be too quick to go into techniques. With one group
we were very quick to jump into using specific techniques (brainstorming,
multi-vote, SWOT). This brought out a lot of issues and concerns. But
it didn??™t necessarily help them identify or choose the biggest and most
critical concerns. As a result, as we tried to move forward with what
was chosen, the group wouldn??™t move. They hadn??™t really bought into the
issues chosen because they weren't their biggest concerns.
(i.e., world hunger seems more important to address than planting your
own garden, but which are you more interested in addressing?)
Lesson Learned. Begin with a conversation that allows participants
to tell you their issues or concerns they are interested in addressing.
This may be enough. If further tools are used, review those findings vs.
the initial findings and see if they match up. If not, have more conversation
regarding what concerns they truly wish to address.
Don??™t prepare all questions in advance. One consulting
group with 5 trainees and a senior consultant would get together before
meeting with the client and develop each question they wished to ask.
Lesson Learned. It??™s fine to go into a meeting with some questions
you want to ask. But be free enough to listen to the answers and tailor
more questions as needed. Some preparation is helpful. Over preparing
can bog things down with approaches and questions that may lack effectiveness
and leave the facilitator afraid to think on the spot ??“ a needed skill.
Start with simple questions. That same group would often
be so over focused on creating just the right questions that the questions
they created often became too complicated and complex ??“ often asking more
than one question within that one sentence.
Lesson Learned. Start simple. Build up based upon the
responses. But always ask one question at a time or answers become muddled
and responses get missed.
Keep the process/project as simple as possible. Most
folks are too busy to take on huge projects. If it looks too big too soon
it will become too overwhelming and hard to get folks to want to take
on or to commit to.
Lesson Learned. If a project becomes large, prioritize
the issues to be addressed. Keep it manageable. Address one thing at a
time, then move on when the first is either completed, or far enough along
that there is now time and resources available to focus on the next issue.
If there is an adequate number of people more issues can be addressed
at one time, but preferably a different group within the team or organization
can address each issue.
Know when to use tools, and when not to. I recently facilitated
a group utilizing just some questions and techniques to focus conversation,
then moving on to ???Dynamic Facilitation??? to address a specific issue.
When done I asked the group what went well and what could be improved
upon. One member said, ???I??™m disappointed that we didn??™t use Brainstorming,
Multi-voting and Affinity Diagrams.??? As I went to capture his input he
yelled, ???Just kidding! I hate that stuff ??“ don??™t do it!???
Lesson Learned. Specific facilitation tools can be effective
when used at the right time and place. But no tool is an end all and be
all. I utilize these tools more when a group is stuck, but I find I use
them less and less all the time. I focus more on getting conversations
going between people, ensuring everyone has a say, that no one monopolizes
the conversation, that issues are captured, additional questions are asked
to keep them focused or get the focus moving, etc. Kind of like a fireman:
he needs a hose and an ax and training on how to use them, but there??™s
much more to his profession than hosing things down or chopping them up,
so he needs to know where and when to apply those tools.
About the Author:
LCDR Lynn Goldhammer is on active duty in the U. S. Coast Guard as a Quality
Performance Consultant where she performs process improvement, interpersonal
conflict resolution, and executive coaching. She can be contacted at lynn.a.goldhammer@uscg.mil.
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| Action |
In reviewing the basic concepts of improvisation in the article above, which
ones do you feel you could improve on and how might they make your more
effective in your work? Please
send us your comments.
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Expert
Tele-Seminars
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One-Hour Micro-Skills Tele-Seminars
Check out our growing collection of pre-recorded, one-hour teleclasses with
experts discussing key skill areas important to group workers. Each recording
is available in either real-audio or CD format, comes with class notes,
and several relevant bonuses. Click
here for titles and details.
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| In
the Spotlight |
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| The
Business of Facilitation
5-day
Teleclass on the design, marketing, pricing, and
relationships that comprise your facilitation
business
An
excellent opportunity for those seeking to go into
business as a facilitator or would simply like to
enhance your knowledge and balance in your existing
business. |
|
The Business of Facilitation, 5-Day Teleclass
This dynamic teleclass, led by Steve Davis
and Bev Lutz, is for anyone who's thinking about starting
a personal service business or who is already in business
but would like some fresh perspectives and support to move
it to the next level. This class will focus on keys
to designing your business and marketing strategies, building
relationships, and pricing facilitation services and outcomes
in service to a balanced life.
How
the 5-Day Format/Training works...
1. You dial into your class every day for 5 days (Mon-Fri)
for a 60-minute focused training segment using a conferencing
bridge.
2. You work through a learning guide during the 5 days, which
accompanies the class as a resource.
3. You will have the opportunity to dialogue with the instructors
and your classmates via an online list serve during the course
to tap the wisdom of the community.
4. During the week, you may access the instructors via email
for help.
5-Day
Business of Facilitation Training Agenda...
Here's what you'll be learning and doing during the 5-Day
course...
Monday
Setting the context for your business
-
Class Overview
- Anchoring
your life in your work
- Revisiting
your values, vision, and purpose as a Facilitator
- Clarifying
our business goals
- Developing
support systems
- Redefining
Marketing
- Creating
your message
Tuesday
Building and maintaining your
business pipeline
- Marketing:
forget plans, think daily action
- The
eight biggest mistakes Facilitators make trying to sell
themselves
-
Three keys for successfully marketing Facilitation
- Where
are the customers: getting the work flowing
- Who
wants to talk to us: getting in the door
- Now
we're on stage: delivering the service
- The
parties over: following up and staying in touch
- Strategies
to get unstuck
Wednesday
Exploring the pricing equation
- Pricing
strategies
-
Eight tips on pricing facilitation services
- Packaging
possibilities
- Value
pricing alternative
- Practicing
the value conversation
- Value
pricing application
Thursday
Having a life while making a living
- What
makes for Life
Balance?
- What
are other facilitators doing?
- How
much business is enough for you?
- What
do you need to say yes to/no to?
- Commitments,
action planning, support network, requests
Friday
Getting what you give: business
karma 101
- How
many “you’s” will it take?
- The
power of connection and community
- Strategic
Alliances
- Asking
for what you most need
- Reviewing
next steps
Benefits
to you of participating in the 5-Day Training...
1. Refine how you talk about what you do so that it's easy,
natural, and effective.
2. Anchor your marketing and pricing strategies in your life
values/vision.
3. Explore pricing strategies and create a personal case study
of value pricing in your practice.
4. Learn a simplified marketing process model and a prioritized
approach to marketing strategies.
5. Create a personalized plan that takes advantage of the
power of persistence and the laws of attraction.
6. Collaborate and learn from a community of your peers, all
passionate about building their biz.
Also
included with your training...
In addition to the 5-Day training described above, you also
receive:
1. Free Learning Guide, ($20 value) to reference
and to anchor your learning and facilitate commitment to action.
2. Free access to the RealAudio version of the 5-Day
training ($69 value).
3. Free Articles and Resources ($25
value):
- Benchmarks
of Facilitator Success. Article by Cheryl Kartes
that speaks to expanded definitions of success and includes
summarized results of a survey conducted with 116 facilitators
looking at their practices in terms of variables such as
income, rates, leisure time, work hours, satisfaction, work/life
balance, etc.
- Business
of Facilitation Survey. View the results of the
survey mentioned above--116 facilitators answers to 15 questions
about their business and lifestyle including 97 ideas they
offered to improve their ratings.
- Strategic
Marketing For Professionals . This collection of
five articles provides an overview of marketing for services
professionals. These articles offer ideas that help you
design the strategy for your business. Use them to lay a
foundation for your marketing effort, to provide an infusion
of ideas and energy, or to get a few new hints that will
provide a big payoff.
- Business
Building Resource List. 25 books and websites for
business building from an authentic perspective.
Pricing...
The full cost of training/access is only $89 including the
free items (worth $104) listed above. Everything you read
about above is included. And, we offer a 100% satisfaction
guarantee.
Registration...
Immediately
upon completion of your registration, you will receive an
email with instructions to access the course and free bonuses
above. This course is limited
to 20 individuals, first come, first served.
Early
Registration Special: Sign up by 15 April for only $79!
Dates...
April 25 - April 29, 2005, 10:00 AM PDT, 1:00 PM EDT (NY Time),
60 minutes each day.
Please
click
here
to register.
One-Day
Live Version
Interested
in a one-day "live" version of this class offered
to your group? Email
us to
discuss options.
Follow
up Coaching Available
Please contact
us if you're interested in follow up one-on-one or group
coaching to help you stay in action on your plan. Free sample
sessions available.
Your
instructors
Bev
Lutz, MCC, MBA, CPCC is the cofounder of three businesses:
The Legacy Center: preserving stories, values and meaning; The
Lighthouse Group and Associates; and the new -- Two Heads are
Better(tm) - helping bright people with just-in-time unsticking
when their natural creativity is stuck. A Master Certified Coach,
member of the International Association of Facilitators, the
International Coach Federation, former steering committee member
of the Minnesota Facilitators Network, and volunteer for the
Peace Foundation, Bev also co-leads the Professional Development
Team of the Minnesota Coaches Association. She's been privileged
to co-facilitate sessions of The Business of Facilitation at
four international conferences and several local showcases.
And she's grateful for the wisdom and growth garnered from relationships
with organizations such as Honeywell, the American Academy of
Neurologists, Kroll/Ontrack, ACA International, numerous impassioned
individuals, and four very wise cats.
Steve
Davis,
M.A., M.S., is an Facilitator's Coach, Infopreneur, 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.
Steve spends most of his time building and running FacilitatorU.com.
He also publishes a weekly ezine for facilitators called, the
Master Facilitator
Journal, continues to write ebooks, design teleclasses,
and maintain a part-time coaching practice. His breadth of experience
spans business, corporate management, engineering, teaching,
spiritual psychology, and wellness, offering a pragmatic yet
creative coaching foundation. To learn more about Steve, visit
his website at www.livingmastery.com.
About
the satisfaction guarantee
If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with this package,
simply email us with a request to refund/credit your credit
card in the full amount and we will do so immediately. It's
our policy to do this and we honor this in every single case.
This policy completely removes the buying risk for you and keeps
our customer-satisfaction rates extremely high. |
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Master Facilitator Journal Web Site
Feature Article: Facilitation
Lessons Learned
