MEETING FACILITATION Presented by Prof John Barkai William

MEETING FACILITATION Presented by: Prof. John Barkai William S. Richardson School of Law University of Hawaii

Facilitator Recorder Group Memory

Regular Meeting Special Task Force Negotiation & Mediation

FACILITATION KEYS Process v. Content Purpose & desired outcome Meeting roles: Facilitator, Recorder, Member Group memory "Facilitator talk" Ground rules Facilitation often uses consensus decision-making

FACILITATION KEYS Detailed, visual agenda Decision making: prefer consensus accept voting Preventions: - ground rules - process suggestions agreed to by group Interventions enforcing ground rules dealing with difficult people Room arrangement Start and end on time

Stakeholders Clarify positions, interests & emotions Opening & introductions Brainstorm lists Narrowing prioritize or rank order (N/3) greatest hopes & fears strengths / weaknesses develop criteria & use Balance MBTI types: E & I: Talk-a-lots; talk-a-littles J & P: Quick deciders; never deciders Creating time lines Next steps: get volunteers or assign homework

KEY INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL MEETING The group must agree upon a content focus and a process focus

n CONTENT is: WHAT is accomplished l l l n What is discussed The problem being dealt with Whatever is acted on The subject matter of the meeting The END PROCESS is: HOW things are accomplished l l l How the content is discussed How the group holds its meeting The MEANS

Meeting Purpose: "WHY" the meeting is being held or "what" it is intended to accomplish.

Desired Outcome Products or results you want to have at the end of the meeting

Strategic Planning Mission Statement Vision Statement Values Statement

FOCUS ON PROCESS Provide or be a process facilitator Use ground rules agreed to in advance Make process suggestions and hold the group to them (unless they want to go elsewhere) Manage the MBTI tensions

LEADER'S OBLIGATION TO SPEND TIME IN ORDER TO SAVE TIME Plan for the meeting Set an agenda Distribute materials in advance Minimize "information only" time and meetings (send it, don't tell it)

MEETING FACILITATION 1. Negotiation Position, interests, BATNA 2. Communication Questioning, active listening, reframing 3. Mediation Diamond Model: collect then decide Set ground rules Focus on future, not the past 4. MBTI E v. I tensions J v. P tensions 5. Meeting Facilitation Preventions Interventions

Focus on task

GROUND RULES

Ground Rules are standards for meeting behavior that are agreed to by the whole group at the beginning of the meeting The facilitator asks the group for the power to enforce the ground rules during the meeting

Ground Rules • • Courtesy It’s ok to disagree Listen as an ally Everyone participates, no one person dominates – Limited air time; No one talks 1 st, 3 rd, 5 th, etc. – The first person to raise a hand should not always speak first • Honor time limits

Preventions & Interventions

Using Preventions • Get agreement on desired outcomes, agenda, roles, decision making, and ground rules • Make a process suggestion • Get agreement on how the group will proceed

Using Interventions • Avoid Process Battles – Preventing lengthy arguments about which is the “right” way to proceed. – Pointing out that a number of approaches will work and getting agreement on one to use to start. – “Can we agree to cover both issues in the remaining time? . . . OK, which do you want to start with? ” • Enforce Process Agreements – Reminding the group of a previous agreement – “We agreed to brainstorm, you’re starting to evaluate the ideas. Would you hold onto that idea for now? ”

Using Interventions • Accept/legitimize/deal with or defer – A positive method for dealing with difficult people or situations that might get a meeting off track. Accept the idea without agreeing or disagreeing. Legitimize it by writing it on the group memory. Then decide as a group if the issue/idea is more appropriately dealt with her or deferred to another time. Record ideas or issues that are deferred and agree on when they will be addressed. – “You may not be convinced we’re getting anywhere? That’s OK, you may be right. Would you be willing to hang on for 10 more minutes and see what happens? ” – “Thanks for raising this issue that wasn’t on the agenda. Do we need to address that now or should we put it on the Issues List for our next meeting? ”

Examples of PROCESS: n n Brainstorming Prioritizing Suggesting Listing n n Discussing Organizing Evaluating Deciding

Decision Making Methods Voting Consensus

What is a Consensus Decision? A consensus decision is reached when each participant can honestly say: “I may or may not prefer this decision, but I can and will support it because it was reached fairly and openly, with genuine understanding of the different points of view, and it is the best solution for us at this time. ”

Fist of Five • Fist “Yes” I can say an unqualified “yes” to the decision. I am satisfied that the decision is, all things considered, a reasonable expression of the group’s wisdom. • 2 Fingers “yes, but. . . ” I find the decision perfectly acceptable. • 3 Fingers “OK!” I can and will live with the decision even though I’m not especially enthusiastic about it. • 4 Fingers “OK, but. . . ” I do not fully agree with the decision and need to register my view to the group about it. • 5 Fingers “NO. ” I do not agree with the decision and feel the need to stand in the way of this decision being accepted.

3 Forms of Facilitation 1. The Classic: • Neutral, Independent Facilitator and Recorder 2. Tricky Work: • Group Leader as Facilitator (and Recorder) 3. The Most Delicate Work: • Group Member Provides Facilitative Input

LEADER AS FACILITATOR Ground Rules -explain and enforce ground rules -post rules in the meeting room GROUP MEMORY -document with group memory -record where all can see AGENDA -set detailed agenda -distribute agenda & handouts before meeting USE FACILITATOR TALK -clarify and summarize ideas -define next steps, set time-lines, record names of the people responsible

LEADER AS FACILITATOR PLANNING -have the "right" people and "right" number of people TIME -have definite start and stop times PROCESS -establish desired outcomes & procedures -determine the decision-making process -get input from "all" members to prevent objections and undermining OTHER -train others to be facilitators

GROUP MEMBERS FACILITATE FROM THEIR SEAT GROUND RULES -suggest that facilitator establish & enforce ground rules GROUP MEMORY -bring a flip chart into the room -suggest the leader write on the board ATTITUDE -be open minded -be focused USE FACILITATOR TALK -use active listening -ask questions of others during the meeting to clarify, summarize, and increase participation

GROUP MEMBERS FACILITATE FROM THEIR SEAT PLANNING -discuss with leader before the meeting -suggest that future meetings have a set agenda and establish ground rules TIME -inform leader of your own time schedule -reinforce time constraints PROCESS -offer to be the facilitator -recommend rotating the facilitator role OTHER -sit with new or different group members -give the leader a book on how to run a meeting