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THE PRACTICE OF MINDFULNESS IN FACILITATION

Christopher Titmuss

PURPOSE AND ROLE OF FACILITATION

The Purpose of Facilitation is to cultivate:

1. A sense of empowerment for the group
2. A deepening of commitment by the individual or group
3. A sense of solidarity and inter-connection.
4. A revelation of insights and vision

The Role of the Facilitation is to:

1. Enable the group to listen and understand each other
2. Enable the individual to express themselves
3. Give support to the process
4. Mirror and explore differences.
5. Inquire into stuck areas
6. Acknowledge differences rather than deny them
7. Build consensus
8. Allow opposing viewpoints to exist

20 POINTS FOR THE FACILITATOR

• Keep the body language calm
• Give everybody the opportunity to speak, not just the vocal ones.
• Everybody’s voice is acknowledged without fear or favour
• To ask “Is this what your mean?” and summarise if words are unclear
• To ask others “How do you understand what this person said?”
• To be specific rather than indulge in generalisations
• To be watchful of repetition, going off on a sidetrack
• To be mindful of not confusing control with facilitation
• Struggle and difficulties for the group or individual form part of the process
• Summarise key points
• To explain to the group the core problem
• To express regularly appreciation to individuals or the group
• Collect different points of view
• Develop an open attitude to unpopular opinions
• Notice and respond to signals of annoyance or withdrawal.
• Stepping back from the process to describe it can be invaluable
• as long as it isn’t judgemental like –‘obviously we are not getting anywhere.’
• Don’t become impatient and impose decisions.
• Keep questions rather short, thoughtful, simple and non-reactive.
• Acknowledge progress, regress or stagnation and be inspirational
• If reaching a decision, give a summary of it and a shared silence or handholding at the end.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FACILITATOR

One of the vital functions of the facilitator is his or her ability to ask questions, the right kind of questions, and perhaps encourage others in the group to ask each other, including the facilitator, questions. This provides the opportunity for everybody to learn from each other.

Options around questions include who, what, why, where, when and how. Questions tend to me most effective when they are short, free from a lengthy preamble, to the point, and in a language directly related to what is said. Questions can help to keep the group on track, amplify a particular point or as part of an overview of the situation.

The facilitator is not afraid to ask awkward questions while sustaining a thoughtful and interested attitude in what she or he asks and with the response.

Solutions to problematic issues may seem far away during periods of a meeting. Nevertheless, the group can work together. The facilitator allows for time and exploration to see if the resolution starts to emerge naturally in the field of dependent arising circumstances.

The facilitator develops the capacity to

lead as well as facilitator,
listen,
inquire,
use language skilfully,
reflect back accurately
and give and take responsibility.

The facilitator recognises and draws out the
respective vision, insights and talents of each of the participants,
reminds respectful to all, free from the dualism of taking sides,
develops the ability to handle difficult situations,
ensuring a middle way, as much as possible between disputes or confusion. always remains interested in original ideas, even if they seem far-fetched at the time.

Most people don’t like conflict but by avoiding it in a group, dissatisfaction, unrest and possibly cynicism will probably surface elsewhere. The task of the facilitator is to ensure that nothing is left hidden under the carpet, so to speak. Fear of blame or of being misunderstood often blocks participants from sharing their concerns.

It is often very difficult for the group to develop a vision when participants in it cling to a respective position, often decided upon long before the meeting gets underway. Everybody wants to be understood. The task of the facilitator is to try to develop mutual understanding between everybody, rather than get caught up in the right or wrong of a position.

There may be a middle way, or alternative way, that the group has not thought of but the seasoned facilitator can offer. It is the challenge of finding an inclusive way between opposites rather than an exclusive approach.

The facilitator can offer creative proposals, without attachment to any of them, as a way forward. The experienced facilitator is thinking steps ahead of the rest of the group to help achieve maximum co-operation and vision.

When things are going wrong in any organisation, there is a tendency to want to blame the individual or certain individuals for the way things are – usually the most powerful! The organisation, or the group, creates a scapegoat (the shadow of the group falls upon the individual who then gets undermined). The facilitator endeavours to show that it is a shared responsibility for what happens. A culture of negative perceptions, stress and tension, often developed over months or years, subscribes to problems in a group or organisation.

It can be easier for everyone to come to a decision through a shared sense of what the direction and objective is. At the conclusion of a meeting, it also means that everyone in the group is clear about what particular decisions and tasks he or she has agreed to. A written record is vital in such mattes.

In Summary:

Can the group move from the general overview, such as through brainstorming, towards the specific tasks and decisions?

Can the group hear each other through employing a simple, effective language appreciated by all?

Can a problematic issue go from exclusion to inclusion?

Can the group be given real time to reflect on the way forward so the process is valued as much as the result?

The facilitator wishes to impart a sense that the meeting was useful, even if it only focuses on the problems without reference to ways and means to find solutions.

MINDFULNESS OF GROUP DYNAMIC

1. The facilitator (s) endeavour to be clear from the start on the form for the meeting rather than the whole group spending a lot of unnecessary time talking about the methodology to be used to attend to the agenda.

2. If the facilitator is unclear and clings to notions of consensus about the approach to the meeting, it often leads to everybody in the group expressing numerous perceptions, ideas and views that end up confusing and irresolvable. Then probably nobody feels satisfied. (Believe me, these first two points apply particularly to Buddhist conferences)!

3. A large group should always be prepared to break up from time to time into small groups who employ a reporter to come back to the plenary session to give an accurate summary. Some people are more confident to express their feelings and thoughts in small groups.

4. It is more effective to go deeply into a specific number of themes rather than trying to cover a lot of themes to please everybody. If the facilitator tries to please everybody, it only ends up fragmented and superficial.

5. Remember there are views expressed within the acceptable frame of the group itself and there are views expressed outside of the frame.

6. If a stony silence is met after one view is expressed, the facilitator may need to ask why.

7. Tone of voice, general attitude and communication skills of a participant affect the rest of the group whether the view is inside or outside of the acceptable frame.

8. Task of facilitator is to acknowledge and draw out tone of voice, attitude and view while not excluding any of the three.

9. The facilitator may explore expanding on a short statement or abbreviating a long statement by a participant.

10. If the facilitator reflects back the words of a participant, then remember to use their words, not yours. while maintaining a calm and clear voice.

11. Be clear as to whether you want to explore a small range of views or want to gather a lot of perceptions about something.

12. If a large group, remember to establish an order for those who wish to speak. The facilitator may need to remind the group that perhaps there are two, three or four issues all going on at the same time, if that is the case.

13. If the facilitator is reflecting where the whole group is, then the facilitator should remember to ask if his or her reflection is a fair summing up of what is going on.

14. Remember to ensure gender balance in speakers, give inspiration, express appreciation, and put in suggestions oneself, if appropriate.

15. If the facilitator is getting positive or negative feedback, keep the body calm and upright, listen, give simple acknowledgement ‘thank you’ and move on.

16. Make use of silence, perhaps just for few seconds or a minute or two, such as in a heated time or scattered or widespread views or in a longish meeting.

17. Express what is common and what is not. If difficult, then invite a very short statement from the participants from one to the other in a clockwise direction. It takes time but may be necessary. Close the meeting with calm words and moments of silence.

Recommended Reading:
Facilitators Guide to Participatory Decision Making.
(Large format, 255 pages by Sam Kaner published
By New Society Publishers, Canada
info@newsociety.com.

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