Know About The Leverage of Facilitation
There was once a delivery truck with a bad spark plug. The truck still ran but running on only five of its six cylinders, it couldn’t travel over 20 mph. The driver, Phil, was so very busy. Each and every day, his full schedule of deliveries kept him hopping. From time to time, his colleagues would ask, “Hey Phil, when are you going to get that plug replaced?” To which he would reply, “I’d love to, but with all the deliveries I have to make, I just don’t have the time.”
Regrettably, this is how many groups function. They are so busy getting things done that they don’t take the time to look at “how” they’re doing them. Just like Phil, they may be doing some things in ways that are terribly ineffective, but complain that they don’t have the time to focus on them.
This is silly when you think about it. Isn’t it? Just taking a bit of time to look at “how” you’re doing things can make a huge difference. To do this however will mean that you’ll have to slow down for little while to examine and adjust your approach. This is often why people avoid examining their process, they don’t have time to slow down. There’s too much to do! But moving faster or being busier doesn’t always mean you’re covering more group. Just like Phil’s case, slowing down for just a few minutes to fix or improve your process is a small price to pay if it significantly improves the work you do from that point on.
If Phil’s truck were a metaphor for work teams or group meetings, the skill of Group Facilitation is akin to replacing that spark plug. Facilitators employ group facilitation skills and processes to make group work far easier and efficient than is typical without them.
Even groups composed a very bright and effective people often run into trouble due to the complexity of group work over that of individual work. If someone in the group doesn’t understand group dynamics and facilitation skills, the group can get seriously bogged down and frustrated.
By employing facilitation in group work, teams get clear on their purpose and the processes they will use to achieve it. Facilitators employ processes to engage and involve all participants to minimize destructive conflict while maximizing collaboration. Employing an effective facilitator is a high leverage act to help your groups run on all cylinders!
Steve Davis, M.A., M.S., is an Facilitator's Coach, Infoprenuer, and free-lance human, helping facilitators, training consultants, organizational leaders, educators, trainers, coaches and consultants present themselves confidently, communication skills training, empower their under-performing groups, enhance their facilitation skills, and build their business online and offline. Does leading or participating in groups frustrate you? Subscribe to the free weekly ezine for group workers at http://www.facilitatoru.com.
Regrettably, this is how many groups function. They are so busy getting things done that they don’t take the time to look at “how” they’re doing them. Just like Phil, they may be doing some things in ways that are terribly ineffective, but complain that they don’t have the time to focus on them.
This is silly when you think about it. Isn’t it? Just taking a bit of time to look at “how” you’re doing things can make a huge difference. To do this however will mean that you’ll have to slow down for little while to examine and adjust your approach. This is often why people avoid examining their process, they don’t have time to slow down. There’s too much to do! But moving faster or being busier doesn’t always mean you’re covering more group. Just like Phil’s case, slowing down for just a few minutes to fix or improve your process is a small price to pay if it significantly improves the work you do from that point on.
If Phil’s truck were a metaphor for work teams or group meetings, the skill of Group Facilitation is akin to replacing that spark plug. Facilitators employ group facilitation skills and processes to make group work far easier and efficient than is typical without them.
Even groups composed a very bright and effective people often run into trouble due to the complexity of group work over that of individual work. If someone in the group doesn’t understand group dynamics and facilitation skills, the group can get seriously bogged down and frustrated.
By employing facilitation in group work, teams get clear on their purpose and the processes they will use to achieve it. Facilitators employ processes to engage and involve all participants to minimize destructive conflict while maximizing collaboration. Employing an effective facilitator is a high leverage act to help your groups run on all cylinders!
Steve Davis, M.A., M.S., is an Facilitator's Coach, Infoprenuer, and free-lance human, helping facilitators, training consultants, organizational leaders, educators, trainers, coaches and consultants present themselves confidently, communication skills training, empower their under-performing groups, enhance their facilitation skills, and build their business online and offline. Does leading or participating in groups frustrate you? Subscribe to the free weekly ezine for group workers at http://www.facilitatoru.com.
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