UNLEASH the POWER of the

Facilitation Skills, Methods and Tools

Agenda1. Process and Role of the Facilitator2. Brainstorming3. Nominal Group Technique4. Conversation Cafe5. Appreciative Inquiry6. 6 Thinking Hats7. Grouping information (post it notes)8. Right Brain Activities9. Parking Lot10. Gathering Feedback on Meetings/Process11. Tools of the Trade12. Wrap Up and Questions

Content and Process

There are 2 important aspects to every discussion:

1. What the group is talking about (content)

2. How the group talks about the subject (process)

Role of a Facilitator Provides a process which will help the group discuss

content in the most satisfactory and productive way possible

Remains neutral about the content of the meeting Has no stake in the decisions that are made Ensures that there is good communication, and that

all members are satisfied with and fully committed to the decisions made

BrainstormingPurpose: To generate as many ideas as possible on a topic Most widely used tool to stimulate creative thinking

Guidelines: No ideas are wrong No discussion of the ideas during the process (can

ask for clarification) The more ideas, the better Build on other people’s ideas

Process: People call out ideas and they are recorded on flipchart Go around the circle and give everyone an opportunity

to provide an idea (people can pass) Give people time to generate individual ideas prior to

starting the process Be sure to capture everyone’s ideas in their own words Watch for when the process is completed

Alternatives: Large post-it notes Bellringer exercise (for multiple questions)

Brainstorming Discussion

Advantages of using?

Disadvantages of using?

When would you use brainstorming to collect information for your planning group?

Examples of when you have used it in your planning process?

Nominal Group Technique This process is a “group” in name only as people will

work mainly as individuals to identify several options and to select among them

Use for two to eight people (modify it for larger groups)

Helps to move groups to a speedy decision by getting information in a short period of time and prioritizing it

Steps:

Statement of the problem/question (on a flipchart) Individual idea generation Round robin posting of ideas Clarification/discussion Forced selection/ranking (five priority items) Discussion of the ranking

Nominal Group Technique Demo

Problem/Question:

What are the barriers to integrated service system planning in the Employment Ontario system?

Nominal Group Technique Discussion

Advantages of using?

Disadvantages of using?

When would you use the nominal group technique in an integrated planning process?

Examples of when you have seen it used?

Conversation Café

A conversation to exchange ideas, feelings and thoughts between people (to foster inquiry, not debate)

It is built on the premise that people have the knowledge and wisdom within them to resolve challenges and create their own solutions

It is a creative process for collaborative dialogue which is based on generative discussion

It is a progressive conversation

The Format:

Welcome and state theme/topic Introduce guidelines Describe process Round 1 (each person has 1 to 2 minutes to speak to

what is on their mind – no feedback or response) Round 2 (same as above – can respond to others) Open up the conversation Closing comments by each participant

How Does it Work? Three rounds of conversation (approximately 20 minutes each)

will take place

You will start the conversation at the table where you are currently seated. When the end of each conversation is signaled, you will move to a new table to link and build the conversation to new connections and insights

Each table has a host. The host will initiate the conversation and record key insights from the group. The host remains at the same table for all three conversations. When a new group comes to the table, the host welcomes the newcomers and shares key insights from the prior conversations so others can link and build using ideas from their respective tables

Listen together for insights and capture them on the

flipchart paper at the table

At the completion of the three rounds of conversation you will move back to your “home” table (the table where you started). At this point, as a group, you will highlight common themes and a-ha’s for each of the discussion topics

Conversation Café Discussion

Advantages of using?

Disadvantages of using?

When would you use the conversation café in an integrated planning process?

Examples of when you have seen it used?

De Bono’s 6 Thinking HatsDuring the thinking process all participants wear the same colour hat until ideas run dry, then move on to the next colour hat – depending upon what type of thinking is required next.

White Hat Calls for information and data, either known or needed. "The facts, just the facts."

Yellow Hat Symbolizes brightness and optimism. Under this hat you explore the positives and probe for value and benefit

Black Hat Judgment - the “devil's advocate”, or why something may not work. Spot the difficulties and dangers; where things might go wrong. Probably the most powerful and useful of the Hats but a problem if overused

Red Hat Signifies feelings, hunches and intuition. When using this hat you can express emotions and feelings and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves, and hates without any justification

Green Hat Focuses on creativity; the possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas. It's an opportunity to express new concepts and new perceptions

Blue Hat Used to manage the thinking process. It's the control mechanism that ensures the Six Thinking Hats® guidelines are observed

6 Thinking Hats Discussion

Advantages of using?

Disadvantages of using?

When would you use the 6 Thinking Hats in an integrated planning process?

Examples of when you have seen it used?

Appreciative Inquiry Appreciative inquiry is a strategy for purposeful change that

identifies the best of "what is" to pursue dreams and possibilities of "what could be”

It is a co-operative search for the strengths, passions and personal forces that are found within every system—those factors that hold the potential for inspired, positive change

Appreciative inquiry is a way of seeing that is selectively attentive to—and affirming of—the best and highest qualities in a system, a situation or another human being

The 4 Stages of Appreciative Inquiry

The core task in the discovery phase is to appreciate the best of "what is" by focusing on peak moments of community excellence—when people experienced the community in its most alive and effective state

Participants then seek to understand the unique conditions that made the high points possible, such as leadership, relationships, technologies, values, capacity building or external relationships

They deliberately choose not to analyze deficits, but rather systematically seek to isolate and learn from even the smallest victories

• In the dream phase, people challenge the status quo by envisioning more valued and vital futures. This phase is both practical, in that it is grounded in the community's history, and generative, in that it seeks to expand the community's potential

• Appreciative inquiry is different from other planning methods because its images of the future emerge from grounded examples of the positive past. They are compelling possibilities precisely because they are based on extraordinary moments from a community's history

In the design phase participants create a strategy to carry out their provocative propositions. They do so by building a social architecture for their community that might, for example, re-define approaches to leadership, governance, participation or capacity building

The final phase involves the delivery of new images of the future and is sustained by nurturing a collective sense of destiny. It is a time of continuous learning, adjustment and improvisation in the service of shared community ideals

Appreciative inquiry is a continual cycle. The destiny phase leads naturally to new discoveries of community strengths, beginning the process anew

Appreciative Inquiry Discussion

Advantages of using?

Disadvantages of using?

When would you use the Appreciative Inquiry approach in an integrated planning process?

Examples of when you have seen it used?

Grouping Information Have individuals or small groups write one idea per post-it

note. Once they have generated all of their ideas, have them stand up and move to a blank wall

Have one person start by posting an idea on the wall. Then ask others who have the same or similar idea to post their note with that one. You have the group sort the information into themes by posting it

You can then have small groups take each of the themes and work with them – identifying a name and definition of the group, etc. depending on the purpose of the exercise

Parking Lot

To capture ideas or issues that arise in a meeting but don’t fit into the agenda

Flipchart to capture these thoughts and ideas Post at each meeting All issues and ideas should be resolved by the end of

the process

Gathering Feedback

Gather feedback on the meeting and the overall process

Can be informal or formal

How have you done this in the past?

Like

Post three flipchart papers on the wall1. Like2. Didn’t Like3. Ideas

As people are leaving, have them write one comment on each of the flipcharts

IdeasDidn’tLike

Potential Questions to Assess Meetings

On the whole I thought this meeting was… poor, fair, good, excellent

The strengths of the meeting were… The weaknesses of the meeting were… This meeting would have been better if we had… At our next meeting I would like to see us…

The most helpful thing anyone did today was… I was somewhat surprised at… Today we really needed someone to … It really hindered our progress when… Of the things people did I tended to admire… It gave me a comfortable feeling that… I felt that I did a good job of… I felt that I did not do a very good job of…

Tools of the Trade Information/knowledge Flipchart paper Markers Masking Tape Dots Stickers Post-its (big and small)

Name tags Scissors Index cards Glue sticks Chime

Reflection

What learnings and reflections do I have from this session?

What are some potential actions for my Regional Network?

Wrap Up and Questions

References

De Bono Group Ltd. www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php

Appreciative Inquiry Commons http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/intro/definition.cfm