Facilitating
Groups
The methods
described in this example worked well with problem solving, coaching,
counselling skills, marketing and creativity. It should work with any group who
are willing to give to and learn from each other.
Workshop
principles
The aim of
the workshop is to help us develop some core skills co-operatively. I
hope we will share our experience and resources so there will be a balance of
giving and receiving.
Please
bring at least one "Facilitating" method or strategy with you. Please
also bring written material that we can distribute to the participants.
Finally, please bring one or more things you want to discuss in a group. We
will then have some real cases to test the methods on!
Outline
design
1. Welcome people to
the workshop. Explain the objectives about working co-operatively to develop
some core skills. Encourage participants to listen, to take turns, to give
feedback and to enjoy learning. Outline the form of the workshop.
2. Go around the group.
Ask people to say their names and one issue they would like to work on one
"Facilitating" method they have available.
3. Each person has a
turn to facilitate the group as we work together on an issue. We also pay
attention to what the facilitator does and its impact.
4. At the end of each
turn we all review what the facilitator did that helped the group and how to
improve this.
5. Repeat the above
until everyone has had a turn as facilitator.
6. Bring the whole
group together to identify what, if anything, works that is method independent.
7. Review participants
learning from the workshop. What will you do as a result? Review the process of
the workshop. What changes would make the next one better?
Using these
materials
I am entirely happy
for you to use or draw on any these materials in any way you think will be
helpful. I am keen to have my work, and the work of the people I have learned
from, used.
If you can, do you
think you could say where you found them? One way might be to give a link back
to the site or to my email address. This will help these
positive ideas to spread, and help my business, too.
Thank you
Nick Heap