- Facilitation -
Prepared By:
Jason Ernst
The Pennsylvania State University
- Facilitation Overview:
- Facilitation Defined
- Six Dimensions
- Guidelines
- Why it Works
- 3M Example
- Facilitation What is Facilitation ?
Facilitation is a learning process in which a
leader, called a facilitator, guides a group or
individual towards a goal destination.
- Uses of Facilitation - Group Training
-Group Problem Solving
-Team unity
- Collective Decision Making
- Six Dimensions of Facilitation 1. Planning
2. Meaning
3. Confronting
4. Feeling
5. Structuring
6. Valuing
- Six Dimensions of Facilitation -
1. Planning
What is our goal ?
How do we accomplish our goal ?
- Six Dimensions of Facilitation -
2. Meaning
Assigning specific
meaning to the group
members’ experiences
and actions.
- Six Dimensions of Facilitation -
3. Confronting
Making certain that
groups confront tough
issues and problems
that need dealt with.
- Six Dimensions of Facilitation -
4. Feeling
To manage the
overall feeling
within the group.
- Six Dimensions of Facilitation -
5. Structuring
How to structure the
learning experience for
a particular individual
or group.
- Six Dimensions of Facilitation -
6. Valuing
Maintaining the
personal integrity
and values of group
members.
Facilitation Guidelines
There is a particular
chemistry that will make a
group work well together.
The following are some
general guidelines that
will apply to most groups.
Facilitation Guidelines
Encourage the following:
• Sharing Ideas
• Full participation
• Extracting the gold
• Trust
• Inclusion of all
• Fun, joy and self-expression
Facilitation Guidelines
Avoid the following:
• Pretending distress will go away
• Distress projected onto others
• Discussion that doesn’t go anywhere
• Domination by a few
• Withholding
How Facilitation Works…
“ The facilitator knows
how to guide a group of
people through
cooperative processes,
including collective
decision-making, so that
the group can fulfill its
purpose as easily as
possible.” (Hunter, 5)
How Facilitation Works…
Facilitation
creates group
“synergy.”
Real World Example
Better meetings: Dozens of
articles & tips on how to run
effective meetings - from the
basics to advanced facilitation
skills.
http://www.3m.com/meetingnetwork/index.html
Real World Example
Featured Articles:
A Magical Tool for Group Decisions
By: Christopher M. Avery, Ph. D.
Partnerwerks, Inc.
http://www.3m.com/meetingnetwork/articles_advice/christopher/01-02.html
Hypothetical Exercise
Your company wants you to facilitate a
group meeting where a course of
action must be decided on four
different issues.
What basic methods do you use to facilitate
the meeting and reach decisions on the
issues ?
Hypothetical Exercise
Answer to exercise:
Encourage: Sharing Ideas, Full participation,
Extracting the gold, Trust, Inclusion of all, Fun,
joy and self-expression
Avoid: Pretending distress will go away,
Distress projected onto others, Discussion that
doesn’t go anywhere, Domination by a few, and
Withholding
- Facilitation SummaryIt is virtually
impossible to
measure the
intangible benefits
that group synergy
through facilitation
can have for your
company.
Works Cited
Avery, Christopher M. “A Magical Tool for Group Decisions.” Internet.
http://www.3m.com/meetingnetwork/articles_advice/christopher/01-02.html 18 February 2001.
“Diversity Roundtable” Internet. http://community.webshots.com/photo/5250780/5253718YaldEqXQav
12 February 2001.
“Diversity Roundtable” Internet. http://community.webshots.com/photo/5250780/5253716uolBbJbucN
12 February 2001.
“Diversity Roundtable” Internet. http://community.webshots.com/photo/5250780/5253720XuepcvPWcN
12 February 2001
“Diversity Roundtable” Internet. http://community.webshots.com/photo/5276885/5277579xjRXzWrGdc
12 February 2001
“Diversity Roundtable” Internet. http://community.webshots.com/photo/5276885/5277581taUATFQPby
12 February 2001
Heron, John. The Facilitators’ Handbook. New York: Kogan Page, 1989.
Hunter, Dale and Bailey Anne, and Taylor, Bill. The Art of Facilitation. Tucson: Fisher Books, 1995.