Distracted or Focused in your Collaboration?

The more choices we have, the greater the need for focus.  - Tom Butler-Bowdon

Is your collaborative...

Drifting from project to project?

Feeling fragmented from multiple interests and passions?

Losing sight of where you are going as a group?

It happens!

This past week a networking group that I have been a part of has decided to fold due to lack of participation.  One of the group members questioned if living in an urban setting contributed to this. She wondered if people were so distracted and had so many options available to them that it was hard to focus  on lasting deep collaborative relationships.

 This got me thinking about what role (if any) focus and distraction had in collaboration.  

Think about the many interests your group or collaborative has right now. How many directions are your collaborative members pulled in? For example, are people expected to take action around literacy, marketing, housing, poverty, nutrition, and social capital (to name a few)? While on one hand being aware of a holistically developed big picture is fantastic, as is being fully informed before making decisions, as is considering people's interests. AND can multiple interests pull people into overload, fragmentation and in-action?  

Consider this an invitation to reflect. What have you noticed?

Please do share your thoughts on RTV's Facebook or Twitter pages. 

More next week - come back to read about one approach to aid a working together focus (it’s found in a hedgehog).

Village Raising Questions:

What (if anything) has your group currently distracted?

What role do you think rural and urban settings play in this?

How does your group find AND keep their focus?

How can multiple interests be celebrated?

what can/will go wrong part 2

In part 1 of this blog, we uncharacteristically wrote that bad things are likely to happen, so be prepared!

Preparation, preparation, preparation - need we say more? Ok, we will. At Raising the Village, we promote paying attention to three key steps BEFORE any group process to set the stage for a positive experience for everyone.
a) know yourself - what's your style, what are you comfortable with?
b) know your group - who are your participants and why are they togther and what do they need?
c) THEN pick your process

Along the theme of things going wrong, however, we've highlighted two more common challenges when faciliating a group. Learn the signs that something bad is brewing, try the tips to help AVOID IT as well as know what to do if it does actually happen (without panicking).

1.  SOMEONE DOMINATES THE ACTIVITY DEBRIEF DIALOGE

• the same person ALWAYS has an opinion, a story to tell or a question
• other participants are silent/silenced

Prevent it!

• regularly seek multiple responses for each question using a phrase like, "Another idea from a different perspective?" and directly asking what questions do (several) people have.
• Give others a space to respond.  Silence can be uncomfortable but if you immediately defer to the talker, no-one will feel they have a chance to get a word in.

Deal with it!

• try "What do the rest of you think?"
• call other people by name
• if it is REALLY bad, politely tell the talker that you are going to give other people a chance to add to the conversation.
• invite the participants to answer the talker's questions (that expands the situation beyond just you and' the talker)

2.  THE FINAL OUTCOMES ARE NOT WHAT YOU ARE HOPING FOR THE GROUP

• the energy is falling flat, fast
• likely there will be some confusion
• answers or deliverables don't match what you expected

Prevent it!

• spend that time before the activity to get yourself clear on learning objectives or activity outcomes
• don't rescue the group or hurry them along - with a clear purpose and instructions they will get there.

Deal with it!

• be honest and describe what you were thinking and what was the outcome - have a dialogue about why the disconnect
• focus on what they DID get out of the activity - perhaps it is just a smaller step towards what you had hoped.
• try it again with a few tweaks if necessary

Other blogs you might like:
Group Process tips - how to prepare for TIME flow
Why Bother with Group Agreements
Facilitators practice the art of letting go

What can/will go wrong in a group activity - part 1

Not meaning to sound like a "glass half empty" type, but it would be short sighted for any group leader to ignore the distinct possibility that a group process can miss the mark. In fact, most honest facilitators will confess that they are not immuned to Murphy's law. Eventually, what can cause some challenges, will.  This reality check shouldn't scare anyone off taking some risks with a group - in fact it should only heighten your awareness and preparation for those bumps in the road.




Four COMMON obstacles for group facilitators are;

1. participants resist participating
2. participants don't understand your activity instructions
3. someone dominates the activity debrief dialogue
4. the final outcomes are not what you are hoping for the group

This week we'll tackle the first two, and check in next week for the rest. For each problem, learn some signs that something bad is brewing, tips to help AVOID IT as well as what to do if it does actually happen (without crying).

1.  PEOPLE RESIST PARTICIPATING

• you might hear some side conversations
• shudder to think, but be prepared for eye-rolling
• outright refusal
• suggestions to do something else

Prevent it!

• be crystal clear with yourself about why you are choosing this activity for this group for your desired outcome
• start the session with VERY CLEAR communication around the purpose of the gathering/activity
• ease any stress by reassuring participants that you won't be getting them to do anything crazy or uncomfortable
• if you know your group, check in with "resistors" before hand and even find roles for them to keep them committed and engaged.

Deal with it!

• don't make a huge deal about it
• create a role for "an observer" or "timekeeper" and ask them to help out that way
• if you have some group agreements - you may need to re-visit them if any are broken

2.  PARTICIPANTS DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR DIRECTIONS

• Dazed an confused looks
• Chatter - everyone asking everyone (but you) what to do
• Hopefully questions to ask for clarification

Prevent it!

• make sure YOU understand your own instructions!
• practice the activity before hand
• chunk up your directions, repeat them slowly step by step and ask for a thumbs up as you go along

Deal with it!

• stop and start again.
• find out if anyone DID understand and have them help you explain
• give an example, role play or demonstrate
• whatever you do, try not to get frustrated, don't take it personally and DON'T make the participants feel dumb (that will always end in disaster)

These are adapted from author Brian Cole Miller, who, I'm sure has experienced these challenges.  Have you?  Tell us what you did to deal with them! Comment please, we'd love to swap stories!

Who is the Ultimate Team Member?

Who is the Ultimate Team Member?

...Hint:  It’s found in your collective strengths.

The fabric of our lives is constructed person by person. As our relationships increase, we benefit geometrically: Our lives become richer, and we expand our strengths through others.

-Donald O.Clifton & Paula Nelson from the book Soaring with Your Strengths (1992).

Are you on the lookout for ways to bring out the strengths of your team or collaborative group? Well, here’s a strength based team building idea that a friend and colleague recently shared (thanks Laura).  

Here’s how...

1. Divide your team into small groups of 4. Each person within the small group is to answer:

•        What are the individual strengths you bring to the group?
•          What are the positive attributes you hold that support the success of the group?

     Have each person (or one group recorder) jot down the list of strengths and attributes.

If people are limiting themselves with their responses, clarify what the definition of a strength is. One of our favorite definitions comes from strengths guru Marcus Buckingham, he defines strengths as, “those activities that make you feel strong – an activity that strengthens you".

It is not necessarily the things other people think you are good at, although you can ask your team mates to help unearth what strengthens you in your work. Ask your team mates...When do you notice me lighting up at work? What’s going on? What strengths reside there? And see if it resonates with you.  

2.    Pass out a large sheet of paper with markers to each small group. This will be the drawing ground for the “ultimate team member”.  Read the individual strengths and from that list draw an imaginary person that possesses each attribute. This person should also receive a name, have a picture drawn of them, and have their different strengths labeled along with a story which highlights all the things this person can do and the characteristics they hold.

3.  Debrief and report out: Have each small group describe their person and read their story. Ask questions as you look at the collective visual display of strengths:

 

What connections are you making?

Based on these “ultimate members”, what’s available within our team?

What does this mean for our team weaknesses?

What are we capable of?

How might this add to our working together? How will we use this information?

This is a collective look that reminds us of the benefit of not always working solo!

Village Raising Question:

What strengths are identified in your teams? How might you draw out more of them?

 

 

Your Turn:

Do this exercise with a team or group you are involved with and post a picture of your collective “ultimate team members” to the RTV facebook page and help share the strengths momentum.