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

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. 

Agendas - more than a pretty package!

It is deeply disappointing when a meeting agenda isn't developed and used to it's fullest potential. Don't you abhorr those situations where you have commited precious time to gather for a meeting and receive a last minute, "death by boredom" sort of agenda or ... (everyone suck in their breath) ... don't receive an agenda at all?

Admitedly, an agenda obsession is a tad odd - but this hallowed document represents something that is core to the work we do at Raising the Village - design effective, productive and creative group interactions.  And isn't that what we want for all of our meetings?

An agenda is also more than just a pretty invitation to a meeting. It has an important job to do.

"The Agenda"

• treat it as a tool to clarify and communicate a meeting's purpose
• share it ahead of time to allow participants to think and prepare to engage in the topics
• embrace it's truly flexible nature - any item written shouldn't HAVE to happen exactly, it is a guide not a script
• use it to respect people's time - the agenda should state a start and end time that should stand firm

Designing an agenda offers an opportunity. Here are 8 considerations to take full advantage of it:

1. What kind of meeting is this?  In other words, what are the intended outcomes?
2. What are the needs of the participants? Alas, it's not always about you!
3. What could go wrong, and how can the plan avoid or support tricky situations?
4. Can you involve participants in the planning and design in some way?
5. How can the content or order set the tone you are after? positive and team building? serious and formal? creative and participatory?
6. How long do you need to get things done?  or from a more common angle - you only have x amount of time...what can you realistically get accomplished?
7. What kind of food will you have and when do people get to eat it?  Don't laugh...this is important!
8. What is the "usual" meeting like - and how can you get more out of it by doing things differently? Sometimes leaders/facilitators/meeting chairs need a little AGENDA INTERVENTION - it's important to get some help, especially when the stakes are high!

If what you want is effective, productive and creative meeting outcomes - putting the time into the plan is critical.

A few other related blogs:

6 Group Process Tips
Understanding, engaging and moving forward with groups.
Mindful Meeting Magic

Understanding, engaging and moving forward with groups.

This week we answer the question: What are some of the best ways to UNDERSTAND a group, ENGAGE them and MOVE FORWARD in addressing complex issues?

UNDERSTANDING takes listening and learning.  This could look very different depending on the group. Formally, you can use surveys, forums and research or consider collaborative conversations and seeking points of view more informally through fun engagement and interaction. Be curious…ask questions. Craft ones that are tough, deep, and emotional because its those kinds of questions that get people thinking. Remember to be open, patient and deliberate in all of your approaches within community.

 ENGAGE the group by giving them what they need. Keep brain based engagement principles in mind.  Find what makes things relevant for them.  That might include what is relevant for the group as a whole as well as what is relevant for individual people too.   Create the space, ask phenomenological questions, celebrate together, and hold tons of dialogue.

Then, once you have got people engaged, MOVING FORWARD to address complex issues is the goal. We believe that it is though well planned group process that moves groups to action.  And not just any action – but one that resonates, is well informed and has everyone’s buy-in.

See our related blog on the four steps to dealing with complexity using group processes.

Village Raising Question:

Reflect on what might happen when any of these strategies is skipped or rushed.  What happens when a community builder doesn't really understand the group they are with or if only part of the group is engaged in the topic or issue? How effective is action when not everyone is informed and "bought" it?

Related blogs:

 6 Group Process Tips
Brain Based Engagement Strategies
Find What Binds You

6 Group Process Tips: How to prepare for the flow of TIME in group sessions, activities and agendas.

Have you ever planned a group session down to the minute? 

You know what we mean, where you give 10 minutes for introductions, 30 minutes for updates, 1 hour for the topic of the day with a 15 minute energizer and 5 minute closure.  

Sounds wonderfully, perfectly timed out.

 So what could go astray? Trust us, many things can happen that cause time to run out or to stand still! To get back on the ticking track, it’s helpful to aim for an estimated time AND to plan for how you will respond to timing in the moment.Frankly, exact timing may not be possible. As group facilitators we like to have an outline structure that we follow and we are aware that things do not always go as planned!

We have come up with a list of 6 Group Process Questions & Tips that can help you review and master the TIME element for your next session:

1.  What time is available? Start with what time is available to work with.  Take your ideas and adapt them to fit in the allotted time. This can be handy if you are asked to take a 3 hour presentation and condense it to 15 minutes or extend it to a day long. It happens!
2. How long do you imagine it to take? Do a mock run. Time out the agenda/process. Don’t forget to build in time for group dynamics caused by group passion, apathy, nerves or unexpected events.
3. How large is the group? Adapt the process to match the size of the group who is meeting. For example, in a small group you may have more individual sharing, while in a large community group it may be more small group reporting. Each type of interaction and reporting out will take a different amount of time.
4. Where is the group's focus? Our exercises are often adapted on the spot or even tossed off the agenda to follow the group's focus. Being flexible and having an open approach to group processes is invaluable. 
5. Who is showing up? If there are new partners or old history joining the room, allow for time adaptations to honour the "warm up" period of people interacting before diving in.
6. What will be in your facilitator back pocket? Plan to be able to "let something go" from the agenda or to add something in. We will often ponder - where could we extend this activity if it doesn't take as long as expected OR where could we skip over if the dialogue is rich and deep and it takes more time than expected.

 Think on your feet, have a loose structure, and let the time flow!

Raising the Village Question: 

What else do you do to prepare for the flow of time in your group/community meetings?


Looking for engaging activities to enrich your working together time? 
Our RTV activity books are about to be released (will be on Amazon soon). In the meantime - sign up directly with us for a special early bird discount. Contact tammy @raisingthevillage.ca or tracy @raisingthevillage.ca for more scoop.