Facilitation Skills

Writer Timothy Gallwey was once asked what the most important word in the management dictionary was and he answered that it was “let”. Not any of the more familiar words, such as “money”, “resources”, or “profit”. But a word that is the opposite of one of the early definitions of “management” as “the control and marshaling of resources”. Letting people act is, for traditional managers, a frightening concept and brings with it the fear that people will do nothing and not perform. But this fear is nearly always unfounded. When people are managed and led in ways that bring out their potential as individuals and groups, they can perform in much better ways than when you do it all for them. This is the promise of facilitation.

In this book, you’ll learn more about what facilitation is and why it is a much better approach to leading groups than controlling, telling, and manipulating. You’ll learn why it’s OK to let a group have control over what they do and where they want to go. We’ll explain a range of techniques that you can use to bring out the best in a group. And we’ll teach you how to read a group’s energy and go with it rather than struggle against it. If you are new to facilitation, the skills, tips, and techniques in this book will open up a new world of managing to you, one that you’ll use again and again and again.

1. What Is Facilitation?
   1. Belonging to Groups
   2. Liking and Disliking Groups
   3. Group Development
   4. Group Leadership
   5. Underlying Beliefs About Others
   6. Underlying Beliefs About Groups
   7. Defining “Facilitation”
   8. Key Points
2. Group Learning
   1. The Learning Revolution
   2. The 3 Levels of Learning
   3. Promoting Learning
   4. Seasons of the Group
   5. The Group Dynamic
   6. Key Points
3. Starting Points for Groupwork
   1. What Groups?
   2. Group Size
   3. Open and Closed Groupwork
   4. Introductions
   5. Personal Goal-Setting
   6. Contracting
   7. Work and Play
   8. Key Points
4. Issues of Control
   1. Where Power Lies
   2. Aims
   3. Planning
   4. Details of Groupwork
   5. Activities
   6. Review
   7. Control Locations
   8. Key Points
5. Empowering People
   1. Openness
   2. Valuing
   3. Open Language
   4. Owning
   5. Non-Rescuing
   6. Boomerang Questions
   7. Offering Options
   8. Letting It Happen
   9. Key Points
6. The Facilitator’s Role
   1. Event Organiser
   2. Expert
   3. Reading the Group
   4. Mountain Guide
   5. Observer
   6. Nudger
   7. Catalyst
   8. Key Points
7. Group Energy
   1. Energy Flow
   2. Group Dynamics
   3. Dominant Members
   4. Reticent Members
   5. Dealing with Problems
   6. Rain-Checks
   7. Group Aikido
   8. Key Points
8. Dealing with the Blocks
   1. Problems
   2. Frustration
   3. Pain
   4. Failure
   5. Confusion
   6. Risk
   7. Conflict
   8. Key Points
9. The Art of Non-Doing
   1. Attentiveness
   2. Empowerment
   3. Subtle Support
   4. Gentleness
   5. Non-Doing
   6. Charisma
   7. Class
   8. Key Points
10. Endings and Separation
    1. Signalling Endings
    2. The Rituals of Group Endings
    3. Reflections on Your Style
    4. Celebration
    5. One Last Activity
    6. Process and Outcomes
    7. Existence as it Ought to Be
    8. Key Points
11. Web Resources on Facilitation Skills