Facilitating Meetings

Effective meetings are the outcome of more than just running/chairing them!

They are an opportunity to improve communications, achieve common understanding, share common beliefs and values and achieve progress with the entire group.

Unfortunately, most fall short of expectations! The most common issues our customers find with meetings and conferences:

• No outcome is achieved, leaving people feeling frustrated, fed up and desperate to get back to their desks
• Though actions are agreed, nothing gets done. People either over-commit or they are delegated to, without being engaged in the action
• Waffle!
• Quiet, reflective people, thinking things through, feel pressured when asked to contribute.
• People with loads of ideas are told to shut up, to let others have a say. So, they feel that their time is being wasted.
• Endless PowerPoint slideshows – normally with too many words and being read out.

Perhaps even worse are Conferences that start with a great dinner with free bar and a very late night. Next day, the meeting starts with the management delivering speech after speech. This is missed by most, either because they are late or, more probably, because they had a bit too much to eat and drink and their brains are elsewhere and their eyes drooping - if not shut!
The speeches are followed by a heavy lunch, followed by some sort of activity involving the group being split into sub-groups and sent to work in various parts of the building.  A leader manages each group  and puts lots of information on lots of flip charts.  Volume of paper is the measure of success – participation. Perhaps there is time spent driving tanks or quad bikes. There is then another dinner or a gathering where things get wrapped up – a bit – and people go on their way.

A huge amount of money spent on the guise of "bonding, motivating and communicating with the troops". A fun day for the people which achieves little for the business, but a very expensive addition to the wrong side of the  balance sheet!

You might think me being a bit harsh there, but.................it happens!

Facilitation presents you with a more effective option!

What is facilitation?

The simplest definition of facilitation could be, ”Using a person or persons who is neither involved in the content of a discussion, to assist a group to meet its objectives, by providing effective processes and structures.”

The distinction between content and process is often, unfortunately, unclear. It should be as clear as crystal.

An effective facilitator remains in the facilitation role the whole time; a consultant can oscillate between the two (facilitator or adviser), providing he/she is clear to the group about the role at any one time.

It is more difficult for a manager to facilitate their own team –  too involved in the desired outcome and giving total ownership to the group can be challenging.

How is facilitation better?
A good facilitator will find out exactly what the objective of the meeting or conference is and will work out a plan to achieve it.

With the end in mind, the essence of the plan will be based around what needs to be discussed and what processes will best achieve the required outcome. They do not deal in content – just process.

He/she might, however, not be prepared to take on the brief. Two of the reasons could be:

• The sponsor is looking to manipulate the group to second-guess a management decision.
• The sponsor management team is not cohesive – the facilitator will want to get a commitment established first so that commitment to and any follow up subsequent to the event will be consistent.

A good facilitator will construct a series of processes designed to engage the group. Engagement is not sitting around contributing now and again and watching someone else fill in a flip chart with the points raised. Nor is it a determined need to get through an agenda, ensuring all points are covered.

Instead, engagement involves activity, ownership, motivation and a desire to be part of the thought process and, as a result, the outcome.

In a conference, facilitators can ensure that management presentations are kept as short as possible, well-delivered and delivered at the right time – and not necessarily first!

They will ensure that the whole group has real input and that (within agreed boundaries) any thoughts, decisions or requirements suggested by them are recognised and taken on board.

These diagrams demonstrate the difference:-

• A  shows a classic meeting/training set ups. The activity, energy and drive come from the front, with the group being passive. (except when given some sort of task)

• B shows the facilitated group working on Pinboards. The activity, energy, activity and drive comes from the group, with the facilitator taking a passive role

• C shows that we see only a little of what is going on emotionally "above the table". Most real issues are beneath it, unseen and potentially disruptive. Volumes of books have been written about how to manage these issues – but following the Pinpoint Facilitation process makes it simple!

Engagement:
People have their own, individual preferred learning and working styles. If people can’t behave in their preferred way, they will not become engaged.

We have found that Howard Gardner's "Multiple Intelligences" provide useful guidelines:-

• Quiet, reflective people need to be able to contribute and exercise "power" without having to be dominant presenters
• More verbose people need to have the scope to deliver their dialogue.

The most effective way to balance these two extremes is to limit verbal discussion and, instead, use different communication media. Use cards, visualise their ideas on large Pinboards, which the group shares.

Howard Gardner – multiple intelligence
How good people are at expression of thoughts and their ability to write clear concise English is the result of good education. A degree of linguistic prowess is important, of course, because we communicate mainly with words. However, many people have many other talents – whether or not they were educated.

Gardner (Howard Gardner. Multiple Intelligence) believes that there are up to 8 different styles of learning and working – he calls them "intelligences":

• Linguistic – the ability to use words. Speech, writing, reading.
• Inter-personal – the ability, desire and worth of working with others. Teams, companionship, being apart of a group. Emotional intelligence.
• Intra-personal - the need to reflect. The need to put things into ‘my world’. How does that affect me? How can I affect others?
• Visual and spatial – pictures, maps, art.
• Logical - the need to see the path that an idea is following; reasons.
• Kinaesthetic – hands on; touch, build, make, movement.
• Musical and rhythmical – learning by rhythm, poetry, songs.
• Naturalistic – a feeling for nature. Many biologists started their passion for nature during a walk through the countryside when they were young!

It’s known that activity in training is essential. It’s the same in meetings. However, how many trainers/managers talk their way through slide after slide and, perhaps, run the odd exercise now and again.
To communicate effectively with a group, we HAVE to present the event in accordance with a multiple intelligence process. It is this approach that makes Pinpoint Facilitation successful.
 

Some of the Meetings that can be facilitated:

Where the group needs to be fully involved in the process and outcomes.

• Strategic Planning
• Implementation of strategy
• Problem solving
• Continuous Improvement
• Training
• Needs analysis
• Project management and review
• Presentations – more on this later
• Managing conflict

Meetings where facilitation is not necessarily needed:

Where the group do not need to make decisions, just gain information:-

• Briefings
• Reports
• Presentations

Facilitated presentations:

Making a presentation 2-way.:-

• Limited to group size – say about 50.  Q and A sessions tend to be difficult – are the questions fixed?  Perhaps it is only the really brave, the really angry or the really motivated person will have the courage to ask?
• So, make it easy.
• The presentation happens as normal, but either at key stages or at the end, the group is given cards and felt pens (water-based, with no odour!) and asked if they have any questions.  These are collected and sorted by the facilitator under the group’s direction on Pinboards and grouped.
• The presenter can then work through the groups with the group and prioritise the issues. 

Your next step:
Call in the professionals for advice or training or a visiting facilitator.

• Advice: Establish your options and what you can do most effectively.

Or

• Training: Create a facilitator, or a team of facilitators, in your own organisation so that you can make all meetings effective.**

Or
Visiting facilitator: We’ll send in a qualified Pinpointer to come and run your meeting or conference with you or for you.

**
Cost of meetings. It’s not just the room and expenses getting there! Add up the annual salaries of those attending. Multiply by 2 to get a gross figure to include NI, benefits, insurance etc and divide by 44 (working weeks). Divide by 5 and then 8 to (8 hours 5 days a week) to get a cost per hour.

Then you will find that facilitation is a more effective, cost-effective - and successful investment.