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Facilitation Equipment
- Welcome to Pinpoint
- Facilitation Support
- Facilitation Tracks
Facilitation Tracks
Here is a selection of tracks for a variety of facilitation projects, which you may use to plan your facilitation sessions - and save time!
Each can be adapted according to your particular group, objectives and timescale.
Click on the links to jump to the track(s):-
Track 1 | Business Continuity Planning 1
Objective: To develop plans to minimise the effect on the business caused by a global crisis, e.g. "Bird 'flu" pandemic First check the Group's understanding of the issue, e.g.:-
2. Trailer
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Do nothing - let nature take its course?
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< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
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Close down everything until a cure is found?
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3. Card Call
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What are the events related to ‘flu that could adversely affect the business?
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(Caution. Here you need to define risks, not consequences, e.g. "All staff and customers will die" is the risk, "Business will go bust" is the consequence) 4. Prioritise Work through each risk with a template:
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What should we do to eliminate this risk, if possible?
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What should we do to minimise the impact of this risk?
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5. Card Call:#2
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What can we each do as a routine to reduce the spread of infection within the premises?
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6. Summarise key actions with responsibilities: Include liaison with external agencies and services where appropriate. 7. Document and publish.
Scenario: To assist two teams to work more effectively together, for instance:-
Issue: The opinions of the 2 groups differ significantly:-
Objective: To identify existing issues between our two teams and make plans to improve our working together.
Step 1 : Entry Board (Whole Group)
| Name | Location | What I really want from this session is:- |
Step 2: Trailer : (Whole Group) "How well do we work as a team?" Scale: "Peaches and Cream" through to "Kippers and Custard"
Step 3 : Divide into 2 groups. Mix up both teams and both Groups working the same track. Work in tables of 6.
Card call question 1 "What are the key signals that two teams like ours are pulling together to achieve corporation goals?" Process. Each person writes cards; each table hands in top 5 cards from the table:-
Matrix
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Key signals
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0
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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Identify top 6 issues Guide Sub-Groups to fix (Dumb Waiter):-
- Symptoms of failure to be watchful for
- Action to start off
Step 4 : Individual Action Plans
| Name | To make things better, I will . . . | with . . . when starting . . . |
Step 5 : Break. Management team to choose 6-10 issues that could be the topic for Continuous Improvement Teams (issues they are prepared to invest in) Step 6 : Reconvene into one Group Step 7 : Continuous Improvement Action Plan Managers can choose/offer lead role to selected people before team works through. Key issues to manage:-
| By (leader) | with (team) | Who else to invite | 1st planning meeting |
Trailer
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What will happen, if we do not solve this issue?
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Open Card Call, to identify causes.
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What are the likely causes of this issue?
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Prioritise
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What solutions are open to us?
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Counter arguments
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What will or might prevent this solution from happening?
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Recommendations (work on the most realistic actions . . . . few is better than too many!)
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How do we measure success?
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Action Plan
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Topic
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Specific steps
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By whom?
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By when?
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Scenario Reviewing a Project has a number of important benefits, not the least of which are:-
The structure (like all Pinpoint Facilitation sessions) is flexible, according to your needs and circumstances:-
Entry Board
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Name
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Function in project
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What I want from today is:-
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Trailer
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How did the project go?
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||
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Brilliant
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< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
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Disaster
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Card Call : Double
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What went really well? (green)
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What should have gone better? (red)
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Call Card actions:-
Dumb Waiter could be:-
| Causes | Solutions |
| Counter arguments | Actions |
or some other problem-solving process . . . .
Use time limitations here
Develop the recommendations board/action plan. Remember, as always, that the Action Plan must be actions to take by the assembled people. If another person/Department has to do something, the action needs to be presented and maybe sold. It must not be assumed that other person/Department will do it, just because the group says so.
Track 5 | Rebuilding the recovery (1)
Scenario These tracks are written as a planning document i.e. backwards. This way you should be able to personalise more easily.
Track 1 Objective: Identify what cash savings can we make?
Final Board (1)
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Action
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Saving
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Who will manage?
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Start? End?
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Group Templates
Money saving idea/ total saving/issues and barriers/recommendation.
Multiple, open card call: Think of all the activities that happen in your own department, where savings could be made
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Office/admin
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Production.
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Communication (int/ext)
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Buying
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Sales
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Trailer:
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If you looked under a few stones, how much money could we all save?
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Desert scene
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< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
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Lush greenery
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Entry board
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Name
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To what extent are you worried about recession? |
Is it in or out of our control?
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Track 2 Objective
To find out what hidden talents we have in our people. Final Board (2)
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New Activity
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Key person
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Team?
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1st Meeting
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Group Templates
- Product/service/ Market value/ Issues around set up/ ideas to get started/ support required
- Matrix to measure/assess: To what extent is the idea within current activity or totally new? You might like to have an advocate for each cluster heading from the card call, prioritise and then use a matrix plotting ease of the activity against the potential result. or Just plot on a 0 - 10 scale (0= we do it anyway; 10= this is totally new).
- Group Templates Think about all the ideas so far. Which ones are worth pursuing? List which and why.
- Card Call If you were MD for the day, what would you change immediately to improve the business?
- Card Call Forget work for the moment. What are your key interests?
Trailer
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Recession: there is nothing we can do except pull in our belts and hold out.
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True
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< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
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False
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Entry Board (2)
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Name
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In a word, what does recession mean to you?
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To help survive the recession. I recommend . . . .
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Track 6 | Rebuilding the recovery(2)
Track 3 - Tackling Team Morale
Objective: To give team members an opportunity to share their concerns about the coming year, identify what the organisation, team and individuals can do to support staff.
Output: An action summary identifying the top three activities for each group (organisation, team etc.)
Track: Trailer: (10 mins)
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How do I feel today about the coming twelve months?
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Joe Cool
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< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
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Headless Chicken
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Note: Visuals could be something other than "Joe Cool" and "Headless chicken" Visualisation: (20 mins): Using a Pinboard or flipchart, create two images:
Open Double Card Call: (30 mins): "What is taking us towards where we want to be?" (yellow cards) and "What is holding us back?" (orange) Cluster, summarise and prioritise to identify drivers (yellow) and blocks (orange) (i.e. strongest drivers, worst blocks) Sub Groups: (20 mins):
Recommendations should include one key activity for organisation, team AND individual. Gallery & Action Summary: (20 mins): Record recommended activities for organisation, team & individuals. Review (5 mins) Timing: 1¾ hours Track 4 - Maintaining Customer Focus Objective: To identify key concerns for customers and or clients during the coming year and identify specifically how our organisation can help. Output: An action summary to inform strategy and/or to share with Clients and/or Customers Track:
Timing: 2½ hours
Track 7 | Sales development (1)
Entry Board
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Name
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As a customer, my worst experience with sales people was:-
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In a phrase or word, what is "Selling"?
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Trailer
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If the price is right and you have the right back-up, selling is easy
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Agree < - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Disagree
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Closed Card Call
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What are the negative images people have of sales?
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Really get the Group to think about all the nasty stuff - pushy, smarmy, won't take "No" for an answer, etc.
Open Card Call
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When you are the customer, what is it about some sales people that encourages you to buy?
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You will now get all of the positive things that are required in any sales person - they listen, they give me time, they have adequate product knowledge, they are nice to deal with, friendly and look genuine. When you have clustered all of these, put the results into a list and prioritise.
Now you have got the Group to write their own agenda. The order might not be quite what you want; often with, say, Engineers, product knowledge comes out No.1 but, for sure, all the soft attitude and "making people feel good" will come out loud and clear.
For roleplay, you can work on critique using both lists. Looking at the good aspects and being clear about when positive attitude and hard closing become offensive and counterproductive. You can now deliver your training in your preferred way - using Pinboards and accelerated techniques, or through manuals and OHPs. When you are done, you have 2 options and you can do one, either or both:-
Open card call
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Now we have learned and studied the sales process, what might prevent me from actually doing it?
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You will probably get things like:-
Use header cards and prioritise. Groups problem-solve.
Use Dumb Waiter:-
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Causes |
Solutions |
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Counter arguments |
Actions |
When applying Accelerated Learning techniques, use Key Memory Trigger(s). Spend at least two hours getting the group to make a picture of the whole course.
Remember that, to do this, they will be using all the learning/working intelligences. They will need at least three boards to work across.
Track 8 | Sales development (2)
Trailer
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We succeed in reaching 100% of our sales potential
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Every time < - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Very rarely
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Open Card Call
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What are the issues which prevent us from closing on every occasion where a sale should happen?
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Prioritise
Choose sub-Groups and go for the following Dumb Waiter:-
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Causes? |
Solutions? |
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Counter arguments? |
Actions? |
Action Plan
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Topic
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Specific steps
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By whom?
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With whom?
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By when?
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Remember that actions can only be carried out by people in the Group. If, say, Marketing needs to do something, the Group's action is to present the meeting's findings to Marketing and persuade them to do it.
Track 9 | Standards of excellence
Opportunity to explore the new and exciting techniques for accelerating learning, using all learning/working intelligences.
Trailer:
Training in the UK is . . . .
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Best thing since sliced bread?
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< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >
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Rotten to the core?
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Multiple Open Card Call "On what criteria should training be judged?"
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By Delegate?
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By the Tutor?
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By the Sponsor?
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Collect cards. Remember to:-
Ask for anything missing or cards left over that significantly add to the ideas already posted. Put header cards on one board and vote.
Go to the next board, place headers and vote and finally do the same for the last board. Transfer the key three or four from each of these boards on to a matrix:-
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Criterion
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Comments
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0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Comments
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Get the group to identify the key relative weaknesses and work in sub groups to fix them. The Dumb waiter can be:-
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Causes
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Solutions
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Counter arguments
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Actions
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. . . . or any other series you feel right. For example, if you are "Training the Trainer" then this is the time to input about the new and exciting techniques for accelerating learning and really using all learning/working intelligences. Hold an "Ideas Gallery" and get the group to finalise the Action Plan.
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Topic
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Specific steps
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By whom?
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With whom?
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By when?
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It is critical to ensure that all actions can be carried out by the individuals in the Group. If a higher or different authority is needed to see the action through, then the only acceptable action is for one or more from the Group to present the ideas to the relevant person.
After thorough explanation of what Strengths & Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats exist in a business or situation.
Ask Open questions to define:-
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Positives
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Negatives
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Strengths?
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Weaknesses? |
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Opportunities?
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Threats?
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For variety, you could make the second a Closed Card Call. Now prioritise all lists and form 2 matrices:-
- Opportunities on the X axis and Strengths on the Y axis
- Threats on the other X axis and Weaknesses on the Y
Open Question
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Which of these Strengths can help us match the Opportunities?
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As an open shout, place a dot in the square where there is a match voiced by a the Group. Any dissenters can have their 30 seconds, but generally one dispute in a series of squares should not cause any real problem. Because the topics are in priority order, a series of gaps in the top left hand corner of each matrix should give cause for concern and some sort of shift in attitude or performance will be required. If all the squares are full in this area, all is well. Generally, the idea of using Pinboards will both speed up the process and allow better movement of those ideas where there is a question about which group they fall into. Often, Strengths can be seen as Opportunities and vice versa.
Track 11 | Training Needs Analysis
Open Card Call
| What changes to you envisage in the next three years that will impact on our staff and their skills? |
Prioritise
| What are the areas that we (HR/Training) must get right? |
To selected groups, Department by Department (or a group selected from the whole company, if working with a small organisation):-
Closed Card Calls
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What are the tasks that you perform now really well?
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What are the areas where you would like or you need more training support?
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What do you feel are the main development areas for:-
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Your future?
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The Company's future?
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Prioritise using a Double Vote.
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What will be best for you?
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What will be best for the organisation?
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Top of page
Jane Hunt, of JCH Consulting, has kindly sent in her Pinpoint Facilitation presentation.
This outlines her views about the Pinpoint Facilitation process and its application in getting teams to focus on their personal and professional values. "Having worked as a Senior Consultant in an International Training company for 16 years, I am an avid fan of the flexible, yet structured approach of the Pinpoint process.
The process quickly speeds a group of people towards their desired objectives whilst the tools enable everyone to be involved and engaged in the journey towards their agreed actions and ultimate results. Often interspersed with some learning inputs, the process allows people to immediately apply to their world the models or themes introduced intellectually.
As a facilitator, I believe passionately that people know what needs to be done. They just need a catalyst to create cohesion by teasing out the issues and focusing them on the desired results. Pinpoint provides the tactile and logical mechanism to focus the emotional energy generated through effective facilitation". The tracks in the presentation are offered as "skeletons" which can be adapted to suit particular team objectives:-
You may download Jane's presentation for reference, but we would ask you to respect her Copyright. Our thanks to her professionalism and interest.
Keith W-P
Sean Quiggin, of Public Services Research, has kindly sent in this exercise for Pinpoint Facilitation users. "This is a useful track for a visioning exercise which was successfully played out 4 times, in front of up to 140 people, grouped into sets of 10.
I coordinated alone, but had help with card collection. Big audiences do need a sound kit and a hands-free mike. The Group voting took a little organisation, but worked well and gave satisfactory results. The Visioning exercise was a good way of broaching a contentious subject with a sceptical audience - the slightly OTT scenario allows for humour to deal with initial scepticism and encourages buy-in to the exercise".
Our thanks to Sean for his professionalism and interest.
Keith W-P
Any other examples?
If you have any examples of tracks you have designed and would like to share them with fellow Pinpointers, please ring Keith W-P on 01865 400777.
