CAP 108:

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CAP 108 The Fundamentals of Effective Meeting
and Facilitation Skills
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Learning Objectives

• Upon completion of this workshop you will be able
  to
• Design, plan and prepare for effective meetings
• Explain the role of the facilitator before and
  during a meeting
• Differentiate between when to facilitate and when
  to lead during meetings
• Handle the dynamics of challenging group
  situations
• Effectively direct the energies and talents of a
  group to achieve the objectives and/ or outcomes
  defined for the meeting
• Facilitate a group from ideas to actions

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Todays Agenda

• Welcome Introduction
• The Key Components to Effective Meetings
• Before the Meeting - Planning
• The Role of the Facilitator
• Group Dynamics
• Getting the Most from Meeting Participants
• Practice .. Practice .. Practice
• Wrap up and evaluations

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Welcome Warm Up

• Introduce Yourself
• Complete the following statements
• I hate meetings that / when ..
• Meetings are great when they .
• My biggest challenge with meetings is .

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ICE BREAKERS

• The importance of icebreakers
• Help to clarify group members expectations
  knowledge
• Introduce participants to working within a group
• Provide space to build interpersonal
  relationships
• Relieve anxiety
• Provide facilitator with insights as to the
  groups mood, motivation, and unique focus
• Provide an example of an icebreaker you have used
  or experienced

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ESTABLISHING GROUND RULES

• Ground rules
• Enable the facilitator and the participants to
  establish principles for how they will work
  together.
• Create structure / contract amongst the
  participants to manage conversation and
  interaction
• Tool to aid the facilitator when dealing with
  difficult participants

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SAMPLE GROUND RULES

• Participate, speak up and share information
• Dont monopolize time .. Give everyone a chance
  to speak
• Turn off cell phones and pagers
• Respect everyones ideas .. you dont have to
  agree but be positive and constructive when
  disagreeing
• Dont carry on side bar conversations
• What is said in the room .. Stays in the room
• Be open to new ideas and ways of thinking
• One conversation at a time
• Stay on time for breaks and lunch
• Have fun !

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OUR GROUND RULES FOR TODAY ..

• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• 4.
• 5.
• 6.

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Design, Plan and Prepare for Effective
Meetings
Key to Success ..
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Effective Meeting Components
(Goals Objectives)
Process
(Topics)
Content
Planning
People
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Importance of Meeting Objectives

• Ensures that everyone knows why they are there
• Enables participants to prepare appropriately
• Helps the facilitator to design the meeting to
  ensure objectives are achieved
• Helps the facilitator keep the participants on
  track and focused during the meeting

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Purpose of the Agenda

• A road map for how the objectives will be
  achieved
• Keeps the meeting focused on key topics
• Builds commitment to the task when meeting
  participants contribute to an agenda and agree to
  it
• Gives the facilitator a mandate to intervene when
  the discussion loses focus

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The Various Factors to Consider when Planning for
a Meeting

• Why are we meeting?
• What do I want to achieve?
• Content, sequence, timing
• Who Needs to be there?
• How can each person contribute to this meeting?
• What materials are needed?
• Should they be sent in advance? When?
• How should they be sent?

• Purpose for the meeting
• Objectives
• Structure / Flow
• Participants
• Roles responsibilities
• Materials / Handouts

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The Various Factors to Consider when Planning for
a Meeting Contd

• March break ?
• Size of room, layout
• Where
• Time of day
• Accessibility (public transit)
• Parking
• Projects
• Flip charts, markers
• Refreshments

• Schedule
• Facilities
• Logistics
• OTHER IDEAS ???

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Learning Activity 1- Planning for a Meeting
In small groups, work on the scenarios on Pg. 11
of Workbook 2. Consider the objectives,
purpose, agenda, invitees, roles, decision-making
strategy, the room, food, preparation, follow-up,
additional stakeholders The details are less
important in this exercise than the thinking that
goes into them. If you adjust one thing, how
does it affect the others? Each group will
present their results
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Learning Activity 1- Planning for a Meeting

• Labour negotiations Union and management
  representatives will be meeting to renegotiate
  the contract that is set to expire. What would be
  the implications of having a facilitator run the
  meetings? How would the parties decide on a
  facilitator? What would the scope of authority be
  for the facilitator? How would this be different
  than a mediator? How would the meetings differ if
  the parties are on good terms versus tense terms?
  In a potential strike situation? Where would the
  meetings be held, and what would be required of
  the facilities?
• A staff person has just been fired or suspended
  Should there be a meeting? If so, what roles
  would a leader and/or facilitator play in a team
  or all-staff meeting? What would the purpose of
  the meeting be, and how would it be achieved? Who
  should be invited? How would the room be
  arranged? How would the considerations vary if
  the person was fired for insubordination,
  laziness or failure to fulfill duties,
  discriminatory or other inappropriate behaviour
  with colleagues or clients? What if the
  organization has under 12 staff versus over 50?
  What if the person who left was a volunteer
  instead of an employee?
• Multiple agencies are partnering on a Trillium
  Foundation application and they have not worked
  together closely on other projects Who should
  attend the meetings? Should there be a
  facilitator or a leader to run the meeting? How
  would the person(s) be selected? What
  decision-making approach will you use and how
  will it be determined? Who would establish the
  purpose, the agenda, run the meeting, conduct the
  follow up? What are the considerations for the
  organization that will host the meeting? How will
  expenses be handled?

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THE ART SKILL OF EFFECTIVE FACILITATION

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WHAT IS FACILITATION?
Facilitation is broadly used to describe any
activity which makes tasks for others easy. For
example In business facilitation is used to
ensure the designing and running of successful
meetings.
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The Role of the Facilitator

• Create an environment for a group of individuals
  to come together and achieve its goals outcomes
• Balances between achieving task, managing the
  process and engaging the participants
• Tends to listen
• Provides structure
• Use processes, tools techniques that build
  group dynamics
• Keep the group on track
• Help resolve conflict
• Draws out participation from everyone
• Ensures the goals and objectives are met

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The Role of a Chairperson

• Tends to be a senior person in the organization
• Heavily involved in the business aspect of the
  meeting
• Often has a stake in the outcome of the meeting
• Controls the agenda, timing, flow during the
  meeting
• Tends to speak a lot
• Keeps the meeting moving
• Facilitates the process
• Definite overlap between a facilitator and
  chair

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Some Characteristics of a Successful Facilitator

• Confident
• Flexible
• Objective
• Patient
• Excellent listener
• Ability to think on their feet
• Ability to confront issues
• Adapts to the group dynamics
• Respectful
• OTHER IDEAS ???

• Flexible ego
• Intuitive
• Responsive
• Articulate
• Ability to summarize key points in a clear and
  concise manner
• Ability to read a group and individuals
• Leads, directs and keeps moving
• Sense of humour

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The Value of Facilitated Meetings

• Provides the opportunity to create an environment
  where the full contribution of each and every
  member of the group is allowed, encouraged and
  supported
• Provides the opportunity to tap into the hidden
  potential of all employees or group members
• Enables the organization to create an atmosphere
  where
• People are encouraged to participate actively and
  to think creatively.
• People are involved in problem solving and
  decision making.
• People see themselves as partners and have a
  strong sense of responsibility and commitment to
  the process
• Trust and integrity is built and nurtured through
  an open and caring flow of information.

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Learning Activity 2 Reflection Can I
Facilitate ? Take a moment to answer these
questions for yourself

• Are you willing to listen to others without
  judgment or preconceived notions about what they
  should or shouldn't say or do?
• Do you show respect for the opinions of others
  even when they disagree with you?
• Can you release the need to have complete control
  of a conversation or other situations?
• Are you comfortable dealing with conflict?
• Are you comfortable speaking in public?
• Are you able to laugh at yourself?
• Can you think on your feet?
• Do you believe that groups working together are
  smarter than individuals working alone?
• Can you accept feedback from others about
  yourself?

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Other Roles for Meeting Participants

• Expert / Resource
• Minute / Notetaker
• Timekeeper
• Gatekeeper
• Co-facilitator

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GROUP DYNAMICS
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Group Dynamics

• Group dynamics refers to the understanding of the
  behaviour of people in groups that are trying to
  solve a problem or make a decision.
• A skilled facilitator is able to assist a group
  in accomplishing its goals objectives by
  determining how well the group is functioning as
  a problem-solving or decision-making entity and
  intervening appropriately, to alter the group's
  operating behaviour.

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Process Intervention Dealing with Difficult
Behaviours

• An intervention is an interruption by the
  facilitator of the meeting and conversation to
  refocus participants and and/or rebalance group
  interaction.
• The objective of an intervention to keep the
  process on track and moving forward making the
  best use of time and resources.
• As a facilitator you want to balance
  participation with meeting results.

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Discussion --- Suggested Interventions for

• Side bar conversations
• Staying on time
• Never ending discussions
• Personal attacks
• Person who always sees the glass as half empty
• Participants coming back late from breaks / lunch
• Participants with personal agendas
• Participants that are very quiet
• Individuals that over contribute

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Learning Activity 3A

• Anytown Neighborhood Services Agency (ANSA) is
  holding a planning meeting to submit a proposal
  for a new program to the provincial government,
  who is their major funding partner. Below are
  the participants and their role
• Meeting Facilitator
• ANSAs Executive Director
• Director of Programs
• Program Co-ordinator
• Administrative Assistant
• Working on your own
• Imagine you will be the facilitator of the
  meeting. Complete the Planning Form found
  in your Participant Workbook.
• (Time 10 minutes)

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Learning Activity 3B

• Working in a small group (Time 15 minutes)
• Discuss each of your answers with your team.
• In preparation for the meeting, collectively
  as a group, agree upon the following items
• Meeting Objectives
• Resources
• Ice Breaker / Opener
• Discussion Questions
• Closing / Summary
• Meeting Evaluation Method

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Learning Activity 3C

• Working in your same small group
• Appoint / nominate / volunteer a facilitator
• Conduct the meeting
• (Time 30 minutes)

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DEBRIEF of Learning Activity 3C

• What were your meeting objectives?
• What worked well?
• What challenges did the facilitator experience?
• What changes would you make?
• Were the meeting objectives met?

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Learning Activity 3D

• Working in your same small group (Time 30
  minutes)
• Appoint / nominate / volunteer a different
  facilitator
• Meeting participants select a behaviour from
  the envelope given to your group.
• Assume the persona you selected for the
  roleplay
• Conduct the meeting
• Facilitators apply the skills youve learned
  today to manage the group dynamics process

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DEBRIEF of Learning Activity 3D

• What worked well?
• As facilitators, what challenges did you
  experience?
• As participants, what new challenges did you
  experience?
• What would you do differently as a
• facilitator?
• participant?
• Did any of the participants help with the group
  process and intervene? How? What happened?

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Get More Out Of Meetings!

• Have a purpose
• Create content
• Prepare
• Define roles and responsibilities
• Create processes
• Keep the meeting focused and moving
• Ensure participation and team building
• Intervene when necessary with sensitivity and
  diplomacy
• Pay attention to the group dynamics
• Act as a resource

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Facilitators - Fine Tune Your Skills

• Focus
• Separate yourself as the facilitator from the
  discussion
• Keep the issue clear and manageable
• Help participants stick to the issue.
• Help speakers avoid repeating other peoples
  points
• Keep the meeting moving

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Facilitators - Fine Tune Your Skills

• Positive Attitudes
• Set the tone upfront
• Keep discussions from getting too heated
• Give positive feedback
• Discourage criticism
• Refer to points and ideas by title not the person
  who presented them
• Make the space comfortable. Arrive early!

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Facilitators - Fine Tune Your Skills

• Participation
• Recognize speakers and get everyone involved
• Encourage everyone to speak their mind
• Encourage creativity

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Facilitators - Fine Tune Your Skills

• Pulling it All Together!
• Sum up what has been said / agreed upon
• Use resources to list / show points for all to
  review
• Know if / when a decision cannot be made, why and
  what is needed to proceed
• Make sure everyone understands the decision when
  one is made

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Learning Objectives

• Having completed this workshop you should now be
  able to
• Design, plan and prepare for effective meetings
• Explain the role of the facilitator before and
  during a meeting
• Differentiate between when to facilitate and when
  to lead during meetings
• Handle the dynamics of challenging group
  situations
• Effectively direct the energies and talents of a
  group to achieve the defined objectives and/ or
  outcomes defined for the meeting
• Facilitate a group from ideas to actions

41
CAP 108 The Fundamentals of Effective Meeting
and Facilitation Skills