Design & Facilitation

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A receipe for productive meetings of minds - part 2 (facilitation)

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We have all seen people in charge of a meeting who act like a traffic cop, giving the floor to this one and then that one without synthesizing or drawing conclusions. You may also have had the unpleasant experience of attending a meeting or an event during which powerful voices clash with one another and the rest of the participants are bystanders as personal agendas are played out.

Thus, a second important requirement for good meetings is skillful facilitation. The meeting chair needs to know how to facilitate the interactions between the people in the room in such a way that it reduces negative dynamics and helps people to listen to each other’s ideas in a respectful manner. We need meeting chairs to help people build on each other’s ideas rather than diminish them and draw people together around common goals and/or a shared vision; a goal or a vision that requires everyone’s good ideas, not just those from a few powerful and loud-voiced individuals.

Participation does not happen by itself, it needs to be structured

Think about structure: self-selected groups versus assigned groups, which depends on how much trust or safety there is in the larger group; working in small groups allows for parallel processing (several groups working on the same task in parallel). If you do this, make sure you budget adequate time for group presentations. Include time for individual thinking time (the introverts and minorities in the group will thank you for that). As a rule of thumb start with individual thinking, then paired sharing or sharing in a small group, then large group sharing. This ensures that everyone contributes independent of gender, rank and status.

Flow and rhythm

We are most creative when there is a flow/rhythm that allows all parts of us to be engaged: our intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual sides. Thus plan for activities that engage the brain, the heart, the spirit and the body. Refer to deeply held values, acknowledge/vent emotions, make space for passion and excitement, use visuals, music, and have people move; sitting still for hours is not natural for human beings.

Learn how to ‘read’ a group

Recognize when people are getting bored or restless, notice when people walk in and out of the room a lot or are focused on their cellphones or computers. It is a sign that they are not fully engaged and find other things more important. It is a piece of data for you. Become more comfortable with silence; recognize signs of sleepiness in your audience, tension (nervous laughter, eye-rolling). Pay attention when too few people speak too much. Recognize whispering and side conversations as a sign of something else going on. Ignoring all this is at your own peril.

When in doubt about what is happening, ask!

Share your perceptions, concerns, hypotheses of what might be going on with the group or simply state – something is not right, please help me. If you were right you can enlist the group to address the issue; if you were wrong, move on, in each case you have created a break which was obviously needed anyway.

Support each new activity with visuals which spell out objectives and tasks (if any)

Some people need that kind of structure, even if you don’t. It can also serve you as a road map for the duration of the event.

Provide hand-outs

Tell people up front that you will give them copies of the slides or relevant materials. Some of this needs to be presented before the meeting, some at the beginning and some at the end. Think about this because there are choices to be made. Sometimes, when people are busy taking notes they become passive participants. In that case it is better to provide handouts with the text of slides so they don’t have to copy text from slides.

Make a habit of doing a reflection at the end of your gathering

Whether a short meeting or a multi-day workshop, conduct a reflection at the end: review what you did, what you decided and check how people felt about the process an accomplishments. Make sure you budget adequate time for this - don’t sacrifice this to save time!

Off track/recovery

Use the focus question (see part 1. Design) to refocus the discussions or deliberations when you see people going off track. Frequently look at the question (posted clearly on a flipchart or on the agenda) to make sure the group remains on track. Ask yourself if what you are doing now will get you to an answer or decision (assuming that is what you want). If you realize that the conversation is going off on a side topic re-read the question and, if you are not sure what to do, ask for help in getting back to the focus question.

Use a ‘Parking Lot’ for off-topic but important issues that arise.

A parking lot is an empty flipchart posted on the side where you can write topics you cannot discuss in the time available. You temporarily ‘park’ them there. Make sure that you agree on what to do with these topics (when and where to revisit them) in your closing reflection. If you are not doing that then there is no point in writing the topics down.

Unscheduled breaks

If you feel you have lost control of the groups (chaos) or when someone has hijacked the meeting, or if you are confused about what to do next call a 5 minute stretch break and consult with trusted colleagues on how to proceed.

Time budget

If you commit to starting and ending on time it means you have a fixed budget of hours and minutes, not one that can stretch endlessly into the afternoon or evening. Plan for late starts and afternoon energy ‘dips’ as you prepare your time budget.

Norms

Norm setting at the beginning of an event is only a good use of time if you make the group responsible for enforcing them. When people use abstract terms such as ‘respect each other’ ask them what that means and how it would manifest itself to avoid the ritual of mindless norm setting. Avoid becoming the enforcer yourself, or having a junior person identified as enforcer as they can never confront senior people with transgressions. Avoid monetary sanctions. This usually punishes the low power people as no one dares to exact fines from senior ones; besides you now have a problem of cash and who will manage it. Sometimes people will suggest that late comers dance or sing, but this tends to be enforced for a while and then no longer. The best remedy for late comers is to not wait for them before starting. If your event is exciting enough they will soon realize that they are missing out by coming late.

Be a model

Be a model to the group with regard to all stated norms. Check them regular to monitor yourself. Arrive at the venue before anyone else, start and end on time for breaks and closing. In workshops, if people keep coming in late, make it a topic of discussion and come to an agreement.

The flow of the conversations

Standing with your back to a dominant speaker sometimes helps to silence her/him; similarly walking up to, or standing right in back of a shy person sometimes draws them out. Standing in front center makes you the leader and conversations will always go via you; withdraw to the side, squat or sit down between the participants will redirect the flow of conversation between participants.

Changing perspectives

You can change dynamics and people’s perspective by asking them periodically to sit someplace else in the room. This will also break up clusters of friends or colleagues and provide opportunity to meet or get to know others.

Use the wisdom that is in the room

Although you may be the meeting chairperson, the boss, the director, head trainer or facilitator, you can never have all the answers and you don’t need to have all the answers. Asking good questions is a thousand times more useful than given an answer to every question. When asked a question throw it back at the questioner or ask someone else n the group if they know. There is often more knowledge and wisdom in the room than we recognize.

A recipe for a productive meetings of minds, of any kind- part 1 (design)

We are all familiar with meetings that are not adequately (or not at all) prepared, meetings that are not well timed, without a focus or clarity about their desired outcome. Sometimes the one who has called the meeting controls the gathering so much that we feel our attendance is useless and we are wasting our time. The chair talks too much, the presenter has a bottomless supply of often poorly constructed PowerPoint slides to show, which use up all the time, leaving the attendants passive, voiceless and powerless.

A well designed meeting or event is easier to facilitate than a meeting or event that is not or poorly designed. Thus, good design is the first requirement for skillful meeting management and facilitation.

We have all seen people in charge of a meeting who act like a traffic cop, giving the floor to this one and then that one without synthesizing or drawing conclusions. We also all have had the unpleasant experiences of attending a meeting in which powerful voices clash with one another and the rest of the participants are bystanders as personal agendas are played out.

Let's focus on design first.

Considering how much time people spend in meetings, the cost of a poorly designed meeting is high. The cost doesn’t just include the time participants are spending away from their other tasks but also associated budget items such as food and technical support. Good meeting design and management is a therefore a skill that saves money.

But it does more, good meeting design, produces events that align people, inspire them, focus them, inform them in ways that lift spirits rather than demoralize them. Well designed meetings make us want to work with others towards common goals. Poor meeting planning and design make us want to do things on our own. There is a saying, “if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go with others.” The second option requires good meeting design.

Designing an event – key design questions

1. Objectives, desired outcomes, focus

What do you want the session to accomplish? What outcomes do you want to emerge from the meeting? This is the most important and critical first question to ask. As the saying goes, "If you don't know where you are going any way will get you there." Without an answer to this question you will not have any basis for deciding what activities, speakers or materials to select, how long the event will be and who should be invited.

A focus question: a central question which this event hopes to answer - stated usually as a phrase beginning with the words HOW do we...or WHAT will be. Some people call this the overarching objective, purpose, overall goal, etc.

Learning objectives: what should the participants know or be able to do as a result of having participated.

Experiential objectives: what do you want the group or the individuals to experience (a certain mood, feeling, confidence, alignment, enthusiasm, excitement, a sense of wonder, discovery, a climate of trust, etc.).

Other objectives: what other things do you hope to accomplish through this session (establish a network, reward risk taking, build a team, etc.)

2. Evaluation

Articulate each objective until it is crystal clear to an outsider, and then answer the question: how will you know whether you have accomplished it? Can you measure it? Brainstorm on how you might measure each objective. If you cannot think of a way, try to rewrite the objective in such a way that you can measure it without sacrificing what you want to accomplish.

3. People

Who should be involved?

in the design itself

in managing and facilitating the process

in producing the outcomes (in other words, who should be invited)

in 'blessing' the outcomes (this is the voice of authority, what will give the event and its results credibility)

Consider who has to implement outcomes, who is affected by outcomes, who might undermine outcomes, who might support implementation of outcomes.

4. Time

What are the time constraints? How much time do you have for the actual session(s)? Take into consideration local norms of arriving late, leaving early, breaks running over time, etc. Make sure you budget time for final reflections, evaluations. Be realistic about the amount of time you will actually have for the substance of the event itself (75% of available time is a good rule of thumb).

5. Space/place

What are the space/place constraints? Can you easily move furniture to create small group settings? Is there space to hang flipcharts on the wall, is it allowed? Is there room for a projector, screen? What audio-visual resources are available? Do they work?

6. Activities

How are you going to get to the desired outcomes? Brainstorm on each of the learning, experiential and other objectives: what might you do/what activities might get you there? You will have to have answered question 1 and 2 before you can do this. Ask yourself: “how else might I reach that objective?” Having others’ input here will help to make your design stronger and more creative. Test your ideas with those in positions of power and authority, people whose support you want.

7. Liveliness

How can you build liveliness into the design and engage not only the brain, but also the heart and the entire body? Is it appropriate to have music (ask!), colorful posters on the wall, show relevant videos? Are there times when people can get up and move to another table or to another part of the room? Is there a good rhythm of plenaries, small group work, paired conversations, with not too much of any of those in a row? Is there a possibility of a field trip to see something in action? A skype interview with someone?

8. Styles

How can you make the design relevant, appropriate and appealing to people with different preferences/styles of working? Are you providing conceptual frameworks as well as a chance to try practical applications or other hands on experiences? Is there a chance to experience something and reflect on the experience?

9. Celebration

What, when, and how might you celebrate? This depends on the context. In some instances a celebration is called for, and can take the form of public acknowledgements, prizes, food, music/songs/skits, a party, a dinner, a social event, etc.


The physiology of conversations going south and how to change direction

If you have ever sat through, led or facilitated a meeting or event that you’d rather not remember, read on. I’d like to share a few thoughts and insights with you that shed some light on the role of our brain in producing or perpetuating great or horrible meetings, relationships and conversations.

I do not claim more than a superficial understanding of the neurochemistry of conversations, but what I have learned over the last 7 months has opened new worlds for me.

We don’t usually talk about meetings, relationships or conversations that have gone south, unless maybe with a trusted spouse, friend or colleague, where we can vent, spew our frustrations and be the hero of our story. I suspect with others we’d rather not advertise such meetings or conversations, especially when we were supposed to have managed them well, lest our clients, supervisors, or colleagues will lose confidence in us, give us a bad rating, and think twice about giving us a similar assignment in the future. Yet if we don’t talk about them we cannot learn or understand what happened, and in the process learn something about ourselves, our skills and what we need to better understand or work on, to avoid repeat experiences.

Events that produce stress, that are toxic and do not produce intended results are obviously costly. Even if all we wanted was consensus at the end and we believe we got it, consensus in such an atmosphere may not be consensus at all. I call this pseudo consensus. Pseudo consensus happens when people with divergent opinions don’t want to rock the boat, don’t dare to stand up to majority opinion, or simply feel too small to have an opinion at all.

The more serious costs associated with such events is what happens afterwards. We may feel less secure in our ability, lose confidence and experience stress that lingers, especially if we were already worried about how others see us. 

This is what happens when we are stressed: we produce hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, or testosterone that bind to receptors all over our body. These hormones mobilize our energy, increase blood flow, increase our heart rate and breathing rate, heighten our awareness, enhance our memory, and prepare us to either fight or flee. Even if we do none of those things, these hormones think we will. And if they are not suppressed, the good work of these hormones turns bad.

What I have learned to understand is that in stressful situations, whether acute or lingering, our limbic system (buried deep inside our brain) determines quicker than the time to read this sentence what is necessary for survival, which today is more likely to be psychological than physical survival. When our competence is being questioned, or when we feel psychologically attacked, the body prepares to come to our rescue as if there is an emergency. The amygdala, a section within the limbic system, detects fear and prepares our body for such emergency events and the stress hormones start flowing.

Most of us have, at some point in time, experienced what Daniel Goleman calls ‘an amygdala hijack.’ This is when we experience an overwhelming emotional response that is out of proportion to the stimulus because it has triggered a significant emotional threat. After such a hijack we usually explain our behavior to others by saying ‘I wasn’t myself.’ If ‘myself’ is how we describe ourselves when the most developed part of our brain, the prefrontal cortex (PFC), is in control, than this is accurate. 

The sooner we are aware of what is happening (the limbic system taking control and the PFC shutting down) the quicker we can recover. Our ancestors in their infinite wisdom knew exactly how to respond to this loss of control (and our grandson is learning this in preschool), which is to count to ten. The counting to ten moves the steering wheel back to the PFC and we can think with more clarity about our responses and actions and consider their consequences. But when the stress is significant this shifting of control gets to be difficult. As Amy Arnsten, Professor of neuroscience and Psychology at Yale University, describes “Under conditions of psychological stress the amygdala activates stress pathways in the hypothalamus and brainstem, which evokes high levels of noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) release. This impairs Prefrontal cortex (PFC) regulation but strengthens amygdala function, thus setting up a ‘vicious cycle’.”

For people living in toxic environments, either at work, at home or both, stress is a constant. This causes a continuous spraying of stress hormones in their bodies. These hormones, which are helping with survival in small doses, start doing the contrary when they are not turned off. We already know that stress makes us sick, but here is why, according to Dina Aronson:

“Cortisol functions to reduce inflammation in the body, which is good, but over time, these efforts to reduce inflammation also suppress the immune system. Chronic inflammation, caused by lifestyle factors such as poor diet and stress, helps to keep cortisol levels soaring, wreaking havoc on the immune system. An unchecked immune system responding to unabated inflammation can lead to myriad problems: an increased susceptibility to colds and other illnesses, an increased risk of cancer, the tendency to develop food allergies, an increased risk of an assortment of gastrointestinal issues (because a healthy intestine is dependent on a healthy immune system), and possibly an increased risk of autoimmune disease.” 

For me the takeaway from all these neurochemical processes is that we need to be aware of our own fight or flight responses, and stop the limbic brain from being in control. When confronted with an environment that causes stress Judith Glaser, organizational anthropologist and author of Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results, suggests we move to a higher level of conversation. We can do this by:

  1. Trying to silence the voice that judges ‘those others who don’t get it,’ because the judging causes reactions in the other that produce the kinds of hormones that will spoil the broth;

  2. Stop trying to convince others that we know Truth, that we have the answer or solution that the others need and stop telling (or selling or yelling) to make others use our stuff;

  3. Start asking the kind of questions for which we have no answers; questions that show we are curious, that we care, and that we are open to influence.

All these behaviors will shift the energy in the room and change direction to go to the proverbial north (as opposed to 'south'). By inviting others to share, to discover new possibilities and show that we truly care, we release oxytocin instead of cortisol (or adrenaline or testosterone). Oxytocin is known as the bonding or cuddle hormone. A good spraying of oxytocin invites others to care as well, to open up, which then bolsters their courage to give voice to what concerns them, to be candid and become vulnerable. And when that happens everything becomes possible, or to use Judith Glaser words, “To get to the next level of greatness depends on the quality of the culture, which depends on the quality of the relationships, which depends on the quality of the conversation. Everything happens through conversations.”