In our blog of November last year, we said, “Facilitation is a skill. It can be learned”. In that blog, we offered some thoughts about how to facilitate, and some of the considerations you need to bear in mind. We also promised some thoughts about dealing with those difficult issues you sometimes get when you are facilitating. Here are some answers to them.
This blog is part of our continuing series on the Futures Toolkit, refreshed by SAMI Consulting in conjunction with the Government Office for Science, bringing extra depth to the Toolkit itself.
When you facilitate groups, you can encounter some people whom you find more difficult than others. Here are some disruptive behaviours you might encounter, along with ideas on how you can manage them. Always choose a response that feels right for you – to be effective, you need to be authentic; it needs to work for you. As a facilitator, it is your role to be supportive and encouraging, to create a safe space, and, above all, to be kind.
Each issue follows with some ideas on why it might be happening and a list of responses you can explore and try.
Issue: Dominating the discussion; being overly talkative
The person might be quite knowledgeable in the topic area or have the topic as a pet project. They might be a natural extrovert and like to talk. They may feel the need to impress others. They probably think they should be listened to.
Some suggestions about what you might do are:
Summarise and paraphrase what the person has said to ensure that you understand and that they feel heard. Ensure you have accurately captured what they said on a flipchart or whiteboard.
If the topic is raised again, you can point to what has been captured and written down. Ask what has been missed. Move on.
Sometimes, people are just very excited and enthusiastic; acknowledge their enthusiasm and help them understand the structure and constraints of the session so you can move on.
Issue: Rambling or talking about other things, off-subject
The person might want to sound knowledgeable and, therefore, talk about something they know about. Some people find it hard to explain things or summarise key points. They might have misunderstood the session's focus, or the question asked. They may have a pet project that they feel very strongly about and want to bring to the discussion.
Some suggestions about what you might do are:
Summarise and paraphrase what the person has said to ensure that you understand and that they feel heard. Make sure that you have accurately captured what they said on a flipchart or whiteboard (and check with them that you have).
Remind people of the agenda, if it is off topic. Ask how it relates if you think that might work.
You might like to capture it on a flipchart or whiteboard in a ‘Safe’, so it is not forgotten. You can then refer to it if it comes up again. Do not forget to review the ‘Safe’ at the end of the session and ask the person what they would like you to do with it. If you can and agree to do it, make arrangements to do so. If you can’t, let them know. Don’t leave it hanging…
Issue: Lack of participation
The person could be shy, introverted, or new to their position/role in the organisation. They might also be distracted or bored, or they may not feel comfortable speaking in front of more senior colleagues.
Some suggestions about what you might do are:
Create different ways of contributing – writing things on stickies and putting up on flipchart or whiteboard.
Suggest that the group work in pairs or trios where it might be easier for the quiet person to speak.
We often call on everyone individually, ensuring that they all have a chance to speak. This may be uncomfortable for the quieter ones, but it ensures that you have the full engagement of all the participants.
You might like to speak to them on a break, find out what is happening for them, and ask how you can make it easier for them to contribute. Always in foresight work, the more diversity, contribution, and ideas, the better.
Issue: Argumentative
The person might like arguing, be very competitive, or be very passionate about the topic. Different cultures have different tolerances for argumentativeness.
Some suggestions about what you might do are:
Stay calm and don’t feel undermined
Summarise back what has been said, capture it on a sticky
Make sure that the person feels heard and acknowledged
Suggest moving on. Sometimes, you may need to use the ‘Safe’ (see above).
The nuclear option is to exclude the argumentative member. They are not the only person there - everyone has skin in the game. If they do not adapt their behaviour, you can ask them to leave. Think hard before you do this – it can in itself be disruptive – but it is a choice available to you.
Our next blog on facilitation will examine why you need to facilitate at all, the benefits of bringing groups together online or face to face, and why the collaborative nature of futures thinking complements, but cannot be replaced by, one person (or one AI) working alone.
Written by Jonathan Blanchard Smith, SAMI Director and Patricia Lustig, SAMI Principal
The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily of SAMI Consulting.
Achieve more by understanding what the future may bring. We bring skills developed over thirty years of international and national projects to create actionable, transformative strategy. Futures, foresight and scenario planning to make robust decisions in uncertain times. Find out more at www.samiconsulting.co.uk
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