Group Dynamics and Facilitated Workshops

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Group Dynamics and Facilitated Workshops

• Simon French
• simon.french_at_mbs.ac.uk

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General Issues
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A facilitator helps a group by ...

• encouraging members to contribute
• assuming responsibility for accurate
  communication
• protecting minority views
• being sensitive to unexpressed feelings and
  views
• calming conflict by keeping the group
  task-oriented
• summarising the position at appropriate points
• generally, keeping the discussion moving and
  focused on the task in hand.

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Process not Content

• In your mind, separate
• process
• content
• Your role is to watch, mind, smooth, catalyse and
  deliver the process.
• The content is not your responsibility.
• Ideally you should be (or behave as if you are)
  ignorant of content.
• Volunteer content at your peril!

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Key Tip

• Dont volunteer content
• If the group needs content input
• Ask the group as a whole Are we clear on what
  we mean by
• Ask a member of the group a (neutral) question
• If you must offer content, explicitly step out of
  role.

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Clarify Objectives

• Be clear on
• Project objectives
• Meeting objectives
• Explore and agree meeting objectives at the
  beginning of the meeting
• Use meeting objectives to focus process
• Evaluate meeting in terms of objectives at close

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Key Tip

• When you feel lost, focus on the objectives

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Live with the uncertainty

• You have to live with the uncertainty of the
  process.
• Your confidence gives the group the confidence to
  trust in your control of the process while they
  think about content.

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Key Tip

• Be confident in success
• Always be (outwardly!) confident
• From the moment that the workshop is proposed
• At the beginning of the meeting
• During the meeting

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Before the meeting
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Initially

• Invite participants with letter
• objectives
• location, arrival and departure times
• no time-outs, no side meetings, no partial
  attendance
• Be clear on whose meeting it is
• Discuss confidentiality

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Plan the environment

• Ensure everyone can see everyone
• face-to-face discussion
• tables get in the way
• Nameplates
• Chairs comfortable enough
• not to fidget
• but not to sleep
• Analysts computer screen can distract
• participants should only see projected output
• Know where the toilets are
• and ensure people can get to them quietly

• Have enough white-boards/flipcharts
• pens, post-its, blutac,
• Break-out rooms
• sign-posting
• Drinks, sweets, biscuits
• ease of reach
• no noisy wrapping papers
• Lighting, fresh air, heating
• Know the controls
• Watch during the meeting
• Above all, have some clear space in which to
  facilitate

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Schedule refreshments, etc

• Build a broad plan of the meeting
• Coffee
• Meal breaks
• After lunch walk
• As a group!!!
• Evening
• As a group!!!

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Find out who is coming!

• You should know and welcome all participants
• Introduce yourself as they arrive but dont get
  into deep conversation, especially about the
  content of the meeting

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Beginning of Meeting
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Opening

• Welcome everyone and thank them for coming
• making clear that you value their time
• get the sponsor to say some words of welcome
• Introduce team and roles
• Get them to introduce themselves
• maybe writing nameplates
• you need to be able to address each one
  individually
• Give rough (domestic) schedule of event
• Rules of event
• Switch off mobiles!
• Warn them they are going to work.
• Explore and confirm meeting objectives

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Brainstorm issues and concerns

• Brainstorm ? no evaluation
• Check lists as catalysts
• SWOT
• PEST
• Soft modelling section in Nadia and my notes.

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Key Tip

• Get issues on the table before discussion

• At the opening of the meeting they will be
  unconstrained by any immediately previous
  discussion so get their first thoughts out
  without comment or evaluation.

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During Meeting
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Include everyone

• A non-contributor may have something to say!
• May be shy
• There may be authority issues
• May be shut out by rest of group, who can guess
  what he or she is going to say!
• And they dont want to hear it!!!!

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Recognise individuals

• The group has a life of its own but
  recognise individuals as they are
• People can behave differently by the day/hour
  they may not play consistent roles
• So watch their characteristics throughout and
  communicate and interact accordingly.
• Belbins group roles
• Douglass cultural theory and risk attitude
• politically incorrect stereotypes

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Belbins Roles (1)
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Belbins Roles (2)
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Belbins Roles (3)
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Cultural Theory

• Individualist/Entrepreneurs risks present
  opportunity, save those that threaten freedom of
  choice and action within free markets.
• Hierarchists fear threats to social order and
  believe technological and environmental risks can
  be managed within set limits.
• Fatalists do not knowingly accept risks but
  accept what is in store for them.
• Egalitarians fear risks to the environment, the
  collective good and future generations.

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Politically Incorrect

• Male/Female
• Not always genetic!!!
• Racial/regional
• Hofstede
• Wright/Phillips

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Risk Perception and Communication

• Behavioural perception and response to risk not
  always Science-based
• Fright Factors (cancer, children, uncontrollable,
  unknown, )
• experts are human too!!!
• Communication with public
• via media
• media triggers (crime, cover-up, children at
  risk, incompetence)
• cival servants/politicians sensitive to media
  issues

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Symbols, Icons, Words

• Watch for words or events that all (most) of the
  group react to
• Find out why there was a reaction
• example SWOT ? Threat
• Use/create such iconic events
• example Shut in with problem

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Key Tip

• Continually ask yourself why are they saying
  that?

• Why is an individual behaving in that way?
• What is driving their (lack of?) concern?
• How will they hear the words that I and others
  use?
• BUT also watch for those not saying anything!

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Use white-boards, flip charts well

• Continually plan the layout
• will this information be needed later?
• does it relate to other material on another
  board?
• Use colour consistently
• Write clearly and large enough to be read
• lowercase is easier to read than upper case
• Post-its can be moved!
• Have an assistant recording boards and key points
  for reports

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Watch Schedule/Environment

• You are responsible for the
• room
• environment
• taking breaks
• outside noises
• Your task is to keep them task focused

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Key Tip

• Continually ask yourself Are they comfortable,
  awake, attentive?

• Is something physical in the room
• discomforting them?
• distracting them?
• Can they see/participate?
• If I am feeling it, they are!

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Groupthink

• Causes
• highly cohesive
• insulated from many external influences
• lacking in procedures for evaluating and
  reviewing alternatives
• under the influence of a strong, directive
  leader
• under some stress, e.g. urgency.
• Symptoms
• a false belief in the invulnerability of the
  group
• a common belief in the innate morality of their
  decision
• direct internal pressure to conform
• an unquestioned and unanimous rationalisation of
  their choice.
• Treatment
• questions, questions, questions!!!!

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Drive, dont lead!

• You need to keep the group
• focused
• creative
• but you should not lead
• Ask neutral questions initially and then
  questions that challenge ideas
• Indeed, try to work through questions so that
  they answer and it is their work.

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Analysis via questions

• Create questions
• Question questions
• Answer questions(run model)
• Question answers

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Who represents the public?

• Once the meeting is going
• group forms
• the outside is no longer in the room
• So you represent the public and other
  stakeholders
• via questions
• what would ??? say if ???

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Modelling

• Requisite
• sufficient for task
• start simple and add!
• use sensitivity analysis
• Capture key understandings
• and note capture
• Explain the model as you go
• and recap regularly

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Key Tip

• If you get very lost take a break!

• reflect on objectives
• take advice from your support team
• get some fresh air

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End of meeting
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Conclusion

• Summarise and agree conclusions
• Summarise and agree actions
• what, who, when
• Reflect on meeting objectives and outcomes, but
  do not evaluate the group
• Agree on levels of confidentiality

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Within 2 days

• Thank you letter/email
• Action list
• Set expectations of next steps
• when report will be available (soon!)

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Final Tip

• Trust the group give them the time and space and
  they will deliver