I hold deep gratitude towards the Genuine Contact Program that has really helped me slow down in my facilitation practice and given me the motto"going slow to go fast". It shows up across the various stages of my work with an assignment.
The first way it shows up (which also is my favourite) is really taking the time to discover the scope of the work with the sponsor (whoever is contracting/ engaging me for the session).
I usually get calls/ emails saying we need a team building workshop or a training on x or a strategy plan workshop and when I meet with the sponsors the conversations straight jump into "management" - where would we do the workshop? what would be the duration (which is usually already pre-decided), what activities or methods will I use? what resources I would need? etc etc etc.... and here is where I love to press the PAUSE button loud and clear and invite the sponsor to go back or at least show me the drawing board -
The above two questions can be quite powerful. The first one really helps me understanding and unfold the past story and help articulate the core purpose of the session. Why is it really needed? It tells me what is the state of the organisation/ participants as they enter into this session. It tells me what the experience of the organisation has been with such workshops in the past (which usually determines why they engage with me in a particular way!). It gives me so much valuable information and particularly the context that surrounds this workshop.
The second question is equally revealing. Very often the focus is so much on the workshop itself - the what, how, who, where, when - that the key question is often left to be answered on its own - what one sees happening AFTER the workshop? How does one see the results being used? What does one see the participants doing in the short term and long term? And somewhere in these answers are the hidden gems. It is in these discussions that often I see the AHAs in the sponsor's eyes. What is it that we really want to achieve with this time that all of will come together for? How will it really serve us - our future?
In a recent assignment in the planning meeting itself I was encouraging the sponsor to think what could happen post the workshop - how could the workshop outcomes meaningfully serve the organisation? And we listed these actions - some that were already planned and some needed to be planned. I requested the sponsor to be part of the opening session where he shared with everyone clearly what is going to happen after the workshop. This gives people clarity. It gives them a sense of trust - that the time they are investing will mean something. It invites them to bring their whole being into the space.
The above conversations are what really help us to co-create the theme, outcomes and duration of the workshops. What is amazing is that very often the planning team (could be different members of leadership or the leadership and the lead person responsible for coordination) have different thoughts on what is really expected from the session - so almost every time they find many AHAs as I run this process with them - not just a like a normal meeting - but using some of the very tools I will use in the session itself.
This is the slow part. After this, the rest just becomes so much clearer. With this depth of clarity it is easier to figure out - the flow of the content, the methods, the duration, venue needs, pre work required, post workshop follow ups to be put in place, the role of leadership in the whole process.
The following tool (Medicine Wheel Tool) is my ever helpful guide to discover the scope of the workshop together with the sponsor.
One of the turning points in my facilitation practice is when I saw opportunity for engagement in not just the actual workshop but all that led up to it- how I have that first call with the client, what questions I invite for reflection in the discovery, how I hold the space for the planning meeting, how I draw up the proposal, how I share the invitation with the participants to the space, how I prepare myself......so many steps even before the actual workshop. It honours the clients - it honours the space that we are holding for conversations that matter - it honours the people who will be in the room - it honours my own being as a facilitator.
[My practice continues to evolve with the Whole Person Process Facilitation module which I experienced with Genuine Contact Trainer Vibha in April 2013 where I learnt the tools and essence shared in this post.]
The first way it shows up (which also is my favourite) is really taking the time to discover the scope of the work with the sponsor (whoever is contracting/ engaging me for the session).
I usually get calls/ emails saying we need a team building workshop or a training on x or a strategy plan workshop and when I meet with the sponsors the conversations straight jump into "management" - where would we do the workshop? what would be the duration (which is usually already pre-decided), what activities or methods will I use? what resources I would need? etc etc etc.... and here is where I love to press the PAUSE button loud and clear and invite the sponsor to go back or at least show me the drawing board -
The above two questions can be quite powerful. The first one really helps me understanding and unfold the past story and help articulate the core purpose of the session. Why is it really needed? It tells me what is the state of the organisation/ participants as they enter into this session. It tells me what the experience of the organisation has been with such workshops in the past (which usually determines why they engage with me in a particular way!). It gives me so much valuable information and particularly the context that surrounds this workshop.
The second question is equally revealing. Very often the focus is so much on the workshop itself - the what, how, who, where, when - that the key question is often left to be answered on its own - what one sees happening AFTER the workshop? How does one see the results being used? What does one see the participants doing in the short term and long term? And somewhere in these answers are the hidden gems. It is in these discussions that often I see the AHAs in the sponsor's eyes. What is it that we really want to achieve with this time that all of will come together for? How will it really serve us - our future?
In a recent assignment in the planning meeting itself I was encouraging the sponsor to think what could happen post the workshop - how could the workshop outcomes meaningfully serve the organisation? And we listed these actions - some that were already planned and some needed to be planned. I requested the sponsor to be part of the opening session where he shared with everyone clearly what is going to happen after the workshop. This gives people clarity. It gives them a sense of trust - that the time they are investing will mean something. It invites them to bring their whole being into the space.
The above conversations are what really help us to co-create the theme, outcomes and duration of the workshops. What is amazing is that very often the planning team (could be different members of leadership or the leadership and the lead person responsible for coordination) have different thoughts on what is really expected from the session - so almost every time they find many AHAs as I run this process with them - not just a like a normal meeting - but using some of the very tools I will use in the session itself.
This is the slow part. After this, the rest just becomes so much clearer. With this depth of clarity it is easier to figure out - the flow of the content, the methods, the duration, venue needs, pre work required, post workshop follow ups to be put in place, the role of leadership in the whole process.
The following tool (Medicine Wheel Tool) is my ever helpful guide to discover the scope of the workshop together with the sponsor.
One of the turning points in my facilitation practice is when I saw opportunity for engagement in not just the actual workshop but all that led up to it- how I have that first call with the client, what questions I invite for reflection in the discovery, how I hold the space for the planning meeting, how I draw up the proposal, how I share the invitation with the participants to the space, how I prepare myself......so many steps even before the actual workshop. It honours the clients - it honours the space that we are holding for conversations that matter - it honours the people who will be in the room - it honours my own being as a facilitator.
[My practice continues to evolve with the Whole Person Process Facilitation module which I experienced with Genuine Contact Trainer Vibha in April 2013 where I learnt the tools and essence shared in this post.]
