2. MEETING FACILITATION Presented by: Prof. John Barkai William S
MEETING FACILITATION Presented by: Prof. John Barkai William S. Richardson School of Law University of Hawaii

6. Facilitator
Recorder
Group Memory

7. Negotiation & Mediation
Regular Meeting
Special Task Force
Negotiation & Mediation

9. Purpose & desired outcome Meeting roles: Facilitator, Recorder, Member
FACILITATION KEYS
Process v. Content
Purpose & desired outcome
Meeting roles:
Facilitator, Recorder, Member
Group memory
"Facilitator talk"
Ground rules
Facilitation often uses consensus decision-making

10. FACILITATION KEYS
Detailed, visual agenda
Decision making:
prefer consensus
accept voting
Preventions:
- ground rules
- process suggestions agreed to by group
Interventions
enforcing ground rules
dealing with difficult people
Room arrangement
Start and end on time

11. Stakeholders
Clarify positions, interests & emotions
Opening & introductions
Brainstorm lists
Narrowing
prioritize or rank order (N/3)
greatest hopes & fears
strengths / weaknesses
develop criteria & use
Balance MBTI types:
E & I: Talk-a-lots; talk-a-littles
J & P: Quick deciders; never deciders
Creating time lines
Next steps:
get volunteers or assign homework

12. KEY INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL MEETING
The group must agree upon
a content focus
and
a process focus

13. CONTENT is: WHAT is accomplished
What is discussed
The problem being dealt with
Whatever is acted on
The subject matter of the meeting
The END
PROCESS is: HOW things are accomplished
How the content is discussed
How the group holds its meeting
The MEANS

14. Meeting Purpose: "WHY" the meeting is being held or
"what" it is intended to accomplish.

15. Products or results you want to have at the end of the meeting
Desired Outcome
Products or results you want to have at the end of the meeting

16. Mission Statement Vision Statement Values Statement
Strategic Planning
Mission Statement
Vision Statement
Values Statement

17. FOCUS ON PROCESS Provide or be a process facilitator
Use ground rules agreed to in advance
Make process suggestions and hold the group to them (unless they want to go elsewhere)
Manage the MBTI tensions

18. LEADER'S OBLIGATION TO SPEND TIME
IN ORDER TO SAVE TIME
Plan for the meeting
Set an agenda
Distribute materials in advance
Minimize "information only" time and meetings
(send it, don't tell it)

19. MEETING FACILITATION
1. Negotiation
Position, interests, BATNA
2. Communication
Questioning, active listening, reframing
3. Mediation
Diamond Model: collect then decide
Set ground rules
Focus on future, not the past
4. MBTI
E v. I tensions
J v. P tensions
5. Meeting Facilitation
Preventions
Interventions

20. Focus on task

21. GROUND RULES

22. Ground Rules are standards for meeting behavior that are agreed to by the whole group at the beginning of the meeting
The facilitator asks the group for the power to enforce the ground rules during the meeting

23. Ground Rules Courtesy It’s ok to disagree Listen as an ally
Everyone participates, no one person dominates
Limited air time; No one talks 1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.
The first person to raise a hand should not always speak first
Honor time limits

24. Preventions & Interventions

25. Using Preventions
Get agreement on desired outcomes, agenda, roles, decision making, and ground rules
Make a process suggestion
Get agreement on how the group will proceed
Reviewing and checking for agreement on important meeting start-up items.
“Before we get into our agenda for today, I’d like to make sure we all agree on how we’re going to work together...”
Suggesting a way for the group to proceed
“I’d suggest looking at criteria before trying to evaluate options.”
Checking for agreement on a process that has been suggested
“Is everyone willing to identify criteria first?”
Listen as an ally
Listening to understand before evaluating
Listen positively, not as an adversary
“Let me be sure I understand your view of the problem. You’re saying that...Is that right? Now I’d like to express my view.”

26. Using Interventions Avoid Process Battles Enforce Process Agreements
Preventing lengthy arguments about which is the “right” way to proceed.
Pointing out that a number of approaches will work and getting agreement on one to use to start.
“Can we agree to cover both issues in the remaining time?...OK, which do you want to start with?”
Enforce Process Agreements
Reminding the group of a previous agreement
“We agreed to brainstorm, you’re starting to evaluate the ideas. Would you hold onto that idea for now?”

27. Using Interventions Accept/legitimize/deal with or defer
A positive method for dealing with difficult people or situations that might get a meeting off track. Accept the idea without agreeing or disagreeing. Legitimize it by writing it on the group memory. Then decide as a group if the issue/idea is more appropriately dealt with her or deferred to another time. Record ideas or issues that are deferred and agree on when they will be addressed.
“You may not be convinced we’re getting anywhere? That’s OK, you may be right. Would you be willing to hang on for 10 more minutes and see what happens?”
“Thanks for raising this issue that wasn’t on the agenda. Do we need to address that now or should we put it on the Issues List for our next meeting?”

28. Examples of PROCESS: Brainstorming Prioritizing Suggesting Listing
Discussing
Organizing
Evaluating
Deciding

29. Decision Making Methods
Voting
Consensus

30. What is a Consensus Decision?
A consensus decision is reached when each participant can honestly say:
“I may or may not prefer this decision, but I can and will support it because it was reached fairly and openly, with genuine understanding of the different points of view, and it is the best solution for us at this time.”

31. Fist of Five
Fist “Yes” I can say an unqualified “yes” to the decision. I am satisfied that the decision is, all things considered, a reasonable expression of the group’s wisdom.
2 Fingers “yes, but...” I find the decision perfectly acceptable.
3 Fingers “OK!” I can and will live with the decision even though I’m not especially enthusiastic about it.
4 Fingers “OK, but...” I do not fully agree with the decision and need to register my view to the group about it.
5 Fingers “NO.” I do not agree with the decision and feel the need to stand in the way of this decision being accepted.

32. 3 Forms of Facilitation The Classic: Tricky Work:
Neutral, Independent Facilitator and Recorder
Tricky Work:
Group Leader as Facilitator (and Recorder)
The Most Delicate Work:
Group Member Provides Facilitative Input

33. LEADER AS FACILITATOR Ground Rules -explain and enforce ground rules
-post rules in the meeting room
GROUP MEMORY
-document with group memory
-record where all can see
AGENDA
-set detailed agenda
-distribute agenda & handouts before meeting
USE FACILITATOR TALK
-clarify and summarize ideas
-define next steps, set time-lines, record names of the people responsible

34. LEADER AS FACILITATOR PLANNING
-have the "right" people and "right" number of people
TIME
-have definite start and stop times
PROCESS
-establish desired outcomes & procedures
-determine the decision-making process
-get input from "all" members to prevent objections and undermining
OTHER
-train others to be facilitators

35. GROUP MEMBERS FACILITATE FROM THEIR SEAT
GROUND RULES
-suggest that facilitator establish & enforce ground rules
GROUP MEMORY
-bring a flip chart into the room
-suggest the leader write on the board
ATTITUDE
-be open minded
-be focused
USE FACILITATOR TALK
-use active listening
-ask questions of others during the meeting to clarify, summarize, and increase participation

36. GROUP MEMBERS FACILITATE FROM THEIR SEAT
PLANNING
-discuss with leader before the meeting
-suggest that future meetings have a set agenda and establish ground rules
TIME
-inform leader of your own time schedule
-reinforce time constraints
PROCESS
-offer to be the facilitator
-recommend rotating the facilitator role
OTHER
-sit with new or different group members
-give the leader a book on how to run a meeting