Facilitation … talking to yourself.

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Talk to yourself! It might be the best conversation you ever had. Talking to yourself takes on a whole new dimension when facilitating. How many internal conversations do you have going on within your head when you are facilitating? I have learned to value and intentionally listen to these conversations. When I start to feel the buzz in my brain that may indicate a variety of emotions – anxiety, excitement, nervousness, passion – I now pause and think about what is going on. facilitation Calgary

I use two excellent sources for self-reflection. I learned the Focused Conversation Method ToPTM from ICA Associates Inc. (http://ica-associates.ca/). This method, called an ORID, guides an individual or a group through a flow of Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, and Decisional perspectives. When I am facilitating with a group and feel that something is happening that needs to be examined, I initially use an ORID in my head to assess the situation. I ask myself: facilitation Calgary

O – What do I hear and see?

R – How do I feel about it?

I – What do I think the group participants are feeling and thinking?

D – Do I need to share my observations with the group?

The second source is the Mutual Learning Cycle from The Skilled Facilitator by Roger Schwarz (http://www.schwarzassociates.com/). With this method, I talk to myself by:

  •  Observing – What do I see and hear?, then,
  • Making Meaning – decide what I see and hear means, and then,
  • Choosing whether it is worthwhile to say something about what I see, hear and think to the group.

Using these methods helps me stay calm when facilitating; which in turn, enables me to support the group in achieving better discussions and decisions. facilitation Calgary

My facilitation question is: How do you intentionally reflect about what is happening while you are facilitating?

Facilitation … talking to yourself.