{"id":4728,"date":"2021-02-05T12:49:55","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T10:49:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bernhardschloss.de\/blog\/?p=4728"},"modified":"2021-02-05T13:07:17","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T11:07:17","slug":"facilitation-explained-playfully","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bernhardschloss.de\/blog\/facilitation-explained-playfully\/","title":{"rendered":"Facilitation explained „playfully“"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Facilitation is something magical to make meetings, workshops, projects or processes successful. Usually blog posts here are in German so this is an exception. It is a translation of the previous post<\/a> which is a summary of a small series I recently posted on Twitter and LinkedIn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Definition: Facilitation is a form of moderation supporting a group to meet their goals in meetings, decisions, in problem solving or in processes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Most of our organizational environment is influenced by hierarchical structures – but:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discussions across hierachical structures are seldomly open and free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guess why?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A first step to solve this dilemma could be facilitation: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The introduction of an independent and neutral facilitator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without facilitator the chair is sitting on a throne influecing discussion and results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wanted or not.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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With faciliation the chair becomes an equal member of the team and has the chance to discuss at eye level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The role of the chair becomes much more simple and the chair is able to concentrate on aspects of problem solving and content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Facilitation is seperating between WHAT (content) and HOW (process).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the facilitator keeps his eyes on the process, the participants can focus on the content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An indepndent facilitator focuses on the procedure and its goalsetting but keeps neutral content-wise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Facilitation allows all participants to focus on content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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In an ideal world a facilitator is supported by a recorder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recorders role is to document the results.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Best arguments for facilitation are the neglection of this approach. We all know such bad practice from day-to-day business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Secondary battlefields and parallel diiscussions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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„Sleeping“ during a meeting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Participants mentally quit already and\/or proceed with differnent tasks during a meeting (e.g. checking their mails)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Egomaniacs and self-exposers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Hope you got curious and have a better understanding of facilitaiton right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am preparing facilitation trainings with my colleagues from Visual Braindump<\/a> and LinkedIn-Learning<\/a>. Currently we are focussing on German trainings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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