Here’s what to do when you’re in the poo – the subtle art of not winging it
Being labelled or known as a ‘facilitator’ can be a source of grief and pain.
Now, this may sound really weird coming from someone who’s being using facilitation as the basis of their business for 20+ years, but stick with me on this…
In a previous life employed within a large organisation, I was known as the guy who ‘facilitates’.
And whilst I was passionate about using facilitation to support change, being the facilitation guy had its burdens. Like during the middle of a team meeting, when things started getting a bit tense and my supervisor turns to me and says, “Andrew, would you mind facilitating this discussion?”
At this point, my evil twin, Andre, was about to emerge and suggest he facilitate his own challenging conversation, but even I thought that could be career-limiting.
I’m not a fan of ‘winging it’ in most things. So this was uncomfortable, with a capital UN!
What would you do in this situation?
For me, it was (i) take a deep breath, (ii) smile (strange how that gets people onside) and (iii) think of a structure I could use.
My ‘friend in a time of need’ structure comes from renowned Canadian facilitation guru, Dorothy Strachan. I’d been to one of her sessions at an IAF conference and she provided the gift of a structure that I’m still using several years on.
That gift? What-So What-Now What.
It’s a simple and powerful structure to facilitate conversations and workshop sessions:
What – what are the facts, knowns, or data we have about the issue?
So What – what does this mean to this group, community or organisation?
Now What – what doable strategies or actions can we put in place to get traction?
This is just one example of the value of getting together with other people using facilitation in their workplace, either on an occasional or regular basis.
Luckily, this year you can do that.
There’s one place where you can:
Get peer feedback and explore key challenges re facilitation
Tap directly into practical ongoing support networks and tools
Experience a range of scenarios in workshop planning and delivery
Connect with experienced facilitators working across a range of sectors
That place is Canberra!
Canberra? Really?
Absolutely! And that’s because it’s the place to be on the 15-17 May for the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) Oceania 2023 Conference.