Facilitating Work Groups and Public Meetings

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1 Facilitating Work Groups and Public Meetings {Handout} by Office of Community Partnerships University of Alaska Anchorage UAA is an EO/AA Employer and Learning Institution

2 Resource Solutions Resource Solutions is a program in the Office of Community Partnerships at the University of Alaska Anchorage. It offers capacity building opportunities through its workshops and other community services; applies collaborative decision making techniques to a variety of issues when it works with federal, state, local and tribal governments, private and public interests, as well as members of the general public; and conducts research in an effort to improve collaborative and participatory decision making on public issues. Resource Solutions has worked on issues ranging from contaminant clean up in rural Alaska villages to urban transportation and other land use constraints. Training Coordinator Jane Oakley is the Training Coordinator for Resource Solutions. She has over 25 years as a curriculum design specialist, a trainer, and consultant. Over the last five years, she has worked extensively with local, state and federal governmental agencies, Native for and nonprofit organizations, and private industry, and designed and conducts workshops such as Facilitating Work Groups & Public Meetings, Collaborative Problem Solving, Public Involvement for Decision-Making, and others. Program Manager Margaret (Meg) King is the manager of Resource Solutions. She has over 15 years of experience on national, state and local policy. As a legislative aide she worked with public budgets and associated issues for Alaska s natural resource agencies and later augmenting those capabilities with skills in process design, effective public participation, stakeholder research and consensus building on public issues. Purpose To explore a meeting management process that contributes to successful work group and community meetings. Outline Introduction: Facilitator/Resource Solutions The Meeting Management Process Planning the Meeting: A Small Group Exercise Facilitating and Participating in the Meeting: A Simulation Evaluating the Meeting: Discussion Debriefing and Wrap-up

3 Successful Meetings Successful meetings don t just happen. They are carefully planned, skillfully facilitated and critically evaluated to improve the process. Effective meetings are not conflict-free. They are structured to foster discussion. People can express both their differences and their common interests openly and feel that they are treated respectfully and taken seriously. Meeting leadership involves at least two roles the convener who represents the organization, is well-known by the group, and has called the meeting, and the facilitator, who directs the meeting. The convener provides the leadership to initiate a work group or community meeting or process. At the beginning of the meeting, the convener greets participants, introduces speakers or guests, and sets a constructive tone for the meeting. Then the facilitator assumes the task of conducting the meeting and directing the flow of information and discussion. Presenters, recorders, and process observers take their cues from the facilitator. The convener closes the meeting and thanks people for attending. One person may assume the roles of both convener and facilitator. This may be met with skepticism by meeting participants if there is not already a trust relationship with this person. The Meeting Management Process Phase I: Planning the Meeting Selecting Team Members and Support Staff Team members are organization representatives who can provide leadership to determine the overall purpose and goals and can help clarify and determine policy issues in relation to the meeting. They include: The meeting facilitator who is skilled in group process and can act as a neutral, third party An administrative assistant to handle logistics (meeting location, notification, name tags, food) A graphics specialist who can prepare press releases and informational handouts Technical presenters who can speak clearly and simplify information for which they are knowledgeable (historical, financial, political, or other data related to the project) A media specialist who can interface with representatives from the press, radio and television Community member(s) or work group members who provide key insights from diverse perspectives and are reasonable in their interactions with others

4 Determining Purpose and Objectives Determine the organizational and/or public purposes to be served by the meeting (informational, discussion, information gathering, making recommendations, decision making) Describe the desired outcomes as written objectives Identify the meeting participants and their issues Determine the anticipated number of people who will attend the meeting Planning the Content Determine what technical and/or cost information is needed Select the technical experts based on the information needed and their ability to convey complicated information to a lay audience Ensure technical presentations are brief and focused, leaving time for discussion Determine what handouts, slide presentations, etc. are needed Planning the Process Decide on a meeting process to achieve the outcomes (presentations with questions and answers, open house, discussion, breakout groups, workshop/roundtable discussions) Determine the time needed for the process(es) selected Most community meetings are held in the evening. Two hours is the ideal length, and 3 hours should be the maximum. If this is not sufficient time, be prepared to schedule another meeting and announce the day and time at the end of the meeting. Define the facilitator s role Define other roles, such as who will record notes and what will be recorded Develop a written agenda with each segment timed out, including when the technical presentations will be given Decide on the meeting location, time, room arrangement, food, beverage and equipment needs Decide on meeting notification that communicates the purpose and format to the work group or community members, thereby managing and clarifying expectations Develop a schedule of activities or action steps to accomplish the logistics, including sending out or posting the agenda, if possible Determine deadlines and assign responsibilities

5 Phase 2: Facilitating the Meeting Opening the Meeting Begin on time Convener welcomes the group, introduces any guests and the facilitator Facilitator reviews the purpose, objectives, agenda, time frames and role of others in the meeting Facilitator establishes ground rules and posts them Facilitator assigns meeting tasks (recorder, timekeeper, process observers) Discussion and Decision Making Maintain a balance between friendliness and firmness Act as a neutral third party avoiding opinions about content Refer questions to the technical experts Encourage participation from all, but observe agreed-upon time limits Keep the group focused on the topic Request that opinions be supported by data or examples Demonstrate reflective listening Ask questions for more information or clarification Use paraphrasing for clarifying and signaling understanding Build trust over time Managing Conflict Show respect for all persons and their comments Intervene when ground rules are not being followed, comments are off the subject or persons are being verbally attacked Clear up ambiguities and misinformation that may lead to disagreement Ask the group to suspend certainties and consider different ways of looking at a situation Never argue or allow others to argue during discussion If there are angry rebuttals, remind the group to listen respectfully to others viewpoints Closing the Meeting Review the objectives and outcomes (recommendations, decisions, assignments, etc.) Conduct a short verbal evaluation of the meeting called a T-account to identify what went well and areas for improvement Thank everyone for their participation Provide the convener with the opportunity for closing comments

6 Phase 3: Evaluating the Meeting Review Meeting Comments Meet with the planning team to review the comments about meeting content, process and follow-up Identify lessons learned Apply the Lessons Learned Make changes for the next meeting based on the lessons learned Document the meeting processes rather than depend on memory Ground Rules Ground rules are the principles which enable groups to have efficient and effective meetings. They often are prepared before a meeting, and can be added to by other participants at the beginning of a meeting. They should be written and posted where everyone can see them during the meeting. Ground rules address process problems that occur in groups. They also set a standard against which the facilitator and the group can measure their behavior. The facilitator and group members use the ground rules as a guide for knowing when to intervene in the group process. The list of ground rules should be kept short. Four or five important rules are sufficient to set the tone of the meeting. Ground rules may include any of the following: Agree on what important words mean Give everyone a chance to participate Share relevant information Be specific; use examples Be succinct Be willing to discuss sensitive issues that are relevant Be honest and direct without putting others on the defensive Avoid personalizing issues or comments Avoid interruptions Explain the reason behind statements and recommendations Avoid side-bar conversations Listen reflectively Keep the discussion focused

7 Group Process Skills Every group has two basic functions. The first is to accomplish the group task or purpose for which it was formed. The second function is group maintenance which involves keeping members feeling good about themselves and about working with others in the group. There needs to be balance between these two functions. If the group concentrates too much on the task without attending to maintenance, the task may be delayed because group members can t get along or come to agreement. Alternatively, the task may be accomplished, but group members don t want to work together again because they feel used and mistreated by others. Likewise, if the group attends only to its own personal maintenance, it will be a wonderful party, but the stated task won t get done and the group will feel powerless, frustrated, and perhaps angry. There are behaviors that individual group members can perform which contribute to the life of the group and help to influence individuals and the group as a whole. Some of these behaviors facilitate accomplishment of the task and some contribute to maintenance of the group. Task Behaviors Initiating Information Seeking Information Giving Clarifying Summarizing Consensus Definition Proposing a goal, suggesting a procedure, offering an idea, defining a problem Requesting facts, seeking relevant information, asking for suggestions, ideas, or opinions Offering facts or information to the group, stating a belief, giving suggestions or opinions Clearing up confusion, paraphrasing, elaborating, or offering alternatives, giving examples, defining terms Pulling related ideas together and summing them up for the group, restating key points of discussion, offering a decision or conclusion for the group to accept or reject Checking with each member to see if s/he agrees or consents to go along with the group Maintenance Behaviors Encouraging Harmonizing Expressing Group Mood Compromising Standard Setting and Testing Gatekeeping Definition Being warm and friendly, responsive to others and their contribution Attempting to reconcile disagreements, reduce tension, or get people to explore their differences Sensing the feelings, mood, and relationships of the group and speaking to them Being able to look at something from a different perspective; being willing to try something new or modify an idea in the interest of group cohesion or growth Checking whether the group is satisfied with their procedures, suggesting new procedures when necessary Helping others come into the conversation and attempting to keep channels open

8 Behaviors that Can Hinder or Help Assertiveness Dependency Blocking Dominating Joking or Kidding Around Guidelines for Consensus Definition Confronting group behavior or the way it is operating may help protect a norm or it may be a put-down Identifying with a strong member can affirm a person or behavior or it can also be a way to avoid expressing one s own feelings Resisting, being stubborn, attempting to maintain an issue when the group has rejected it may force the group to deal with unfinished business or it may keep them from moving ahead Forcefully directing the group or individual members can be a catalyst or it can smother group efforts Might be a welcome break at a tense moment or it might stop the group s progress completely. (LSI, 1987; Hart, 1992) Consensus is defined as reaching a decision that all members of the group can support to some extent. Consensus means to consent, not necessarily agree. Avoid arguing for your own priorities. Present your position and rationale; then listen to other members reactions and consider them before you press your point. Look for other acceptable alternatives when discussions get deadlocked. Do not change your mind simply to avoid conflict and reach agreement. Explore the reasons and be sure everyone accepts the solution for similar or complimentary reasons. Yield only to positions that make sense to you. Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as majority vote unless there is a lack of time. Be willing to explore compromises, but don t feel obligated when someone consents. Try to involve everyone in the decision-making process. Differences of opinion provide an opportunity for creativity in problem solving and usually lead to better solutions. (Lawson, 1980) References Doyle, M. and Straus, D. (1976). How to Make Meetings Work. New York: Jove Books. Kindler, H.S. (1987). Managing Disagreement Constructively. Los Altos, CA: Crisp Publications, Inc. Kouzes, J.M. and Posner, B.Z. (1987). The Leadership Challenge, How to Get Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Schwarz, R.M. (1994, 2005). The Skilled Facilitator, Practical Wisdom for Developing Effective Groups. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Gass Publishers.