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

1. MEETINGFACILITATIONPresented by:Prof. John BarkaiWilliam S. Richardson School of LawUniversity of Hawaii

4. Know the Process “I…could…have…sworn…you… said…eleven…steps.”

5. Follow Directions

7. A meeting of your peers

9. What is a committee? A group of the unwilling, picked from the unfit, to do the unnecessary. Richard Harkness

11. Facilitator Recorder Group Memory

12. Regular Meeting Special Task Force

15. Facilitators believe that a meeting between all people who will be affected by a decision (stakeholders) is desirable. The values of shared decision making, equal opportunity to participate, power sharing, and personal responsibility are basic to full cooperation. The work of the whole group is better and more creative than the work of any single individual.

16. 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5 (or more)

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. For a SUCCESSFUL MEETING The group must agree upon a content focus and a process focus

21. 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

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

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

25. Strategic Planning Mission Statement Vision Statement Values Statement

26. 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

27. 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)

28. 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 - ground rules, we agree to… Interventions - “Remember, we agreed to”

29. Focus on task

30. GROUND RULES

31. 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

32. 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

34. Preventions&Interventions

35. 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

36. Using Interventions • Avoid Process Battles • 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?”

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

38. Decision Making Voting Consensus

40. “Fair is fair Larry….We’re out of food, we drew straws – you.”

41. 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.”

42. Simulate

43. 3 Forms of Facilitation • The Classic: • Neutral, Independent Facilitator and Recorder • Tricky Work: • Group Leader as Facilitator (and Recorder) • The Most Delicate Work: • Group Member Provides Facilitative Input

44. With no outsiders GROUND RULES GROUP MEMORY AGENDA ATTITUDE USE FACILITATOR TALK PLANNING TIME PROCESS OTHER

45. The Future?

46. I wish our meeting facilitator would take a hint from this guy.