To facilitate is not to lead or control. It simply makes proceedings easier. Like a director of a play, a director does not have a starring role, but is instrumental to proceedings. If you want to say something, acknowledge that you are taking ‘off’ your facilitator hat, call on yourself. Encourage everyone to participate, while moving the meeting along to meet time limits.

Smooth facilitation requires a group in which everyone:

1. Understands the goals of the meeting and the organisation
2. Keeps the group on agenda and moving towards the goals
3. Respects everyone in the meeting in order to create a ‘safe space’, inducing the shy to speak and compelling the dominant to defer.
4. Makes sure decisions are made democratically, with input from many voices.

To do before the meeting:

MAPS: Bring Materials, handouts, markers, drinks and snacks. Get help in preparation. A clear Agenda is set beforehand, based on group goals. Set time limits on agenda items. If it is necessary to extend the meeting, make sure it is ok with other attendees. Get the right People in the room. Remind everyone who needs to be there more than once. Have a different person introducing each item in order to make everyone feel more welcome. Reserve a comfortable Space. Bringing snacks is a sick idea.

Initially: Assign a note taker. Start on time, thank punctual people. Think up an icebreaker. Review agenda at start of the meeting. Set ground rules: If you talk lots, try to talk less. If you talk less, try to talk more.

During: Start/End on time, and stick to the agenda wherever possible. Use a go-around to get everyone heard, break up into small group to generate lots of ideas quickly. EG Turn to the person next to you and discuss X. Use hand signals to indicate agreement/confusion/other. Summarize often. If people seem to be saying the same thing in different ways, try to summarize and move on. Utilise the meeting roles.

Finishing:  Spend a few short minutes recapping action plan. Were goals met? Next Step? Who is doing what? Remind everyone to read meeting minutes. Assign roles for next meeting. Always leave on a positive note, if not, say something positive that is a lie.

Types of blocks and how to unblock them

In a disruptive event, eg aggressive/heckler, overly talkative/personality clash, find merit in the points made and then move on, by engaging others or taking the initiative.  Remind people of the purpose of meetings, to do things better through constructive cooperation. As much as you can, try to get the group engage and solve these problems.

Untalkative group member– if bored/timid ~ compliment/arouse interest. If ‘superior’, indicate respect for experience (but don’t overdo).

Definitely wrong – Ask others in the group to comment on the subject, allowing the group to solve the problem.

Hand signals – Simple technique to make meetings run smoothly. For example, if you have something to say, raise a forefinger. If you agree / like a proposition, wave your hands to indicate agreement. To take a time out, make a T Shape with your hands. To get a speaker to speak more loudly, wave your hands upwards. And so on.

5 tips for facilitators

1. Focus your attention on the facilitation of the meeting rather on your own feelings and ideas. (Talk to someone prior to meeting to get pet hates/ideas of chest). If you have strong ideas about a topic that no-one else cares about, get someone who agrees to you speak at the meeting. If you have to speak, get someone else to speak.
2. Be observant. If you can make the running smoother, do so. Keep track of the big picture. Do not let the group digress too much from the goals and objectives. Note when consensus has been reached and move on. If topics become muddled, draw attention to the problem, and then separate them to discuss them more effectively. Notice when someone is waiting to speak. If necessary, write up a list to ensure people get their say. Ask fidgety people to speak, say that you’ve noticed their silence and are interested in their input. If people are confused, summarise what has been said so far, make sure people understand Acronyms e.g. GCI, P&F, AYCC, ASEN etc.
3. A Smoothly running meeting is in everyone’s best interest. Remind people who have lost sight of that point. “Survival of the organisation, the movement in general, and each of us as individual activists depends on it.” If meetings are lengthy, boring, ineffective, hostile etc, not a lot will be achieved, and a lot of people will be lost. Keep the group to the parameters of the agreed rules, eg not to be rude, sexist etc. Make sure you do not infringe these rules.
4. Don’t take sides, be neutral. If people think you are impartial, they will be more likely to participate, particularly if their opinions are diametrically opposed. Be aware of your and other’s bias. If things become particularly heated, ask why they wish to campaign on X and what are their goals? Find common ground. Find a workable solution. If there are only one or two dissenters, establish whether they wish to block consensus, if so, postpone the issue.
5. Ask for help when you need it

If you don’t do a good job, the meeting will suffer. Suggest a break, an energizer, hugs etc. Encourage people who take on meeting roles.

4 P’s of Effective meetings

Purpose: Be clear of the need of the meeting. What are the desired results?

Preparation: See above (Initially, during, finishing)

Process: Needs to be a balance between business of the meeting and paying attention to needs/relationships between people. Who are filling the roles? What is the culture of the group?

Practical action: Is it clear what the outcome of the meeting was? Who was doing what by when? Who is keeping record? How do people feel about the meetings? If problems arise, solve them.

Six stages of the meeting

Preparation: What can be done beforehand to ensure a smooth meeting?

Gathering: Allow time for people to socially interact. Welcome new people. Share food.

Orientation: Are introductions needed? Does the purpose need to be restated? Settle in and consider the tasks ahead. Form/Review the Agenda.

Structuring: Especially important for new / short term groups. Understand function, don’t assume consensus on this point. Who will take the roles? How will they be rotated?

Constructive Work: Be cognisant of the 4 P’s

Completion: Avoid raged endings. Do summaries of decisions made and who will do what. Evaluate the success of the meeting. Make plans to deal with unfinished business. Have you ‘appreciated the right people. Try and end on a ‘high and positive note’.

In a nutshell – good meetings require good product and process. Facilitation = smoother process. Good product  = everyone geared towards achieving the goals. Don’t let the meeting stray too far from the goals and agenda. Make sure the space is respectful, make sure everyone gives input. End on a positive note.