Success with Requirements
Volume 2 :: Number 10 :: 2008
ISSN: 1936-3583
Welcome to our Newsletter
Ever feel frustrated that you can't intervene during meetings gone astray? How can you take action when you're not the designated facilitator or "one in charge"? In this month's article, I explore specific ways you conduct "guerilla facilitation" to help your group collaborate.
I hope you will find it useful.
Please email me with suggestions for upcoming Success with Requirements topics.
~ ellen
Ellen Gottesdiener,
President and Principal Consultant
EBG Consulting, Inc.
http://www.ebgconsulting.com
In this issue:
Recent Webinar Recordings Now Available
Reader Discount on Self-paced eLearning
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| Guerrilla Facilitation |
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Ever feel frustrated that you can't intervene during meetings gone astray? How can you take action when you're not the designated facilitator, there is no facilitator, or you are not "one in charge"?
The Great Wall
One of the most powerful ways for groups to communicate is to make the group's work visible on walls. You can take advantage of people's strong visual orientation by recording the group's work on the wall.
Offer to record key summary points, decisions, actions, and a parking lot, perhaps on separate posters. (The parking lot is a place to store topics you want to cover later.) Be prepared with flipchart paper, wall-friendly tape, and markers.
Check in with the group on anything you write:
"So can I summarize that by writing . . .?"
"Can I capture that idea by writing . . .?"
"Looking at what I just wrote, does that accurately reflect your point?"
"Can you headline that so I can capture it on our poster?"
Watch and Learn
One of my most profound learning experiences as a facilitator was the time I acted as an observer. (My mentor at the time suggested I do this because I felt lost not being in the role of the facilitator!)
As an observer I focused on studying the group dynamics, watching interactions, noticing nonverbal behavior, and sensing the ebb and flow of energy. When I saw patterns, I shared my observation with the group without suggestion or judgment.
For example, I would say, "I noticed when we were discussing <abc>, most people made comments and were looking at each other. But when the topic of <xyz> came up, some people leaned back, others kept glancing toward the clock or door, and there seemed to be less energy in the room."
By pointing out specific, observable behavior, you enable the group to process its process and thereby improve it. You also improve your own skills as a facilitator. Effective facilitators are expert observers.
Purpose and Outcome
Even if you're not the facilitator you can help the group by asking early on, "What is the expected outcome of our meeting?" Ask about the meeting's purpose, products, and process.
Then stand up and write the answers on poster paper with the label "Outcomes." When you hear off-topic discussions, you can point to the outcomes poster and ask, "How does this discussion get us to our outcomes?"
CARES
You don't have to be the facilitator to use the techniques of an effective facilitator. Remember the acronym CARES (clarify, ask, reflect, explore, summarize).
Clarify: Check for understanding. "So are you saying you are concerned about whether this process should be in scope or not?" "Earlier you said <x>, and now I hear you saying <y>, and these seem in conflict. Can you clarify?" "Do I hear you saying . . .?"
Ask: Well-timed questions can have a powerful effect on a group process: "Is this topic relevant to achieving our planned outcome?" "Is that a topic we might put on our parking lot?" Focus questions help elicit specific information: "What are some of the key pieces of information that are used to make that decision?"
Reflect: Effective groups continually check on their own process. "How do you all think we are doing in making progress here today?" Or: "Can I do a process check and ask everyone if they think we're heading in the right direction with our time today?"
Explore: Some participants aren't vocal, or their nonverbal behavior is ambiguous. Don't guess where they stand, and don't assume you know what they know. Ask open-ended, exploratory questions. "I am curious to hear what concerns or suggestions some of the folks who haven't chimed in yet might have. Would you share that with us?"
Summarize: Accelerate the group's process by wrapping up a topic with summary statements or questions. "To wrap up this discussion: everyone agrees the scope should not include <lmn>, and we need to revise our scope model." Or: "I hear us agreeing to ask the customer to help us develop user acceptance tests in the next iteration."
Don't Waste Time
If you've tried these actions to no effect or have asked permission of the person in charge to do so but have been turned down, then your last resortis to not participate. In the end, we are responsible for making optimal use of our time to serve our end customers. If you can be more productive doing other work than attending an ineffective meeting or workshop - and you have honestly explained your reasoning for not attending - you are acting professionally.
Try Guerrilla Facilitation
Consider, however, using these simple yet effective actions during troublesome and ineffective group gatherings. You might find them transformative, increasing the quality of your team collaborations - even when you are not the official facilitator. Your Turn Do you have experience to share about improving group meetings? What works for you? What doesn't? I'd love to hear from you. Write me at ellen@ebgconsulting.com.
~ellen
Last month we conducted two webinars that are now available for you to view from the webinar portion of our Media page (note, registration may be necessary before viewing): Mary Gorman on "Business Rules and Data Requirements: Pulling in Tandem for Success", Ellen Gottesdiener on "Top 7 Excuses for Avoiding Requirements Management (and How to Overcome Them)." 2. Ellen and Mary will be presenting tutorials and classes at Project Summit/Business Analysts World in Boston the week of October 27th. 3. Ellen will be presenting several tutorials and classes at Agile Development Practices in Orlando the week of November 10th. Each month we'll provide a few resources we think are worthwhile. The resources below are related to this month's topic on facilitation. The International Association of Facilitators is a global organization dedicated to growing facilitators and expertise in group processes and methods. I personally have learned much from my fellow IAF'ers and from attending/speaking at a number of IAF conferences over the years. Consider pursuing a Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) designation. I earned my CPF in 2001, soon after the designation become generally available and five months before the publication of my first book (Requirements by Facilitation). I am very impressed by the certification process. You complete a very detailed application (in which you report on your facilitation experiences and more) and you take an in-person, competency-based test. Yes, it is truly competency based: at a certification event, you "perform" as a facilitator in a simulated group workshop. Professional assessors evaluate you and provide you with detailed feedback. It's well-run and an excellent learning experience. You will find more links to a variety of facilitation resources including links to facilitation methods, facilitation tips and activities, tools for working on walls, and more, on EBG's own facilitation resources page. Also, check out our unique training that blends facilitation with requirements, teaching you how to deliver the right stuff (fast) using facilitated workshops. For your Success with Requirements eNewsletter subscriber discount (10%) on our 8-course self-paced eLearning training curriculum, Foundation for Requirements Development and Management use code: FRSWR04 when you register here.
Recent Webinar Recordings Now Available
Upcoming Events
1. Ellen Gottesdiener and Mary Gorman will be presenting tutorials and classes at Software Development Best Practices in Boston the week of October 27th.
4. Mary will be presenting tutorials and classes at Project Summit/Business Analysts World in Chicago the week of November 10th.
5. Ellen and Mary will be presenting tutorials and classes at Project World/World Congress for Business Analysts in Orlando the week of November 17th. We are pleased to pass along to you and your colleagues a 20% discount to join us at the event. Please use special discount code SPKRM2020EG when registering.
Resources of Interest
Reader Discount on Self-paced eLearning
Archive Issues
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