Transcript Facilitating Effective Meetings Heidi M. Klein, MSPH Community Environmental Health Strategies, Inc. Oneida County (NY) CARE Project Facilitator.

Facilitating Effective Meetings
Heidi M. Klein, MSPH
Community Environmental Health
Strategies, Inc.
Oneida County (NY) CARE Project
Facilitator
Session Goals and Objectives
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To review basic roles, skills, tips and tools of
effective facilitation
To practice key facilitation interventions and
skills
Facilitator’s Faux Pas
Recall a meeting you have facilitated or
attended that did not go as planned…
What were some of the things that you/the
facilitator did that did not work?
Goals:
•Generate a list of facilitation don’ts
•Practice facilitation technique—go around
Effective Facilitation
What are some key qualities, skills and roles
of facilitators?
Goals:
•Generate a list of facilitation do’s
•Practice brainstorming as a tool
Facilitation — Basic Roles
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A facilitator guides and helps people move
through a process together
A facilitator focuses on HOW people
participate, not just on WHAT gets achieved
A facilitator is neutral and never takes sides
A facilitator encourages participation
Facilitation — Basic Tasks
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Understanding the goals
Creating an effective agenda
Setting the tone
Creating ground rules
Identifying methods of decision-making
Engaging all participants
Keeping the meeting moving and on-track
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Handling difficult people and challenging situations
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Creating an Effective Agenda
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Understanding organizational goals
Knowing the participants and dynamics
Inviting the right people at the right time
Establishing a clear purpose for the meeting
Preparing objectives for each segment of the
agenda
Determining best method to meet objectives
Creating Ground Rules/Agreements
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Purpose of meeting
Time lines and length of meetings
Meeting leadership and other roles
Participation and attendance
How decisions will be made
Expected behavior in meeting*
Communication with those outside the meeting
* What guidelines should we keep in mind to ensure
our work together is productive and enjoyable?
Engaging All Participants
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Developing a structure that allows for
everyone's ideas to be heard
Creating a comfortable and safe environment
for sharing all ideas and viewpoints
Ensuring that the group feels that the ideas
and decisions are theirs, not just the leader's
Supporting everyone's ideas and not
criticizing anyone for what they've said
Keeping the Meeting Moving
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Facilitation skills
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Facilitation preventions and interventions
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Facilitation tools
Facilitation – Basic Skills
Active Listening
 Reflecting – feeding back the content and
feeling of the message
 Clarifying – restating an idea or thought to
make it more clear
 Summarizing – stating concisely the main
thoughts.
 Shifting focus – moving from one speaker
or topic to another
Handling Difficult People — Preventions
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Get agreement on the agenda, ground rules
and outcomes
Find out the group's expectations
Show respect for experience
Listen to understand
Stay in your role
Don't be defensive
“Buy-in" power players
Handling Difficult People —Interventions
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Have the group decide
Use the agenda and ground rules
Be honest: say what's going on
Use humor
Accept or legitimize the point or deal
Use body language
Take a break
Confront in the room
Dealing with Conflict
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Help clarify what the conflict is about
Affirm the validity of all viewpoints
Frame the conflict as a problem to be solved
Create space for problem solving to occur
Help participants save face
Help group proceed with agreements and
hold back on areas of disagreement
Discuss what happens if no agreement
Facilitation Exercise —
Scenario Problem Solving
How could the facilitator respond to this
common meeting process problem?
Goals:
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Apply information to practical scenarios
Benefit from sharing ideas with others
Facilitation Exercise –
Practicing Specific Skills
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Listening
Reflecting
Clarifying
Summarizing
Shifting focus
Goals:
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Practice to gain feedback
Practice to build confidence