The ABC of Structured Facilitation

Learning structured facilitation is an important aspect of mastering your art.

The Art of Facilitation Mastery

Some of the best music is improvised. And musicians make it look so easy.

But ask them how many hours they have spent honing their skill? The greats will tell you about the years of daily practice to hone their craft. They have practised the techniques until the instrument is an extension of the body. Once techniques are mastered, creativity and genius can flow.

Similarly, as a martial artist, you spend hours practising the simple punch...

... Wax on wax off.

Until you burn the techniques into your body, mind and heart.

But no matter how good you get, keep a beginner's mind.

"The black belt is not a mark or symbol of the end of the journey to ones mastery of the arts; rather it is the mark that one is done packing for their journey and may now take the first step in their true journey. This a journey which can not ever be complete, only traveled..."

A structured facilitation process, carefully planned and fine tuned, allows you to work creatively and improvise according to the needs of the moment.

Facilitation Theory

Do not covet illustrious titles and certificates; practise your technique and adhere to the Way, for the wind will not read."

- F. L. Lovret

Rule number #1 Practise more than you read.

BUT

Take time to study the principle and theories too...

... If I practise how to use a knife to do surgery without the study of medicine I might kill you not heal you.

Integrate study and practice of structured facilitation methods

Rule # 2 People know what's best for themselves.

"By adulthood people are self-directing. This is the concept that lies at the heart of andragogy ... andragogy is therefore student-centred, experience-based, problem-oriented and collaborative very much in the spirit of the humanist approach to learning and education ... the whole educational activity turns on the student." - Burns

Study Recommendations

• Educationist, Paulo Friere,
• Facilitation theorists: John Dewey, Vygotsky, Piaget, Bruner,
• Malcolm Knowles,
• Pyschologist Carl Rogers,
• Learning theorist, Gagne,
• Pavlov's reflex learning,
• Cognitive Gestalt methods,
• Kolb's action learning cycle,
• Kirkpatrick's learning evaluation model,
• Reinforcement theory,
• Conscious competence learning model,
• Gerard Egan's change model,
• Howard Gardner's learning styles,
• Daniel Goleman's emotional intelligence,
• Arnold Mindell's process psychology
• Ken Wilbur's cognitive maps,
• Eric Berne's transactional analysis,
• Maslow's triangle of needs,
• Bloom's Taxonomy,
• Auguste Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed,
• Dorothy Heathcote and teaching,
• Peter Drucker's leadership theories,
• Peter Senge's systems theory,
• games and chaos theories,
• Jung psychology.

Dewey Facilitation Theory

Rule # 3

Learning should come out of student needs and interests. It is learner or participant centered.

Rule # 4

Topics should be integrated not kept separate.

Rule # 5

The process of learning is growth in itself. The results are by products.

Rule # 6

Learning happens when there is a nexus between content and life.

Rule # 7

Learning should be experiential.

This approach doesn't do away with structure. In fact, it calls for a tightly structured facilitation process.

Small Group Facilitation Presentation

So use smaller group or pair work.

Workshop Structure

Structure facilitation requires a similar process to lesson planning. There is a basic workshop structure you can use and adapt to different situations.

Click here for more on small group facilitation presentation.

Emerging Facilitation Technologies

1. Facilitation techniques and methodologies,

2. New communication and information technologies,

3. Emotional intelligence technologies,

4. Cognitive maps.

Meeting Facilitation Training

1. Short agenda-based meetings. Examples are KPI, brainstorming, business meetings.

2. Meetings bringing different stakeholders together to solve a problem at community level.

Structured facilitation is particularly important when:

• It involves complex issues such as diversity and conflict,
• It needs to be scaled up. For example a peer facilitation program requires a structured facilitation process so that it is easy for many people to us
• It deals with complex emotional issues, such as those adolescent group facilitation will face. The structured facilitation approach creates a vital safety net.

Meeting Facilitation Tips!

The Fast Facilitation Approach

Fast facilitation is useful when situations require urgent attention, for example, in violent or trauma events.

The methods in this case require a higher degree of skill and knowledge to apply.

Fast Facilitation: The need to FIX it!

Structured Facilitation Techniques: Adolescent Group Facilitation

If they don't like you they let you know it. Either they shut down or they are rude and aggressive.

Training Facilitation Courses

Some of the best training facilitation courses I know of are:

• Arnold Mindell's 'Process Psychology' at the Portland University,

• Auguste Boal's Theater of Oppressed in Brazil and other institutions around the world,
• 'More to Life' Train the Trainer Path in most countries,
• Drama in Education Courses in most universities.

Kalavati runs specialized non-accredited courses in most of the above areas in Johannesburg and Durban.

You'll be able to download a Powerpoint presentation on group facilitation soon.

In the meantime, click here if you're looking for some free team building activities.


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