'Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity.' (Roy T. Bennett) Action Learning facilitators sometimes feel concerned about what might happen in a set (a small group of peer-coaches) and how they might handle it if it does. When we discuss these kind of troubleshooting scenarios in training, I often notice that facilitators feel a sense of personal responsibility to manage anything and everything that might happen. Apart from placing a lot of pressure on the facilitator which could, in the moment, inhibit psychologically their ability to handle any challenges that may arise anyway, it also misses the self-resourcing potential of a group. The key often lays in shifting the facilitator’s stance from control to curiosity. This doesn’t mean abandoning the governance role of the facilitator altogether, for example to ensure that agreed ground rules and process are followed appropriately. It does, however, mean approaching any challenges that emerge in an invitational tone. For instance, if the group is very quiet, or conversely very talkative, and this leaves the presenter perhaps with little stimulus or space for reflection, the facilitator can offer this as a judgement-free observation, like holding up a mirror to the set. ‘I’m noticing the group seems very quiet. I’m wondering what that might mean?’ Or, ‘I’m wondering what we might need?’ It could be that participants don’t know and trust each other well enough yet. It could be that they don’t believe they have understood the presenter’s challenge and feel nervous to admit it. It could be that they feel insecure about posing a ‘wrong’ question in front of peers. It could be they have an introverted preference and simply need time to reflect before framing a question. A spirit of curiosity can open things up, release stuck-ness and move things forward.
16 Comments
Roger Mason
24/7/2023 06:51:27 pm
You hit the nail on the head for me, Nick. I worry that I might feel out of control if somebody does something that catches me off guard. I'd like to do what you say in this blog but, if I'm honest, I don't think I would think of it in the moment that it happens. I'd be too worried about the whole thing falling apart then blaming myself for it. What advise would you give to someone like me?
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Nick Wright
24/7/2023 07:05:13 pm
Hi Roger. I love your honesty. The key for me is to prepare myself before I step into the meeting. I do this by taking a deep breath and focusing on 3 core principles: prayer, presence, participation. (In case of interest, you can see more about this approach to grounding here: https://www.nick-wright.com/blog/guiding-principles3583549)
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Chukwu Okoro
24/7/2023 06:57:59 pm
Dear Nick. I think say the facilitator work to control the group. That why they there as facilitator. They be like the boss for the group. If they not control the group, everybody going just talk with each other and be like waste of time.
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Nick Wright
24/7/2023 07:08:00 pm
Hi Chukwu. The facilitator certainly has a role to guide the group and to enable it, as far as possible, to be effective. This could include, for instance, working with the group to establish ground rules (then stepping in, if necessary, to ensure they are upheld); leading the group through an action learning process; guiding the group as it learns to handle questions and silence well etc.
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Valentina Ramirez
24/7/2023 07:00:45 pm
Hey Nick. I like your approach. I would ask the group to tell me what's wrong if they don't want to talk. If they don't want to talk, why do they come to the action learning set?
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Nick Wright
24/7/2023 07:10:22 pm
Thanks Valentina. Yes, part of the facilitator's role is to model a spirit of curiosity. This means approaching whatever happens in an open and non-judgemental spirit, inviting the group to reflect on its own experience and take ownership of it, where change is needed, to ensure its effectiveness.
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Wendy Lambert
24/7/2023 07:11:40 pm
Great blog Nick. It's wonderful how you make complicated things sound so simple. It's a real gift!
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Nick Wright
24/7/2023 07:14:15 pm
Hi Wendy - and thank you for such encouraging feedback!
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Jim Ward
24/7/2023 07:13:44 pm
Hi Nick. You have held up a mirror to me too now! I try to take charge of a set too quickly, rather than helping the set work through its own challenges. I'm going to practice your way of doing it and see what happens. :)
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Nick Wright
24/7/2023 07:16:58 pm
Thank you, Jim. I guess trying things and seeing what happens lays at the heart of action learning. I like Reg Revan's (founder of Action Learning) encouragement to: 'Swap your difficulties, not your cleverness'. I try to model that as a facilitator. Everything is an experiment. Let me know how you get on!
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Melanie Harvey
24/7/2023 07:43:39 pm
I followed your "curiosity" link in the quote at the top of the blog Nick. It did make me laugh!! :)
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Nick Wright
24/7/2023 07:48:46 pm
Thank you, Melanie. I did enjoy writing that piece. :)
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Ji-Yeon Kim
24/7/2023 07:48:10 pm
Thank you sir Nick Wright very much for sharing your knowledge with us. It's very important to be humble when working with a group. Also, the facilitator should be careful not to embarrass anyone in the group so that they will not feel shamed. Lastly, the facilitator should maintain authority because this is what others in the group will expect from them.
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Nick Wright
24/7/2023 07:52:28 pm
Thank you, Ji-Yeon, for sharing your helpful insights and knowledge too. Yes, I have learned to be careful when working with groups, to try to be mindful of cultural dynamics that could influence how, for instance, questions are experienced by group members. I think we could think of the facilitator as a humble leader or an enabling guide.
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Kath McGowan
25/7/2023 10:08:00 am
Hi Nick. I'm hearing "don't make assumptions". A good reminder! Thanks for posting.
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Nick Wright
25/7/2023 10:12:45 am
Thank you, Kath. And yes - well said. In training workshops, I often remind facilitators: (a) not to pressure themselves to be mind-readers and (b) if in doubt, ask - in a spirit of curiosity. What appears self-evident to us often says more about us than the other person and-or the issue they may be dealing with.
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Nick WrightI'm a psychological coach, trainer and OD consultant. Curious to discover how can I help you? Get in touch! Like what you read? Simply enter your email address below to receive regular blog updates!
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