This document provides information about facilitating difficult conversations and anti-oppression facilitation. It discusses the responsibilities and attributes of a good facilitator, which include maintaining safe space for participants, recognizing and interrupting oppression, ensuring all voices are heard, self-awareness, cultural awareness, patience, and commitment to the community. It also defines oppression and discusses how to disrupt oppression through self-education, making connections across differences, and engaging in difficult conversations with openness to feedback. The document encourages facilitators to overcome triggers, act with good intentions, identify opportunities to challenge preconceptions, and stand up for what is right through practice.

1. FACILITATING
TOUGH
CONVERSATIONS

2. Hello!
We facilitation.
Melissa Jones
@openclssrm
Natalie Thoreson
@inVision_Change

3. fa·cil·i·ta·tor - noun fə- ˈsi-lə- ˌtā-tər
one that facilitates; especially : one that helps to
bring about an outcome (as learning, productivity,
or communication) by providing indirect or
unobtrusive assistance, guidance, or supervision
WHAT IS A FACILITATOR?

4. GOOD FACILITATION LIVES AT THE INTERSECTION OF:
BEST
PRACTICE
ATTRIBUTESRESPONSIBILITIES

5. CONSIDER:
➜ What are the responsibilities of a
good facilitator?
➜ What are the attributes of a good
facilitator?

6. A skilled facilitator is a woke facilitator.

7. Maintaining
safe space
for
participants
regardless
of and with
regard to
diverse
social
Recognizing and
interrupting
oppression and
microaggressions
that arise during the
facilitation
Ensuring
that
everyone
has space
to
participate
especially
those with
historically
Responsibilities of a “Woke” Facilitator:

8. ATTRIBUTES OF A STRONG FACILITATOR:
Self-
Awareness
& Cultural
Self-
Awareness
Patience, Empathy
& Compassion
Commitme
nt and
Accountabi
lity to a
Community
Expertise &
Confidence
Humility, Open-
Mindedness &
Acknowledgment of
Imperfection
Humor, Joy
&
Resilience

9. OPPRESSION MATTERS!

10. GROWING AS A STRONG FACILITATOR:
Understanding oppression
Cultivating your own self-
awareness
Developing the skills to interrupt
and support

11. privilege + social power = oppression
OPPRESSION
Systematic social phenomenon based on the
perceived and real differences among social
groups. This system involves the ideological
domination, institutional control, and promulgation
of the ideology, logic system, and culture of the
group in power. The result is the exploitation of
one social group by another.

12. DISRUPTING THE CYCLE OF OPPRESSION:
START WITH SELF-AWARENESS
➜ Educate: Shift your stereotypes through education. Books,
classes documentaries, and workshops can help us unlearn
stereotypes
➜ Connect: Develop friendships with people who don’t share
your social identities to unearth stereotypes and become
aware of unconscious prejudice. You might be surprised
how much you have in common!
➜ Interrupt: Engage difficult conversations and be open to
hearing feedback about your behavior. “I don’t think that
you meant it this way…” is a great way to begin a
statement interrupting discrimination/oppression.

13. DISRUPTING THE CYCLE OF OPPRESSION:
OVERCOME YOUR TRIGGERS
➜ Remember: It’s not about you.
➜ Remember: Engaging aggressively does not initiate change.
➜ Believe that people are good, and have good intentions.
➜ Act the part.

14. Identifying
opportunities to
think differently
about your
practice
ANTI-
OPPRESSION
FACILITATION

15. Begin by engaging
DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS

16. Be a
STAR PERFORMER

17. “I don’t think you
INTENDED IT THIS WAY…”

18. Standing tall vs.
BEING SMALL

19. Fan the
FIRE

20. Practice, practice
PRACTICE

21. Know when to hold ‘em
KNOW WHEN TO FOLD ‘EM

22. Thanks!
Any questions?
You can find us at:
Melissa
hello@openclassroomhq.com
Natalie
natalie@invisionconsulting.org

23. CREDITS
Special thanks to all the people who made and
released these awesome resources for free:
➜ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival
➜ Photographs by UnSplash