Facilitation skills HIV STD prevention

“Facilitation Skills for Prevention Professionals”

May 2010 update

Knowledge is a Beginning . . .
•  Without awareness of benefits to
change, there can be no change.

The Missing Link: •  Knowledge is a prerequisite to
change.
Facilitation Strategies That Can •  But awareness alone cannot
overcome barriers.
Improve Outcomes for Any EBI
•  New Year’s resolutions: exercise,
Stephen J. Fallon, Ph.D. eat better, sleep more regularly.
For handouts: •  Our context is quicksand, our
www.skills4.org
peers defenders of the status quo.
Click on Fact Sheets
•  Go to Current workshops, then Links Solution: knowledge + motivation + skills = change.
•  Click on Facilitation Skills for Prevention
(c) 2010 Stephen J. Fallon, Skills4 (c) 2010 Stephen J. Fallon, Skills4

Can You Describe It? Common Public Speaking Myth
•  “You should only be speaking 10% of
•  Let’s complete a simple the time.”
“mission.” •  Benign guidance: allow participation,
•  Pair off with a partner. which stimulates buy-in.
•  Hardest lesson in all of life: to •  But why not that simple?
be able to imagine the •  Echo chamber of what people
perspective of someone who already believe.
doesn’t know what you know, •  You’re there partially as an invited expert, and partially as an
believe what you believe, and impartial observer. For both roles, you cut through collective
feel what you feel. denial, myth, resistance, and digressions.
•  Build together … but by leading.

© 2008 Skills4, Inc.


Facilitation Myths and Truths Our Feeling Brains
•  Fear is the best motivator.•  Too much fear paralyzes. But Evolution of human brain structure … and how presenters use it
healthy respect for consequences Reptilian (survival instinct) •  Fear-based presentations.
helps.
•  Any risk is too much risk. •  People should be able to weigh Limbic (feeling and caring centers) •  Populist presentations.
risks objectively to choose. Neocortal (logic) •  Scientific or evidence based
•  A good measure of their •  Factoids do not change presentations.
change is whether they know behavior. Only knowledge that
what H.I.V. and A.I.D.S. directly relates to actions truly
stand for. motivates.

  Proof that they “get it”? Have them
repeat the message back in their own words.

Facilitation Best Practices Facilitation Best Practices (cont’d)
•  Know what you want to say (General
•  While making messages culturally goal-- “keep people safe from STDs"--
competent, remember also to access isn't enough. Exactly which risks and
universal human traits. solutions will you focus on?)
People in all cultures •  Know what your population relates to
•  smile when happy (both PIR and shared human traits).
•  raise eyebrows in recognition •  Humor can be a useful "emotional
•  curl lips when disgusted can opener" (remember: laugh with,
•  detach when depressed, etc. not at).
•  Making certain facial expressions triggers the emotions they •  Sympathy isn’t empathy. (Affective isn’t always effective.)
typically represent. Can trigger them in other people, too. •  Appeal to all seven types of intelligence:
Ehrlich P. Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect. Shearwater Books, Washington DC,
2000. Verbal, Mathematical, Spatial, Bodily, Musical, Introspective, and
(c) 2010 Stephen J. Fallon, Skills4
Interpersonal. (c) 2010 Stephen J. Fallon, Skills4



Facilitation Best Practices (cont’d) Facilitation Exercise
•  Eye contact. (Groups are made up of individuals.) •  Introduce yourself and your
training topic. Participants look
•  Vocal modulation. (People respond for strengths in terms of
to emphasis that’s well placed.) 1.  Language and logic -- does it
•  Room management. (Lighting and noise flow and fit together?
matter.) 2.  Posture and position -- does it
•  Peer but professional style. (Different seem to come from confidence
enough to deserve attention, but not yet also openness?
resentment or derision.) 3.  Likeability -- would you want to
•  Goodwill. (It shows through, as does follow the guidance based on this
burnout, judgment, or “needy helperism.”) brief introduction?

How to Build Credibility Inductive vs. Deductive
•  Anticipate your target population’s •  Deductive format is standard law
questions. school model for trials.
•  Do your homework: know the
•  “Tell them what you’re going to tell
specifics of the answer to their
them, then tell it to them, then tell them
question (“tip of the iceberg” should
what you just told them.”
show in response).
•  Repackage your answer in •  Very effective if you’re seeking a
accessible language. “Word purely logical (neocortal) response.
pictures” and analogies are usually
the best approach.




Inductive vs. Deductive (cont’d) Pros and Cons of Powerpoint
•  Inductive format is more
effective if your audience •  Studies find 6x higher recall of key
might “tune out” to your points, when compared to oral only
themes. presentation.
•  Rather than announce it •  Benefit derived through audience’s
up front, you lead audience cognitive participation, comparing bullet
to your conclusion points & pictures to explanations.
incrementally •  Technology now allows multi-media
•  You pull the audience trainings that appeal to all “seven types
along, rather than pushing of intelligence.”
them.

Pros and Cons of Powerpoint (cont’d) On Target: Do You…
•  Tendency to read slides thwarts 1.  Elicit agreement for training
benefits of “participatory bridging.” objectives at the outset?
•  Too many points made on a slide 2.  Create your own slides and
makes all illegible (small font). handouts, rather than photocopying
existing sources for all themes?
•  Redundant format erases visual
interest. 3.  Use summaries and anecdotes,
rather than just reading slides?
•  Slide flipping can build inertia,
4. Gauge responses through eye contact?
breaking dialogue.
5. Perform internal check ups during breaks, and adapt as
•  Over-reliance on technology can
needed?
backfire. Break out the hand puppets!
6. Ensure hands-on practice of key lessons?



Putting it All Together Thank You for Making a Difference!
•  When planning trainings, outline
themes, then highlight key points.
•  Build inductive activities.
•  First, memorize, then
“extemporaneousize.”
•  Check the pulse throughout.
•  Always strive to make the next
facilitation even better!
Stephen J. Fallon, Ph.D.
1712 N. Victoria Park Road
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33305
(c) 2010 Stephen J. Fallon, Skills4
Sfallon@skills4.org


Facilitation skills HIV STD prevention

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