The document discusses facilitation, which is defined as guiding a group towards a goal through a six-dimensional process involving planning, meaning, confronting issues, managing feelings, structuring experiences, and maintaining values. Specific guidelines for facilitation are provided, such as encouraging sharing of ideas and participation while avoiding distress projection or domination by some members. Facilitation is said to create synergy within groups and help them make collective decisions efficiently. An example is given of how 3M provides resources on running effective meetings through facilitation skills.

1. - Facilitation - Prepared By: Jason Ernst The Pennsylvania State University

2. - Facilitation - Overview: Facilitation Defined Six Dimensions Guidelines Why it Works 3M Example

3. - Facilitation - Facilitation is a learning process in which a leader, called a facilitator, guides a group or individual towards a goal destination. What is Facilitation ?

4. - Uses of Facilitation - Group Training Group Problem Solving Team unity - Collective Decision Making

5. - Six Dimensions of Facilitation - 1. Planning 2. Meaning 3. Confronting 4. Feeling 5. Structuring 6. Valuing

6. - Six Dimensions of Facilitation - 1. Planning What is our goal ? How do we accomplish our goal ?

7. - Six Dimensions of Facilitation - 2. Meaning Assigning specific meaning to the group members’ experiences and actions.

8. - Six Dimensions of Facilitation - 3. Confronting Making certain that groups confront tough issues and problems that need dealt with.

9. - Six Dimensions of Facilitation - 4. Feeling To manage the overall feeling within the group.

10. - Six Dimensions of Facilitation - 5. Structuring How to structure the learning experience for a particular individual or group.

11. - Six Dimensions of Facilitation - 6. Valuing Maintaining the personal integrity and values of group members.

12. Facilitation Guidelines There is a particular chemistry that will make a group work well together. The following are some general guidelines that will apply to most groups.

13. Facilitation Guidelines Encourage the following: Sharing Ideas Full participation Extracting the gold Trust Inclusion of all Fun, joy and self-expression

14. Facilitation Guidelines Avoid the following: Pretending distress will go away Distress projected onto others Discussion that doesn’t go anywhere Domination by a few Withholding

15. How Facilitation Works… “ The facilitator knows how to guide a group of people through cooperative processes, including collective decision-making, so that the group can fulfill its purpose as easily as possible.” (Hunter, 5)

16. How Facilitation Works… Facilitation creates group “synergy.”

17. Real World Example Better meetings: Dozens of articles & tips on how to run effective meetings - from the basics to advanced facilitation skills. http://www.3m.com/meetingnetwork/index.html

18. Real World Example Featured Articles: A Magical Tool for Group Decisions By: Christopher M. Avery, Ph. D. Partnerwerks, Inc. http://www.3m.com/meetingnetwork/articles_advice/christopher/01-02.html

19. Hypothetical Exercise Your company wants you to facilitate a group meeting where a course of action must be decided on four different issues. What basic methods do you use to facilitate the meeting and reach decisions on the issues ?

20. Hypothetical Exercise Answer to exercise: Encourage : Sharing Ideas, Full participation, Extracting the gold, Trust, Inclusion of all, Fun, joy and self-expression Avoid : Pretending distress will go away, Distress projected onto others, Discussion that doesn’t go anywhere, Domination by a few, and Withholding

21. - Facilitation Summary- It is virtually impossible to measure the intangible benefits that group synergy through facilitation can have for your company.

22. Works Cited Avery, Christopher M. “A Magical Tool for Group Decisions.” Internet. http://www.3m.com/meetingnetwork/articles_advice/christopher/01-02.html 18 February 2001. “ Diversity Roundtable” Internet. http://community.webshots.com/photo/5250780/5253718YaldEqXQav 12 February 2001. “ Diversity Roundtable” Internet. http://community.webshots.com/photo/5250780/5253716uolBbJbucN 12 February 2001. “ Diversity Roundtable” Internet. http://community.webshots.com/photo/5250780/5253720XuepcvPWcN 12 February 2001 “ Diversity Roundtable” Internet. http://community.webshots.com/photo/5276885/5277579xjRXzWrGdc 12 February 2001 “ Diversity Roundtable” Internet. http://community.webshots.com/photo/5276885/5277581taUATFQPby 12 February 2001 Heron, John. The Facilitators’ Handbook. New York: Kogan Page, 1989. Hunter, Dale and Bailey Anne, and Taylor, Bill. The Art of Facilitation. Tucson: Fisher Books, 1995.