This document discusses key concepts for facilitators and group leaders. It covers: - Two models for how facilitators can think - unilateral control or mutual learning. Mutual learning is preferred as it promotes inquiry and sharing of all views. - The goal of facilitation is to help groups improve problem-solving and decision-making, not control agendas or make people nicer. - Facilitators must be aware of how their words and actions influence the group and signal their process beliefs. - Collusion and defensiveness harm groups, while open inquiry, sharing information, and discussing all issues promotes learning and performance.

1. Class Session 8
ADLT 675, Group andTeam Facilitation

2. 1. How you think is how you facilitate (or
coach, mentor, or train)
 Unilateral Control model
 Mutual Learning model
2. To be a good facilitator, you have to think
systemically
 Without systems thinking, “fixing” one part of the system
will always create unintended consequences in another
part

3. 3. The goal of a facilitator is to help a group or
team improve how it solves problems and
makes decisions
 Not to make people be “nicer” to each other
 Not to vest power in the leader or to control a pre-set agenda
4. Everything counts
 Questions are interventions
 Every action you take, and every intervention you make with
the group signals your beliefs about what makes for effective
group process

4.  When you are the leader, you’re not a neutral
third party, but a facilitative leader
 You can be a facilitative leader when you are the formal
leader or a group member
 The facilitator leader role is the most difficult
 The role requires that you simultaneously be involved in
decision-making content, while also paying attention to
process within the group
 The stronger your views are on the content, the more
difficulty you will have in remaining curious about others’
views

5.  Collusion is a secret agreement between certain
members of the group that affects others negatively
 Collusion is anti-mutual learning
 Methods of collusion:
 With one or more members against one or more members
 With one or more members against a non-group member
 With a non-group member against one or more members
 Example of collusion: when a member of the group asks to
speak with you privately

6. Always
win and
control
Advocate
our views
NO
inquiry
Make
negative
inferences
about
others
Ignore
there is a
problem
Display
defensive
behavior
Model I Behaviors (unilateral control)
From the work of
Chris Argyris, 1978
• I understand the situation; you don’t
• I’m right; you’re wrong
• My motives are pure
• My feelings and behaviors are justified
• I am not contributing to the problem

7. State my views, without asking for others’ views
Withhold relevant information
Speak in general terms; don’t agree on what important words mean
Keep my reasoning private; don’t ask about others’ reasoning
Focus on positions, not interests
Act on untested assumptions
Control the conversation
Avoid, ease-into, or save face on difficult issues

8. Performance
 Lower quality team decisions
 Less innovation
 Longer implementation time
 Increased costs
Working Relationships
 Lower commitment
 Decreased trust
 Reduced learning
 Greater defensiveness
 Unproductive conflict
 Inappropriate dependence on
others
Individual Satisfaction
 Reduced motivation
 Limited development
opportunities
 Increased stress

9. Rules Governing Theories-in-Use
(how we act, which is different from how we think we act!)
To remain in
unilateral
control
To maximize
winning and
minimize
losing
To suppress
negative
feelings
To be as
rational as
possible
From the work of Chris
Argyris, 1978

10. Provide
data to
support
ideas
Invite
inquiry
Open to
rigorous
testing of
theories
Conflict
can and
does
surface
Low
defensive
behavior
Model II Behaviors (mutual learning)
From the work of
Chris Argyris, 1978
• I have information, and so do others
• Each of us sees things that others don’t
• Differences are opportunities for learning
• People may disagree with me and still have pure motives
• I may be contributing to the problem

11. State your views and ask genuine questions
Share all relevant information
Use specific examples and agree on what important words mean
Explain your reasoning and intent
Focus on interests, not positions
Test assumptions and inferences
Jointly design next steps (in a conversation)
Discuss undiscussible issues

12. Performance
 Higher quality decisions
 Greater innovation
 Shorter implementation time
 Reduced costs
Working Relationships
 Greater commitment
 Increased trust
 Reduced defensiveness
 Productive conflict
 Appropriate dependence on others
Individual Well-
Being
 Increased motivation
 Increased satisfaction
 Richer development
opportunities
 Reduced stress

13.  Take action base on belief
 Adopt beliefs
 Draw conclusions
 Make assumptions
 Add meanings
 Select data
 Observable data and experience

14. Identify the conclusion
someone is making
Ask for the data that led to the
conclusion
Inquire into the reasoning that
connects data and conclusion
Infer a possible belief or
assumption
State your inference and test it
with the person

15. Each team will view the results of the DyerTeam Development Scale
Based on your conversation, discuss
• How your team may have used the Unilateral Control model, and in what
circumstances
• In what circumstances, the team members were acting according to the Mutual
Learning model
• What you want to improve for “next time” – commit to writing!
Review the selected chapters, and decide which one(s) your team will use to
facilitate an exercise in developing facilitation skills (60-75 minutes)
Who presents on April 18? April 25?
Which chapters should the class read to prepare?