Notes from a session Niamh delivered for VAI an Belfast Exposed in Feb 2012. For further details of the VAI Professional Development Training Programme see: http://visualartists.ie/professional-developmentp/

1. Facilitation Skills
for Artists
Working with Groups
7.2.13

2. To Facilitate:
Is to make easy or help forward an action or process
e.g. to facilitate dialogue in a group enables interaction, sharing of ideas
and expertise etc., assists in the emergence of understanding and
meaning, can aid collaboration through the identification of an action and
fosters agreements towards this end.
A Facilitator:
Through providing a structure and process, assists a group to function
effectively, to achieve synergy and supports “everyone to do their best
thinking and practice” (Kaner et al, 2007)
Kaner, S. with Lind, L., Toldi, C., Fisk, S. and Berger, D., "Facilitator's Guide to
Participatory Decision-Making, (2007)

3. A Good Facilitator ...
(group-made list 7.2.13)
Guides a process Is a good Listener and has good communication skills
Plans and gives structure e.g. Introductions, Provides opportunities for evaluation and feedback
•
Is mindful of adapting plans to current conditions Is capable, confident and has good self-presentation
Suspends judgement Is patient
Has Boundaries while creating a secure atmosphere
Shares power
Connects with people and recognises / affirms
Understands the dynamics of a group contributions
Is good at time management Knows their own limitations
Has personal integrity Manages expectations of the group/funders/self
Can think on their feet (reflection in action) Is able to deal with vulnerable participants (may bring in
expertise)
Respects the autonomy of individuals, the group
wisdom Acknowledges and deals with problems
Values personal experience Can Mediate effectively
Summarises information.
Encourages risk-taking, critical thinking and creativity
understands process and content functions
Fosters collective responsibility
Promotes participation and group action

4. A Good Facilitator...
Process
Ensures that everyone has an opportunity to participate
Enables people to express and deal with conflict
Assists members to identify feelings that impede the group's work
Content
Clarifies any confusing comments or statements
Identifies connections or common threads
Organises and summarises ideas, plans etc.

5. Listening
Active Listening makes use of paraphrasing to affirm and build
understanding.
Open Questions allow for reflection, sharing of opinion and feelings, shares
control within the encounter.
How... What... Why... Tell me more about?

6. Dialogic listening or Relational Listening
Dialogic Listening is a process of finding meaning through conversational
exchange, asking for clarity and testing understanding. It focuses on the
interaction and process of co-creation.
Characteristics of dialogic listening are:
Authenticity
Inclusion
Confirmation
Presentness
Spirit of mutual equality and supportive climate

7. Dialogic listening or Relational Listening
Techniques:
Encourage each other to say more, to further explore and explicate
views and questions
Use, extend, and play with metaphors to reveal new perspectives on
an issue or situation
Paraphrase, interpret and respond
Explore the context of each other's claims (ideas, feelings and
opinions)
John Stewart and Milt Thomas, "Dialogic Listening: Sculpting Mutual Meanings," in Bridges
Not Walls, ed. John Stewart, 6th edition, (New York: McGraw- Hill, 1995)

8. Why Work with Groups?
What are some of the challenges of
working with groups?
When do I use facilitation?

9. Group Development
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning (Mourning)
Tuckman, Bruce 1965. Developmental Sequence in Small Groups

10. Conflict Resolution
The Conflict Resolution Network identifies 12 skills for resolving conflict:
The Win/Win Approach The Creative Response
Empathy Appropriate Assertiveness
Co-operative Power Managing Emotions
Willingness to Resolve Mapping the Conflict
Development of Options Negotiation Skills
Third Party Mediation Broadening Perspectives
© Conflict Resolution Network
PO Box 1016 Chatswood NSW 2057 Australia Website www.crnhq.org

11. Consensus
Types of Decision rules:
(the level of agreement needed to finalise a decision)
Unanimous agreement
Unanimous consent
Unanimous agreement minus one vote or
two votes
Unanimous consent minus one vote or
Two votes
Super majority thresholds
(90%, 80%, 75%, two-thirds, and 60%)
Simple Majority
Executive committee decides
Person-in-charge decides
© 2002 DRM Associates

12. ORID – Focused Discussion Technique
Observational (observed via the senses, hard facts)
Reflective (emotional)
Interpretive (finding meaning, patterns, links)
Decisional (what action? What next?)
© Institute of Cultural Affairs

13. Resources
Facilitation
Artslink Queensland http://artslinkqld.com.au/groupfacilitationskills
Mindtoolshttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/RoleofAFacilitator.htmlaptop
Groupwork
Infed - the encyclopaedia of informal education http://www.infed.org/groupwork/what_is_group_work.htm
Conflict Resolution & Consensus
Conflict Resolution Network http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_5
www.actupny.org/documents/CDdocuments/Consensus.html
www.npd-solutions.com/consensus.html http://www.consensusdecisionmaking.org/
Strategic Questioning
ORID and The Art of Focused Conversation: 100 Ways to Access Group Wisdom in the Workplace
Institute of Cultural Affairs
http://www.jobsletter.org.nz/vivian/strat704.htm
Evaluation
Learning Store University Wisconsin Extension
http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Program-Development-Evaluation-C234.aspx
Icebreaker
http://insight.typepad.co.uk/40_icebreakers_for_small_groups.pdf
http://arteducationdaily.blogspot.ie/2011/10/art-class-icebreakers-index.html