Facilitating a team workshop

The true story below of a Facilitator and ‘Task Leader’¹, has been generalised to apply to most people. This conversation demonstrates how important it is to define the objectives of a workshop clearly and carefully consider both the competence and the Process Awareness² of the people who are attending.

Facilitator: “Hello… so tell me what you’re planning and hope to achieve”

Task Leader: “I’m planning an ‘away day’…

The facilitator’s heart sank, “Not another ‘team building’ day!”, they thought

Facilitator: “So, tell me: what are the outcomes that you want to see?”

Task Leader: “Well, we need to focus our future objectives based on what our customers/stakeholders want, we need to enhance our reputation and we must protect our brand”

This intrigued the facilitator: some key words already: future objectives, customers/stakeholders, enhance reputation, protect brand³ 

Facilitator: “So what you’re saying is⁴ that to ensure your (business) focus is directed appropriately, you need to understand your customer (better) and ensure that you take positive action both to protect your brand (image) and ensure your reputation going forward?”

Task Leader: “Exactly! There is a certain degree of plodding on doing what we have always done without regard for what the future holds and what we need to do differently”.

More key words: plodding (doing the same old), present – not future (focussed), (act) differently

Facilitator: “And you’re saying that your team is blinkered to the external forces, doesn’t understand all of this, the background and what’s at stake or the need to do things differently?”

Task Leader: “Exactly, they don’t. They have been somewhat shielded (by the previous management) to the external influences”.

More key words: shielded, external influences

Facilitator: “So what you’re saying is that there are external key drivers that impact on what and how you need to act?”

Task Leader: “Key drivers?”

Facilitator: “Yes, these are the external ‘forces’ which your organisation (department/function) needs to keep constantly in the forefront and used to align objectives. 

Task Leader: “They have limited experience of that or understanding it”. So, I think what you’re saying is that need to understand comes before setting objectives”.

Facilitator: “Yes. I suggest that having these in place is the imperative, BEFORE the away day. I think you have a key decision to make here…. You could Tell⁵ them what your customers/stakeholders want, you could Sell your understanding to them, you could get them Participating in finding out under your guidance or Delegate to them to find out for themselves. What do you think would be most appropriate, given their lack of experience and the need to get the picture clear? 

Task Leader: I’d love to say, get them to find out for themselves, but and it’s a big ‘BUT’, they have a day job, they might not get the information because they lack the experience and from what I’m gleaning this is key to our (future) success.

Facilitator: “So, it seems you’re saying that you collect the data and Sell it to them. i.e. explain it to them.”

Task Leader: “Yep, I think I am”. It’s crucial we know what we need to know!”

Facilitator:  ⁶“Well, because this understanding will set the context for your future direction I would propose that you use a ‘tool’ called ‘What will I see happening?’⁷ or a more sophisticated ‘model’ called ‘Repertory Grid’⁸, based on ‘Personal Construct Psychology’.

The outcome would be a data set which told you: what your customers/stakeholders wanted and why.” Then you could map that data onto a Stakeholder Map⁹ during the workshop to enable the team members to understand this in each customer/stakeholder.

Note to self: using the word ‘workshop’ now instead of ‘away day’ is hopefully changing the nature of the day!

Task Leader: “Would I be able to use these tool/models with several of our stakeholders?”

Facilitator: “I could either: explain the tool/model to you and we could practice. Then you could go and speak with one or two stakeholders or, I could go with you for the first one or two visits and demonstrate using the tool/model. Either way we could review the data and see if it’s giving you what you need and go from there.”

Facilitator: “Sounds like a plan is emerging and the research/answers will set the tone for your strategic planning workshop!”

Note to self: Now it’s turned into a strategic workshop!

Throughout the conversation the Task Leader (client) was writing notes (to them self). The Facilitator was more confident – the key drivers were more likely to be built into and act as direction for the ‘day’. 

Next, examine the Objectives for the day and establish a Process to help deliver each Objective . In their mind the Facilitator could see the objectives materialising, but best to work through this with the Task Leader to get their ownership.

You may also be interest in: Designing the Process Agenda for the strategic workshop.

Tony Mann
Tony Mann is the Facilitation Chief Examiner. He developed the Process Iceberg^TM facilitation methodology which has gained widespread acceptance across a wide range of sectors in the business, commercial, not for profit and public sectors. In his professional career he has worked in a number of countries across the world, applying his facilitation methods to a wide scope of issues including decision making, strategic planning, project planning, workforce engagement and problem solving. His training methods, introducing facilitation into organisations has been a key reason for its adoption into organisations like: food sector, government departments, social services, local government and telecommunications.