Facilitation

In today’s fast-paced business environment, leaders and board members must navigate complex challenges that require honest conversations. However, these discussions can often be fraught with tension and discomfort. Facilitation is key to transforming these potentially explosive interactions into constructive dialogue. By creating a safe space and utilizing the right level of challenge, we can help leadership teams and boards navigate difficult conversations effectively.

You might notice:

• Avoidance of difficult conversations due to the potential for conflict. This can stifle innovation and silence critical voices that need to be heard.
• There might be a lack of trust among board members and leadership teams, discussions can devolve into defensiveness and blame, hampering effective decision-making.
• You might spot dominance of Strong Personalities who can overshadow quieter voices, leading to one-dimensional perspectives on crucial issues.
• Not all leaders possess effective communication skills, which can result in misunderstandings and unproductive conversations.
• When issues are not openly discussed, it can lead to stagnation in decision-making, as unresolved tensions linger beneath the surface.

A skilled facilitator can:

• Establish Psychological Safety and create a culture where all voices are valued and respected is imperative. Leaders feel confident that they can express their opinions without fear of backlash.
• Encourage Open Dialogue by focussing on promoting candid discussions that explore diverse perspectives rather than simply reaching a consensus.
• Balance Challenge and Support by knowing when to challenge assumptions and when to support participants emotionally, creating a balanced environment for discussion.
• Utilize Structured facilitation methods—such as the use of talking stones, round-robin sharing, or breakout groups—can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
• Manage different group sizes through design to enhance customised participation for all, irrespective of group size.
• Can re-orient dialogue to focus on desired outcomes, guiding conversations toward actionable solutions while navigating through the discomfort.

So what is our approach:

• Before any meeting, we pre-engage with participants and commissioners to identify their concerns, goals, and expectations. This ensures that we can tailor the discussion to address specific needs and create a relevant framework.
• We establish clear ground rules (e.g., active listening, refraining from interruptions, and maintaining confidentiality) at the beginning of the session to help foster an environment of respect and trust.
• We upskill participants in active listening techniques to ensure everyone feels heard. Requesting reframing, summarizing, and clarifying can help distill complex ideas into manageable discussions.
• We upskill and encourage the use of conflict resolution strategies to empower boards and leaders to navigate disputes constructively. We might introduce techniques such as interest-based negotiation to realign focus on shared goals.
• Following discussions, we encourage participants to reflect on their experiences and the outcomes achieved. This can help reinforce the value of open dialogue and continuous improvement.

We are skilled in facilitating:

• Pre-designed leadership development programmes
• Action Learning Sets
• Train-the-trainer Programmes
• Impact Action Groups
• Leadership off-site days
• Bespoke webinars

We facilitate both virtually (on MS Teams or Zoom) as well as in-person.

Please get in touch if you need more information or would like to discuss your challenges.