This page was created to provide tips and suggestions for activists related to facilitating meetings and events. This guide reflects several questions the HUB community has raised on facilitation.
The information included comes from existing organizer databases and resources and advice from movement thinkers. A special thanks to HUB advisor Amara Possain, who thoughtfully shared their expertise with the HUB team. Their knowledge is shared throughout. We encourage readers to share further ideas on how this page can be expanded upon and improved.
This guide includes... definers of good vs bad facilitation, tools for good facilitation, suggestions for increasing participant engagement and suggestions for managing group dynamics.
The role of a facilitator is to drive meeting or event participants towards clarity. Facilitation move things forward and build momentum. Facilitators also bring participants back to the purpose of the event/meeting. Remembering your purpose is key, so that when someone is taking up too much space, the facilitator can remind that you'd like to bring us back to the purpose and our goals. -Amara Possain, HUB advisor
Take responsibility for helping the group stay on track and move through the agenda within the available time.
Suggest how to move the group forward, rather than making decisions or plans for the group.
Regulate the flow of discussion.
Track decisions and milestones, providing clarity on the group's journey, clarifying and summarizing points.
Prioritize the collective needs and goals of the group over individual within the group.
Note: A person who has strong opinions or significant investment in the decisions being made may find it challenging to facilitate effectively. In some situations, it can be helpful to have an external facilitator.
What makes for poor facilitation?
The following reflections were raised by CAN-RAC and HUB team members in a joint workshop developed and delivered by Amara Possain:
No agenda, no steering, lack of organization
Repetition
Lack of momentum
Not stepping in to help pull out the positives (groups tend to focus on negatives)
Not stepping in when some people are taking up too much space
Not knowing the audience and how to tailor facilitation
Not stepping in to get people back on track, when people hijack space
Low engagement and energy, lack of initiative
Not being able to move past certain items
People weaponizing meeting rules and knowledge of process
Passive aggressiveness
Unclear roles in non-hierarchical structure
Interrupting each other
“Outfacilitating" the facilitator - often around an unbalanced power dynamic
Miscommunications / inability to diagnose where we departed in understanding
Source: adapted by Amara Possain (HUB advisor) from The P-O-P Model (Social Transformation Project, Leslie Sholl Jaffe & Randy Alford)
Purpose
Why? Why are we having this meeting? What is the purpose?
Outcomes
What do we want to accomplish as a result of this meeting?
Process
What steps will we take to achieve these outcomes and fulfill the purpose?
Tools for good facilitation
The following sections include a compilation of suggestions from Seeds for Change'[6] ', Amara Possain (HUB advisor, Daniel Hunter (350.org training director) [7] and the Anarchist Library [8] . Suggestions are relevant to virtual, in-person and hybrid meetings and events.
For discussion and idea raising
Temperature check
A non-verbal quick way to gauge different levels of enthusiasm for a topic.
For example, "How keen are you on this idea? If you think it is fantastic, raise your hands high. If you feel middling about it, hold your hands in the middle. And hands down low means you're not keen at all."
This has the benefit of getting quick and basic input from everyone in the room - including people who don't often speak. A temperature check isn't the same thing as a majority vote. For example, even if only one person really needs a break, it could still be a good time to stop!
Go-arounds
Best reserved for smaller meetings. Everyone takes turns speaking without comment from others. This helps to gather opinions and feelings, and ensures everyone has a chance to speak.
Fishbowl
The fishbowl is a special form of small group discussion. Some members representing differing points of view meet in the middle of the room, and create a circle to discuss the issue. Everyone else forms an outer circle and listens.
At the end of the discussion, the whole group reconvenes and evaluates the fishbowl discussion.
Paired listening or small groups
Participants can explore and formulate their own thoughts and feelings on an issue without interruption.
In pairs, one person is the listener, the other speaks about their thoughts and feelings on the issue. The listener gives full attention to their partner.
Listeners offer a summary at the end, to check they've understood. After a set time swap roles within the pairs.
Use sticky notes
Sticky notes (virtual on slides or in-person) can be used to allow participants to share ideas.
Journalling/individual reflection
Journalling/individual reflection before coming into discussion is helpful, especially for those that need more time to process. We especially recommend this for big decisions or questions.
For feedback
Prioritization dots
Helps to whittle down a long list of options into something more manageable.
Everyone in the group is allowed the same number of 'dots', e.g. five (this could simply be dots they draw on with their own pens or drag on a screen). They can 'spend' these dots between their five priority options, or choose a different weighting (e.g. three dots on an idea they are very keen on, and then one each on their next two favoured options).
Pros and cons or plus/minus/interesting
Listing the benefits and drawbacks of different ideas can be a good way to explore different viewpoints without people taking it too personally.
This can also be a starting point for a deeper exploration of what people really want to achieve and avoid. Some people will find it hard to engage with an abstract question like "What are your core needs?" Listing the reasons why they like or don't like particular ideas may help them notice and explain what they want and don't want.
Parking space
When something comes up that's not relevant to the discussion at hand, 'park' it in the parking space (a large sheet of paper on the wall or in the notes) and deal with it at an appropriate time later. This allows you to stay focused but reassures participants they will be heard.
Spectrum tool
Use the spectrum tool to help gauge where people are at. If you're virtual, you can also do this anonymously with figures instead of names.
For opening and beginning the meeting/event
Build trust and ground attendees
For in-person meetings, assign a welcomer or ‘doorkeeper’ for newcomers who can point people towards refreshments, explain where the toilets and fire exits are, and bring late arrivals up to speed with the meeting/event progress.
Ideally include approx. time markings when explaining how the meeting/event will run. Note: Consider the dance of time; give a range of time to help people get a sense for how long you'll spend on things, but also balance when more or less time needs to go to certain things
Make sure people know how the meeting/event works
Explain the time frame, subjects, goals of the meeting/event and the process for making decisions.
Agree with the group what behaviour is acceptable/not acceptable (e.g. avoiding jargon, asking questions if you don’t understand, trying to understand someone’s views even when you disagree with them.)
Review, make any changes, then agree to move ahead with meeting.
Engage people early and often - set the tone in the first few minutes
Start with names, pronouns and a check-in question. This is a great chance to hear everyone’s voice on something that’s not a work topic.
Depending on the group and the time available you might share personal things or keep it short and functional. (E.g. "I'm very tired, can we have a short break in the middle?")
Examples of check-in questions include: what’s a song that represents you? What’s an object around you that says something about you? What’s one thing you’re proud of from last week? What’s something people might not know about you? What do you appreciate about another team member?
Try the circle up tool!
You might also try using the circle up tool. It helps people now who is in the room. It can be used for things like introductions.
Explain the proposed agenda, and ask for amendments
Be conscious of how long this process is taking– it’s better to be firm and go ahead with a plan rather than spending half the time talking about what to talk about!
For ending meeting/events
Make sure you finish on time, or get everyone’s agreement to continue.
Ensure someone will be circulating the minutes, notes or slides in the next few days.
Make sure there’s a time and place set for the next meeting, or share upcoming events!
Offer a way to evaluate and provide feedback the meeting/event.
It can be nice to follow the meeting with an informal social activity!
Energizers to increase engagement throughout
Energizers provide a break/rest and can help increase engagement when included between the beginning to the end of a meeting/event [9]
Sam Went to Venus
Have the group stand in a large circle.
Explain the first person will say: “Did you hear?” The second person (the person to their right) says: “What?” First person: “Sam went to Venus.” Second: “Really how?” First person: “She went to Venus like this!” – and the first person proceeds to make some repetitive motion.
Everyone in the circle repeats the motion (and continues repeating the motion). Then, the person to the left of the first person repeats that same series: “Did you hear?/What?/Sam went to Venus./Really, how?/She went to Venus like this” and makes his/her own motion (which the whole groups repeats).
The process continues around the entire circle until ending when everyone has done it. (In large groups, this can be done in several separate groups simultaneously.)
Something True About Yourself (from Gerald Gomani, Zimbabwe)
Have each participant write down something true about themselves (anything), without their names, on a piece of paper. Then, have them wad it up. Then, throw snowballs at each other! After a few minutes of play, have the group read the snowballs.
Strategy Stretch (from Erika Thorne, USA)
A simple stretching activity, but laced with activist principles. Start by having people get some space from each other.
Each stage involves a new direction to physically have people stretch their bodies. “Stretch upwards towards your vision / [while bending halfway at the waist] stretch your arms out towards your allies and colleagues / [while bending down at the waist] stretch down towards the grassroots, the source of your nourishment / [bending backwards] and bend backwards towards your ancestors, those people who support you from behind.”
Why… Because… (from Gerald Gomani, Zimbabwe)
Have people on one half of the group write down a Why question (“Why is the grass green? Why is there suffering?” etc.). Have the other half write down a Because answer (“Because I said so. Because it can float.” etc.).
Give no indication for the purpose or what types of why questions or because answers people should write. Then – and this can be a hilarious exercise – go around the room and have the Why’s ask a question and get their answer from the Because’s.
Push for specificity and test for alignment. Be suspicious of agreements reached too easily – test to make sure that people really do agree on essential points. Try something like 'there's a lot of great knowledge in the room. Is there anything we're missing, anything we haven't considered?"
Assign observer roles (vibes, process). Helpful on zoom and/or when the #'s are large.
What was the general atmosphere in which the group worked? relaxed? tense?
How were the decisions made?
If there was any conflict, how was it handled?
Did everybody participate? Were there procedures that encouraged participation?
How well did the group members listen to each other?
Were there recognized leaders within the group?
How did the group interact with this facilitator?
"When you as process observer (whether appointed or not) are paying specific attention to patterns of participation, an easy device would be to keep score on papers. In a small group a mark can be made next to a person’s name every time they speak. If you are looking for differences in participation patterns between categories of people, such as around gender, race and ethnicity, new members-old member, etc, keeping track of number of contributions in each category is enough." -Berit Lakey, Training for Change
Specific practices
Start with something easy to build momentum, then move on to harder items. Finish with something short and easy to provide hope for next time.
Alternate structures / modes so there are many ways to participate.
Make the agenda visible to participants at all times. Refer to it and the time markings when possible.
Break things up and take breaks, especially in longer meetings/events with many big and/or difficult items.
Break up who is speaking - arrange for others to present whenever possible.
Probe and test for agreement when decisions need to be made - be suspicious when agreements are reached too easily. Notice and celebrate when we do get agreement — even small ones!
Look for minor points of agreement and state them. This helps build the group's morale.
Handling specific situations
All depends on the facilitator’s ability to interpret the situation and ability to intervene accordingly, the participant, and the group - but it’s helpful to keep tools in your back pocket and to practice.
You have to assess what's going on. Are they a jerk? Are they feeling unheard?
Shift the format/structure first. Break things up in pairs or try something else. Help get a sense for what's going on.
Sometimes need to intervene directly with the person, sometimes need to include the whole group.
Jokes and affirmation can help depending on the situation.
Ask for others input if a conversation is being carried out by 2 people only.
Some approaches: shift format/structure, energizer, break, 1:1, remove them, make the group a part of it, humour, affirmation, the list goes on.
If you have any suggested revisions or additional resources to share related to the above content, please email them to kenzie@lehub.ca.
