What did that sound mean?
Dan Doherty
I recently hosted a facilitation skills workshop, in which each participant led a 45 min session using one of the 8 models listed in Peggy Holman’s book “Engaging Emergence”. Dynamic Facilitation stood out for me as the one generating the most passion and chaos (fertilizers for emergence).
The normally well-structured facilitator took the risk to start the DF session with a wide open question “What concerns you?” He then worked the flipcharts as the participants expressed their concerns and solutions (and critiqued the model on the fly). I was coaching from the side to ensure that problem statements and the crux of the DF model became visible and in the short time we had; and I was listening for hints of choice-creating.
All 4 DF sheets were full and we were starting on the 2nd layer of problem solving. The facilitator had the characteristic “response-ready” stance…feet apart and firmly planted, pen in one hand ready to write on a flipchart, other hand gesturing to manage the comments. One person was working to articulate a point, then several people were talking. The facilitator gestured for other participants to hold their comments, then the original speaker made a sound.
The facilitator continued to manage the comments. I whispered to him “It would be interesting to know what that sound meant. Ask her.” The group’s general assumption was that the sound was one of frustration; however after the facilitator drilled down, it turned out that the sound was a spontaneous expression of her profound experience that “No one has ever intervened to let me finish my thought before.”
At that moment I pictured Jim Rough’s big smile. Out of apparent chaos, emerged a gem, because something small was noticed and given time to mature. From there the process shifted to a rich exploration of group air time and respect. The window for choice creating had opened, and the dynamic of our workshop shifted.
May the gift of choice-creating be present for you and your family and co-worker this holiday season.
---Dan Doherty, Victoria BC
Jim Rough
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amelia roache
I thoroughly enjoyed your contribution herein.
Amelia Roache
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Rosa Zubizarreta
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Gillian Haley
Greetings All,
Sent from my iPad
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