Smooth sailing

Sailors are not the only ones who need to know how to change tack.

So do facilitators.

Sailors read the wind. Facilitators read the room.

I reckon one of the things that makes a good facilitator really good is sensing what a group needs, at just the right time.

And changing tack. 

⛵ Park the agenda. 
⛵ Suspend the focus on outcomes. 
⛵ Uncover the elephant. 
⛵ Follow the group where they so clearly want to go – fearlessly.

You’ll know if you don’t. It’ll smack you in the face like a wet sail.

I’ve felt it, have you? It was a long time ago but I recall it like it was yesterday.

I missed the signs from the start. 

I misread discomfort with opening activities as unfamiliarity. 

I misread questioning the agenda as a power play from someone used to getting their own way.

I misread a reluctance to stand up and move around as shyness.

A few useful ideas bubbled to the surface but nobody really had the opportunity to say what was really on their mind. 

Frustrated, some people ‘burst’ and hijacked the conversation. In the last hour. 

I was completely caught by surprise. ‘Everything was going so smoothly!’

Things got hotter as the important content finally got some air time. 

The workshop went over time. People had started to leave.

Afterwards, participants, the client and me compared it to a bubble bursting. It had to happen. But it didn’t have to happen that way.

That experience taught me to check if I’m reading the room, or just skimming it.

So, if things are going smoothly – sniff the wind. Maybe they are. Or maybe you’re only skimming the room, not reading it.

If you’d like to work with me to get better at reading the room, here are 4 ways we can start:

1.    Join me for an introduction to #Facilitography in the heart of Melbourne 
Get a good eye for reading the room by taking photos in the street with your phone. The first one is on 15 January, 5.30pm - 7pm, then every second Wednesday until the end of March. Hit reply to book.

2.    Get a copy of my Insights Paper, Read the room like a street photographer
It’s about why reading the room is vital for productive conversations and how to get better at reading the room with the help of your phone. Hit reply I’ll send it to you.

3.    Work with Me One-on-One
If you’d like to finesse your facilitation skills, hit reply and I’ll get in touch about a tailored Facilitation Mentoring program to suit you.

4.    Jump On A Call
Having a specific facilitation challenge? Or a little frustrated that your facilitation is not quite hitting the mark? Hit reply we can book a time to jump on a call together.