Comments on: Facilitation Antipattern: Negator http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/ Thoughts on Agile software development, facilitation, communication, and relationships in the personal and professional worlds, from Steven "Doc" List Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:20:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sumeet Moghe http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/comment-page-1/#comment-1361 Sumeet Moghe Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:07:45 +0000 http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/#comment-1361 Right, and in that my understanding is that they are closer to being contextual 'behaviour' patterns than 'facilitation' patterns. Right, and in that my understanding is that they are closer to being contextual ‘behaviour’ patterns than ‘facilitation’ patterns.

]]> By: Doc http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/comment-page-1/#comment-1358 Doc Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:39:05 +0000 http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/#comment-1358 I disagree about starting from the motivation. While the motivation may help to inform my actions, I believe that you cannot ever know the motivation. At best you can believe you know. The behavior is observable. My goal as a facilitator is not to change the person, but to deal with that person's behavior as it affects the group. Each of these behaviors that I've described is not the person, but a set of behaviors that anyone can exhibit at any time. When I'm facilitating a meeting/event, then I don't have the luxury or opportunity to dig into motivations. All I can do is deal with the behaviors. As to these behaviors occurring anywhere under any circumstances, I agree. My focus, at this time, is in understanding them as they affect group dynamics and behavior. I disagree about starting from the motivation. While the motivation may help to inform my actions, I believe that you cannot ever know the motivation. At best you can believe you know. The behavior is observable. My goal as a facilitator is not to change the person, but to deal with that person’s behavior as it affects the group. Each of these behaviors that I’ve described is not the person, but a set of behaviors that anyone can exhibit at any time. When I’m facilitating a meeting/event, then I don’t have the luxury or opportunity to dig into motivations. All I can do is deal with the behaviors.

As to these behaviors occurring anywhere under any circumstances, I agree. My focus, at this time, is in understanding them as they affect group dynamics and behavior.

]]> By: Sumeet Moghe http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/comment-page-1/#comment-1356 Sumeet Moghe Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:19:39 +0000 http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/#comment-1356 Hey Doc, As I'd mentioned to you in person as well, I find it difficult to identify these as 'facilitation' patterns or antipatterns. What I do see these as are general behaviour patterns that can occur in just about any context -- not just facilitation. Dealing with problem behaviours is a matter of starting from the motivation behind the behaviour. In a facilitation context, I would say the patterns or antipatterns are not the behaviours but the way a facilitator deals with them (or not). My 2p, Sumeet Hey Doc,
As I’d mentioned to you in person as well, I find it difficult to identify these as ‘facilitation’ patterns or antipatterns. What I do see these as are general behaviour patterns that can occur in just about any context — not just facilitation.

Dealing with problem behaviours is a matter of starting from the motivation behind the behaviour. In a facilitation context, I would say the patterns or antipatterns are not the behaviours but the way a facilitator deals with them (or not).
My 2p,
Sumeet

]]> By: Dew Drop – October 1, 2009 | Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/comment-page-1/#comment-1103 Dew Drop – October 1, 2009 | Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:03:12 +0000 http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/#comment-1103 [...] Facilitation Antipattern: Negator (Steven ‘Doc’ List) [...] [...] Facilitation Antipattern: Negator (Steven ‘Doc’ List) [...]

]]> By: Tweets that mention Facilitation Antipattern: Negator | The Doctor Is In -- Topsy.com http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/comment-page-1/#comment-1102 Tweets that mention Facilitation Antipattern: Negator | The Doctor Is In -- Topsy.com Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:23:20 +0000 http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/#comment-1102 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by PostRank – Dev and planettw. planettw said: Steven List: Facilitation Antipattern: Negator: Motto: That’s wrong.Belief: It’s my responsibility to point out.. http://bit.ly/NdePa [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by PostRank – Dev and planettw. planettw said: Steven List: Facilitation Antipattern: Negator: Motto: That’s wrong.Belief: It’s my responsibility to point out.. http://bit.ly/NdePa [...]

]]> By: Ilja Preuß http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/comment-page-1/#comment-1100 Ilja Preuß Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:02:29 +0000 http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/#comment-1100 I wholeheartedly agree with the last part of your comment. It looks to me like these patterns actually exhibit a strong "Negator" attitude! Pointing out how to constructively deal with these kinds of behavior would be much more helpful! I wholeheartedly agree with the last part of your comment. It looks to me like these patterns actually exhibit a strong “Negator” attitude! Pointing out how to constructively deal with these kinds of behavior would be much more helpful!

]]> By: Doc http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/comment-page-1/#comment-1097 Doc Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:35:36 +0000 http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/#comment-1097 You're right that many of these patterns would seem to apply only to participants. The problem is that too many people who are serving as "facilitator" are not trained nor are they skilled. As a result, they <em>do</em> exhibit these behaviors, all the while believing that they are serving the group. And yes, I have seen these behaviors from so-called facilitators. You are right - it would be the facilitator's job to challenge them, to tease out deeper meanings, and so on. This assumes that the facilitator is competent to do so, of course. The intent of identifying these patterns and antipatterns is to assist both participants and facilitators in recognizing behaviors and in being prepared to deal with them. I think that where I have fallen short in this blog, thus far, is in providing specific techniques and tools for dealing with the antipatterns. You’re right that many of these patterns would seem to apply only to participants. The problem is that too many people who are serving as “facilitator” are not trained nor are they skilled. As a result, they do exhibit these behaviors, all the while believing that they are serving the group. And yes, I have seen these behaviors from so-called facilitators.

You are right – it would be the facilitator’s job to challenge them, to tease out deeper meanings, and so on. This assumes that the facilitator is competent to do so, of course.

The intent of identifying these patterns and antipatterns is to assist both participants and facilitators in recognizing behaviors and in being prepared to deal with them.

I think that where I have fallen short in this blog, thus far, is in providing specific techniques and tools for dealing with the antipatterns.

]]> By: Tobias Mayer http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/comment-page-1/#comment-1096 Tobias Mayer Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:19:49 +0000 http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/#comment-1096 I don't understand what these facilitation Antipatterns have to do with facilitation. Have you actually met facilitators who behave in any of these ways? I sincerely hope not. These may be team-member behaviors, but even then are rarely found in isolation, and it would be the facilitators job to challenge them, to tease out deeper meanings, to help the person transform fear into courage. Not sure I see the purpose of this blog series: it lacks context (even given you are doing a presentation). I don’t understand what these facilitation Antipatterns have to do with facilitation. Have you actually met facilitators who behave in any of these ways? I sincerely hope not.

These may be team-member behaviors, but even then are rarely found in isolation, and it would be the facilitators job to challenge them, to tease out deeper meanings, to help the person transform fear into courage. Not sure I see the purpose of this blog series: it lacks context (even given you are doing a presentation).

]]> By: RoyOsherove (Roy Osherove) http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/comment-page-1/#comment-1095 RoyOsherove (Roy Osherove) Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:51:14 +0000 http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/2009/09/30/negator/#comment-1095 <strong>Twitter Comment</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/RoyOsherove" title="Twitter Comment" rel="nofollow"> <div title="RoyOsherove (Roy Osherove)" style="float:left;margin-right:10px;padding:0;width:60px;height:60px;background:url(http://www.stevenlist.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/chatcatcher/picbg.jpg) no-repeat top;cursor:hand;"> </div> <div title="RoyOsherove (Roy Osherove)" style="float:left;margin-left:-70px;margin-right:10px;padding:0;width:60px;height:60px;background:url(http://purl.org/net/spiurl/RoyOsherove) no-repeat top;cursor:hand;"> </div> </a> do you know that guy in *your* team? "It’s my responsibility to point out what’s wrong with other people’s ideas" [link to post]<br /><br /> - <a href="http://chatcatcher.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Posted using Chat Catcher</a> Twitter Comment


do you know that guy in *your* team? “It’s my responsibility to point out what’s wrong with other people’s ideas” [link to post]

– Posted using Chat Catcher

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