Posts Tagged ‘roles’

Facililtation Antipattern: Zealot

Facilitation, Musings | Posted by Doc
Feb 09 2009
ZealotMotto: The force of my convictions makes me right!
: If you understand what I’m saying, then you must agree with me. My conviction is my strength.
: Speaks with passion and fervor, acting in the sincere belief that she is right and that if she pursues the topic long enough, others must see the rightness of her argument and agree with her.
Characteristics: Passionate, articulate, determined, argumentative, zealous

The Zealot (sometimes known as The Missionary) believes strongly, even passionately, in whatever they believe in. No half-measures for them.

They are willing to argue, fight, persuade, convince, and argue some more to win you over to their point of view. This means that they have the tendency to dominate a discussion, in their passion for what they know to be true/right.

This has the effect of taking over a meeting so that it is entirely focused on the Zealot’s issue. Which suits the Zealot just fine, but does not contribute to the group’s overall success.

It is important to realize that the Zealot is thoroughly well-intentioned, believing that they are serving you/the group by convincing anyone and everyone of the rightness of their view. They have nothing but good intentions, in fact. You might find yourself having the opportunity to ask “the question” (see I feel sad) from Crucial Conversations.

Dealing with this requires the strength to choose when to cut off a conversation (The Facilitation Four-Step), offer to either park it or consider it done, and keep the group moving forward. Challenging, but relatively straightforward.  This also requires the support of the other participants, which is usually forthcoming.

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Facilitation Antipattern: Professor Moriarty (aka Evil Genius)

Facilitation, Musings | Posted by Doc
Feb 02 2009
professor_moriartyMotto: The end, if it’s what I want, justifies any means.
: I can, and will, utilize any tool or stratagem to achieve my goals. I’m entitled to do so because I’m smarter and cleverer and it’s what I want.
: Manipulates, uses loaded language, conspires, convinces, distracts, distorts
Characteristics: Insidious, manipulative, conspiratorial, superficially open and honest

This may be one of my least favorite antipatterns, because it’s so destructive, while trying to wear the guise of constructive and collaborative. The Evil Genius is the one who’s whispering to others, who catches others alone during breaks, who speaks against one to another, who proposes antagonistic ideas and tries to make them sound constructive, and so on.

It does go on and on.

It’s frequently hard to spot the Evil Genius, because they mask their insidious manipulation so well.

And their manipulations are destructive, because they violate all the principles of collaboration.

“If I can get this one to side with me against that one, then I’ll weaken the entire group so that I can achieve my ends.”

And they frequently delude themselves into thinking that they are working for the good of the group.

Frankly, I have trouble imagining someone acting in this as a facilitator. And if they were, I can’t imagine that they’d be open and honest enough to own up to it and change.

This one is hard to deal with, because they are so good at being deceitful and duplicitous.

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Faciliation Pattern: Sherlock Holmes

Facilitation, Musings | Posted by Doc
Feb 02 2009
sherlockMotto: With enough information, we can reach a conclusion.
: It’s facts that count, not opinions, bound with reason.
: Asks questions, engages participants in inquiry, and guides them to reaching conclusions based on facts/information in evidence.
Characteristics: Patient, inquisitive, articulate

So much of what we do in is (or should be) around gathering information and moving to conclusions/solutions/decisions.

When you go to a meeting, which occupies you: Telling? Or asking?

Like Curious George, Sherlock Holmes is interested in gathering information through asking questions. Unlike Curious George, Sherlock Holmes also collects evidence, relates what he’s learned and gathered, and drives toward conclusions.

Sherlock Holmes, the fictional character, was known for his use of deductive reasoning. Using deductive reasoning, we move from the general to the specific. We collect evidence and knowledge, and then use that evidence and knowledge to reach conclusions.

Holmes was also known for employing abductive reasoning, along with deductive reasoning. One description of abductive reasoning is “creating new rules to explain new observations”.

The facilitator’s role is to use her skills in data gathering, , and to guide the participants. As noted repeatedly, it is not the facilitator’s role to offer the conclusions, although that happens from time to time. It is the facilitator’s role to use these skills to and teach.

As is no doubt becoming clear, many of these patterns and antipatterns overlap in various ways. That is, they are not mutually exclusive.

Coming up? Dr. Moriarty, The Evil Genius!

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Facilitation Antipattern: Conclusion Jumper

Facilitation, Musings | Posted by Doc
Jan 31 2009
conclusion_jumperMotto: I don’t need to hear everything you have to say – I’ve got it!
: I am quicker than others in figuring things out, and am required to tell them so.
: States a conclusion as if they have enough information, then argues the point.
Characteristics: articulate, convincing

In my life, I have been so guilty of this. When I was younger, because I knew I was smart, I always assumed that I knew where the other person was going and would jump in. Of course, the other person was offended/annoyed, even if I was right.

Why? Because they wanted to finish what they had to say. They didn’t care that I was impatient to move on, that I thought I knew what they were going to say and where they were going, that I thought I was smart  – they wanted a show of respect.

Yup – Conclusion Jumpers are generally disrespectful. What their behavior says is “I’m smart, I’m fast, and what you have to say is less important than my desire to show my smarts and move things forward.” Who is that about? Them – the Jumper – not me.

If you are a facilitator, even if only for one meeting, then your is to be patient, listen, ask questions – not interrupt, nor assume that you know what someone means or what they’re going to say. Your responsibility is to encourage all parties to listen to all parties – if you don’t do it, then they will learn that they don’t have to.

In fact, part of your responsibility is to teach everyone present about respect and and listening.

I seem to have used the word resonsibility a lot in this post, don’t I?

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Facilitation Pattern: Guide (aka Sherpa)

Facilitation, Musings | Posted by Doc
Jan 31 2009
Motto: I’m here to hold the lamp and show the way.
: My role is to help you find your way and shine the light where it’s needed.
: Listens, asks, reframes and rephrases.
Characteristics: Calm, attentive, patient, and offering.

There are many pitfalls (think of the word literally, as well as figuratively) in meeting with and talking with others. In the role of /Sherpa, the facilitator’s responsibilities include steering the group around the pitfalls, helping them to avoid the known dangers and recognize the signs of upcoming trouble.

In many ways, the Guide is also a teacher, as through his behavior, the Guide teaches the group what signs to look for.

Can a participant be a Guide? Of course.

One of the key factors in participatory/collaborative events of all kinds is attitude.

Do you ask “What am I going to get out of this?” or “What am I going to put into this?”

Simple wisdoms:

  • To give is to receive.
  • To teach is to learn.
  • Sometimes asking is telling/teaching.

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Facilitation Antipattern: Superhero

Facilitation | Posted by Doc
Jan 30 2009
super_dudeMotto: I’m here to rescue you.
: I bring special skills and knowledge, and you must want me to use them.
: Leaps into the breach to answer questions, solve problems, soothe injured feelings, and otherwise care for the participants.
Characteristics: Gentle but firm, frequently offering answers/solutions rather than asking questions.

As a facilitator, we’re not present to answer questions or solve problems. And yet, especially if we have domain expertise, it’s tempting to leap into the breach. After all, not using our expertise is depriving the participants of value, right?

Nope.

As hard as it is, I tell everyone I train in that they must be prepared to leave their biases, opinions, and tendency toward rescuing people and situations outside.

When you rescue people or a situation, others don’t learn – well, they learn to depend on you to do it for them. It’s like the toddlers who always whine and reach up to be carried, because they’ve always been carried, so they always expect to be carried, so they don’t learn to get around well on their own.

As with most of the Patterns & Antipatterns I’ll be talking about, this applies equally to the facilitator and the participants. As a member of the group, if you keep providing solutions, others will start to pull back and let you do it all. While you might feel good as the superhero, you’re disempowering the team, and teaching them that it’s okay not to participate/contribute.

Don’t be a Superhero.

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Facilitation Patterns and Antipatterns: Curious George

Facilitation | Posted by Doc
Jan 27 2009

If you happen to be one of my Twitter followers, or you’re one of the friends or colleagues who is willing to listen, you’ll know that I’ve been focusing on this topic recently: Patterns and Antipatterns.

The focus came about because I submitted a proposal to present at Microsoft’s TechReady8* (February 2 – 6 in Seattle), in their Architecture track, on Facilitation. When my proposal was accepted, I then had the challenge to put together a presentation for as many as 300 people at a time, to be done twice. I’d prefer a workshop, because I like interaction and games and fun. But for 300 people, plus a webcast/recording, it’s gotta be a presentation.

As I thought about it, and thought about presenting to a bunch of Software Architects (and others – I don’t think they turn them away if they’re not architects), I tried to think in terms that would make sense to them. Being a colleague of Martin Fowler, the idea of patterns and antipatterns came as a natural idea.

As I’m evolving my ideas, I thought I’d start posting some of them here. I’d love to have feedback. This stuff might make it into a book at some point, so the more you help me, the more successful I’ll be. ;-)

Both the patterns and the antipatterns can apply to facilitator or participant.

Nothing is exclusive – I can take on the behaviors and beliefs of multiple patterns and antipatterns simultaneously.

Let’s see how it goes.

For each pattern or , I will describe four things: motto, , , and characteristics. I expect it to get a bit mushy at times.

Pattern: Curious George

curious_georgeMotto: I’m here to ask, not tell.
Belief: Asking questions is better than making statements, when I’m trying to bring out information.
Behavior: Asks questions, listens actively, and uses effective techniques to clarify and to elicit.
Characteristics: Calm, questioning, persistent

This pattern is most evident in facilitators. I believe that a facilitator’s role requires that she be focusing on drawing out information. That means asking questions. That means expressing interest and curiosity to elicit knowledge and information that is in the brains of the participants.

* Microsoft TechReady8 is one of two global events that Microsoft puts on for the education of their employees. There should be some thousands of folks there. Microsoft accepts a very limited number of outside presenters, because much of the content is about Microsoft products and technology, and they have that expertise in-house. I’m pretty excited about this.

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