Facilitating Discussions That Produce Collaborative Results
Collaborative decision-making always sounds like a great idea. After all, who wouldn’t want to feel like everyone was a part of a solution to an important problem, or had a hand in creating a new successful product or process?!
That is until you (as the leader) attempt it.
In my experience, these discussions usually start one of two ways:
1. Painful silence - This usually becomes so awkward that the leader feels the need to speak up and try to get the discussion started and may unknowingly influence the discussion in a certain direction.
2. A spirited ‘sharing circle’- People speak passionately and advocate for their own thoughts, which usually start with familiar solutions that are easy to implement.
Perhaps surprisingly, neither of the above responses are ‘bad’ – they’re natural, predictable responses to a group beginning to navigate uncharted waters. People start with familiar ideas because they have worked before in other situations, are emotionally safe to share, and come to mind quickly when faced with an issue. Heck, familiar solutions are even great for solving simple problems! But if your team needs to create ideas for complex issues, simple won’t cut it.
Neither will sitting quietly and accepting all ideas as faultless. Ideas are like rocks, and solutions like diamonds – ideas need to be put under pressure to shine. That pressure comes from being challenged, and the tough reality is some ideas are better than others. The best solutions usually come from an idea challenged multiple times and many people adding to the process.
Sam Kaner (2014) divided the group decision-making process into two phases: divergent thinking (moving from familiar opinions to hearing diverse perspectives) and convergent thinking (consolidating ideas and refining them for action). Smack dab in the middle of these 2 phases is what he calls “The Groan Zone” – a period of frustration, confusion, miscommunication and struggle necessary to integrate ideas together.
Source: “Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making” by Sam Kaner (2014)
The question is how you, the leader, walk the group through this process to generate results and move from playing it safe to being innovative and collaborative. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your team when you need a creative, collaborative decision:
- Be Prepared! Provide information and context for everyone a few days beforehand. This lets people think up ideas prior to the meeting and (hopefully) avoids some of the awkward silence. This information should include the goal of the discussion, some questions to ponder, and can even have some basic team charter behaviour expectations to make sure everyone feels respected and heard.
Also, be sure you have a plan for how the discussion will be facilitated. Do you give time for small group discussion in addition to large group conversation? Is it all just talking, or can you find ways to get people moving around the room or working independently at times they may feel ‘talked’ out? The facilitator shouldn’t resort to coming up with all the ideas or doing all of the talking, and solid pre-planning can help avoid that.
- Name it! Sometimes teams think they’re dysfunctional when they enter the Groan Zone. Why? Because they’ve never been told about it! Since it can be very uncomfortable to sit in The Groan Zone, teams assume its not normal. Explain the process to the group, prepare them for what to expect, and remind them that The Groan Zone (and all of the confusion and chaos that comes with it) isn’t just normal its vital to generate the best possible solution.
- Encourage storytelling! Team members will have diverse perspectives on the situation at hand. Some will even have an emotional attachment to the problem and/or solution. By asking people to tell stories or reflect on a time where something similar occurred, you bridge emotions and experience to move forward.
- Hand it off! Facilitating these types of discussions can be more difficult than it seems – it is a practiced skill! Depending on the issue at hand, or the current state of your team, it might be worth having someone else facilitate your meeting. This allows you as the leader to either be an active participant, take a step back and let your team be open and honest with someone completely impartial, or just have a new voice and dynamic in the room. You’d be surprised how much this can help! If you work with another leader who has experience in this area, they could be a wonderful resource. You can also hire external group facilitators (like us, or someone like us!) to prepare, lead, and report back on the discussion.
References:
Kaner, S., Lind, L., Toldi, C., Fisk, S., & Berger, D. (2014). Facilitator’s guide to participatory decision-making. Third edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
