You're facilitating a large group discussion. How can strategic thinking lead to better decision making?

Defining the goals is secondary for setting the stage and parameters for the exercise. A myriad of goals with no clear expectations for the context, guard rails and the respect afforded to the participants is doomed to fail. If participants don't feel their contributions are valued, they will leave over time. The death of every company begins with failing to acknowledge, respect or appreciate the contributions of its employees.

Clear goals are crucial for effective decision-making, aligning everyone with a shared vision and guiding priorities, especially under constraints. Research by ClearCompany found that 97% of employees agree that alignment between individual and team goals positively impacts performance. In my podcast, defining content goals helped boost engagement by 40%. Regular reviews keep teams on track, fostering collaboration toward impactful outcomes.

The shared vision dichotomy. Not everyone will agree. Put ideas in a hat. Agree to disagree. Stick names on a board and throw darts at them; their idea wins for the day. Work as a team to make the idea, vision, or goal a reality together. I love games. They are great for team collaboration and unity! Plus, it is fun! #servantleadership #teambuildingskills #workgames #doctorhoneycutt

A clear goal for a discussion (or any meeting) is imperative. Especially for YOU, the facilitator. Your successful facilitation is based on a well-crafted goal, and your ability to keep that goal insight for all.

Recognising diverse strengths and communication styles enhances productivity. A McKinsey study found that diverse teams are 35% more likely to outperform homogeneous teams. Facilitators who value each perspective encourage balanced contributions, creating well-rounded, inclusive decisions.

In my experience, team dynamics are something one must ease into if one is new to the team. It can be challenging to incorporate your idea into a team that has been together for a long time and is set in its way. This takes time and finesse. However, a good leader recognizes each individual's strength(S) and can use this to the team's advantage. A strong leader should know how to utilize each member's strengths. A good leader can help build processes that develop a person's weaknesses. Understanding team dynamics is one thing, but embracing everyone's style is an EQ talent. Some leaders have a high EQ. Naturally, others need to work on it intentionally. #doctorhoneycutt #servantleadership

Group dynamics are like the culture of the conversation. They exist, and you have to be prepared to respond and redirect the dynamics during facilitation. This means your understanding of how people interact is crucial. To do this, lean on your listening skills. Listen to people words, but also their actions, behaviors, and nuances. Astute observation is essential.

Active engagement fosters innovation, with Gallup reporting that highly engaged teams are 21% more productive. Facilitators can boost involvement by asking open-ended questions, acknowledging viewpoints, and encouraging follow-up. This ensures the team remains committed and that the final decision reflects a wide range of insights.

One thing I've found helpful is to use open-ended questions and if you feel that not everyone is participating then do a name call of everyone in the team to get their answer. Sometimes it's good to use techniques like the only one who can talk must have a specific object in his hands and just then the other hears him.

This is what we all imagine when when we think of group facilitation: engagement. These are the core skills for a group dialogue that is shared by all. this typically reveals itself in an "opinion session" where each participant shares their ideas. A skilled facilitator, however, takes opinion sharing and moves it into collaborative ideation. This is true engagement. (Side note: don't rule out the quiet engagement from your introverted participants...not all participation is vocal!)

Strategic handling of challenges, like conflicts or time constraints, maintains focus. According to the American Management Association, teams trained in conflict resolution see 30% better outcomes. Setting ground rules and adapting to unexpected issues help groups navigate smoothly, fostering respectful collaboration.

Challenges are opportunities. As the facilitator, don't feel like you need to control the situation to mitigate "challenges". Instead, lean into the hard stuff. Inquire. Get curious. Formulate powerful statements that focus the group on the goal, and redirect participants to a shared outcome.If you have to, create boundaries, or group rules.

Synthesising diverse viewpoints into cohesive decisions ensures clarity. A Harvard Business Review study found that teams using effective synthesis save up to 25% of decision-making time. Identifying key themes and filtering insights ensure each idea aligns with group goals, resulting in actionable, sustainable outcomes.

As ideas become obvious, write them down publicly. Be careful not to judge them or evaluate them. Simply include them in a full list. When it comes time to synthesize, the collaboration will do the work. Be prepared to offer guidance for synthesizing the ideas. If you are well-prepared, your goal should be effectively leverage during this time.