SILENCE IS NOT ALWAY GOLDEN - PART 2

Hi All & Welcome back to part 2 of the write up. Let me not waste your time & get straight to the point.Sharing the link to previous post for reference: https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/ganeshdalvicpf_silence-is-not-always-golden-the-stage-i-activity-6947463716896464896-u783?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_web

Imagine you go to a restaurant & wish to have a just a juice & the staff there serves you their most expensive dish (which incidentally you dislike) because they feel this is what you need. You don’t need to pay for it huh.

- You might still have it simply coz’ it’s free.

- You might have it halfheartedly as your boss loves it & wants you to have.

- To make the staff feel nice you just take a bite & toy with it.

Sounds familiar… ? Hmmm…

Identifying the group needs play the critical role in group engagement during the session. It is good to have everyone on the same page in terms of group needs & expectations.

Make efforts to connect with the audience before the session starts. A great learning workshop needs to have 80:20:10 rule. 80% pre-work, 20% delivery & 10% post training reporting. You can use Whatsapp, questionnaires, conference calls in case 1 on 1 is difficult.

Be mindful. Listen to the group. Most of us would say, “oh we do that all the time”… but then do we really? I for sure don’t do it so often. Participants love to share only if they feel heard.

Create a safe learning environment. Develop their trust in you & the intervention. Have certain WOWs (Ways of Working) that will enable this. I use the ‘Vegas Rule’ which brings in fun as well as safe environment. It is good to contract with the client sponsor on this to have a common buy-in.

Do not overcommit. Remember you are not a magician to bring about changes with a swish of the magic wand.

Let the audience have an image of yours as a resource, one among them. Be one of them while keeping a respectful distance. Avoid creating an image of ‘larger than life’, ‘I know all’ kind of trainer. While you might know 100 things, there could be a 101th view point, so crucial for the group. Respect their view point. Do not undermine their wisdom, experience, world view, purpose & goals.

Use apt questioning techniques. Use questions that would challenge their thoughts, actions, suggestions but would not seem like a threat or confrontation. Use the right tone & body language while questioning.

Have an ‘expectation check’ before the session. The desired outcomes could be put up for everyone to see & agree upon. In case of disparity, use the ‘Parking Lot’ & assure the participant to help offline.

The group would have some clams & some loud speakers. The trick is to encourage the clams to open up & the loud speakers to allow others to speak & this needs to be done without offending them. A sure-fire way is the dialogue currency, which can be given to each participant at the beginning of the session. Tell them it needs to be used up within a specific timeline. Set some pre-conditions basis the group dynamics. It has worked beautifully for me.

A Talking object could be another way to ensure group speaks & there is decorum maintained. It could be any that a participant needs to hold & only then he can speak. I use smiley balls, puppets, soft toys etc. as talking objects.

Facilitraining is about co-creation. The group needs to feel empowered, engaged, involved in this process. Once they feel their inputs are valued they start opening up sharing.

Happy Learning

Ganesh Dalvi

Certified Professional Facilitator