Facilitation
How do you find an outcome that everyone wants?
No matter how thorny or convoluted the situation, we’ll find ways for you to have an effective conversation and move together to a practical outcome.
It sounds simple – and it can be with two or three people. But how about ten, twenty or fifty? From different departments, companies and organisations, all looking for different things? We’ll help everyone understand each other’s viewpoints enough to move towards a conclusion, even when the system they’re working in is massively complex.
" The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. "
How does our facilitation work?
First, we need to understand your context and background, so we'll talk to the sponsors and ask the right questions. What's the history? What do you want? Who else are we talking to? What do they want? How do they feel?
Then we'll go out and talk to all the relevant parties. We'll ask the same questions, and we'll get plenty of different answers.
Next, we'll bring people together in a workshop or – for more complex situations – in a series of workshops. That means working in smaller groups to get people talking, and listening, to each other. We use a range of exercises to help them see the big picture, and understand how their actions can improve things. That comes from understanding each other’s perspectives, learning from what works, and exploring new ideas. Then we'll help everyone decide on outcomes - goals to work towards and approaches to take. That means mapping out an agreed route and moving towards a consensus.
By now, you’ll be able to see the change. People will be positive and optimistic about the situation because they’ve discovered ways to make a difference. But we'll stay involved: people need to review what's going on, make sure changes have actually happened and keep talking to each other.
How long does it take?
Projects lengths will vary according to your situation, and exactly what you want to achieve. A relatively simple issue might only take a matter of days, while more complex issues demand more time to research and plan.
