Facilitating Groups

When you have the responsibility to help a group be as productive as possible by guiding the process, eliminating barriers to group members' effectiveness, and working to create a climate that is conducive to successful problem solving, and keeping the group focused on the task, you are taking on the role of facilitator. If you are familiar with your own style and that of those with whom you are working, you are in the position to apply VIEW to help facilitate the group's performance.

• By considering the nature of the task the group must approach, you can determine if the need is for developmental or exploratory novelty. Based on the need for different kinds of change, you can clarify and focus the kind of problem solving approach that is more likely to result in the appropriate sorts of outcomes. You can invite those with different orientations to change to produce the desired kind of change, rather than the kind they may prefer personally.

• Knowledge of the preferred manner of processing of group members enables you to adjust the process to provide for appropriate levels of reflection. If the group includes mostly people with an Internal processing preference, you will need to allow sufficient time for its members to think through the task, their options, and how they will take action. On the other hand, if the group includes mostly people with an External processing preference, you may need to provide ample opportunity for discussion, and then encourage them to set aside a sufficient block of time for internal reflection.

• You may also experience some differences in group members' preferred manner of deciding. When your group needs to make important decision, you may need to help them consider both task- and person-oriented criteria and factors.

Example

The members of a group that was responsible for reviewing and approving applications for internal funding for special projects in an organization had great difficulty in working together effectively. As it turned out, the group included almost all members with Explorer and External style preferences. They did not often agree on clear criteria for selecting the projects to support, and their meetings often resulted in a rambling flurry of discussions and debates. The group leaders asked us to administer VIEW and discuss the group's results with them. As a result, the group recognized the need for tools and procedures that would help them to structure their discussions and reach consensus more effectively. The group's leaders helped them to participate actively in generating and selecting criteria, and enabled them to analyze and discuss options constructively and then make decisions more efficiently. The group became more effective, and the members felt much more positively about the operation and success of the group.