1. UNLEASH the POWER of the Facilitation Skills, Methods and Tools

2. Agenda 1.Process and Role of the Facilitator 2.Brainstorming 3.Nominal Group Technique 4.Conversation Cafe 5.Appreciative Inquiry 6.6 Thinking Hats 7.Grouping information (post it notes) 8.Right Brain Activities 9.Parking Lot 10.Gathering Feedback on Meetings/Process 11.Tools of the Trade 12.Wrap Up and Questions

3. Content and Process There are 2 important aspects to every discussion: 1.What the group is talking about (content) 2.How the group talks about the subject (process)

4. Role of a Facilitator  Provides a process which will help the group discuss content in the most satisfactory and productive way possible  Remains neutral about the content of the meeting  Has no stake in the decisions that are made  Ensures that there is good communication, and that all members are satisfied with and fully committed to the decisions made

5. Brainstorming Purpose:  To generate as many ideas as possible on a topic  Most widely used tool to stimulate creative thinking Guidelines:  No ideas are wrong  No discussion of the ideas during the process (can ask for clarification)  The more ideas, the better  Build on other people’s ideas

6. Process:  People call out ideas and they are recorded on flipchart  Go around the circle and give everyone an opportunity to provide an idea (people can pass)  Give people time to generate individual ideas prior to starting the process  Be sure to capture everyone’s ideas in their own words  Watch for when the process is completed Alternatives:  Large post-it notes  Bellringer exercise (for multiple questions)

7. Brainstorming Discussion  Advantages of using?  Disadvantages of using?  When would you use brainstorming to collect information for your planning group?  Examples of when you have used it in your planning process?

8. Nominal Group Technique  This process is a “group” in name only as people will work mainly as individuals to identify several options and to select among them  Use for two to eight people (modify it for larger groups)  Helps to move groups to a speedy decision by getting information in a short period of time and prioritizing it

9. Steps:  Statement of the problem/question (on a flipchart)  Individual idea generation  Round robin posting of ideas  Clarification/discussion  Forced selection/ranking (five priority items)  Discussion of the ranking

10. Nominal Group Technique Demo Problem/Question: What are the barriers to integrated service system planning in the Employment Ontario system?

11. Nominal Group Technique Discussion  Advantages of using?  Disadvantages of using?  When would you use the nominal group technique in an integrated planning process?  Examples of when you have seen it used?

12. Conversation Café  A conversation to exchange ideas, feelings and thoughts between people (to foster inquiry, not debate)  It is built on the premise that people have the knowledge and wisdom within them to resolve challenges and create their own solutions  It is a creative process for collaborative dialogue which is based on generative discussion  It is a progressive conversation

13. The Format:  Welcome and state theme/topic  Introduce guidelines  Describe process  Round 1 (each person has 1 to 2 minutes to speak to what is on their mind – no feedback or response)  Round 2 (same as above – can respond to others)  Open up the conversation  Closing comments by each participant

14. How Does it Work?  Three rounds of conversation (approximately 20 minutes each) will take place  You will start the conversation at the table where you are currently seated. When the end of each conversation is signaled, you will move to a new table to link and build the conversation to new connections and insights  Each table has a host. The host will initiate the conversation and record key insights from the group. The host remains at the same table for all three conversations. When a new group comes to the table, the host welcomes the newcomers and shares key insights from the prior conversations so others can link and build using ideas from their respective tables

15.  Listen together for insights and capture them on the flipchart paper at the table  At the completion of the three rounds of conversation you will move back to your “home” table (the table where you started). At this point, as a group, you will highlight common themes and a-ha’s for each of the discussion topics

16. Conversation Café Discussion  Advantages of using?  Disadvantages of using?  When would you use the conversation café in an integrated planning process?  Examples of when you have seen it used?

17. De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats During the thinking process all participants wear the same colour hat until ideas run dry, then move on to the next colour hat – depending upon what type of thinking is required next.

18. White HatCalls for information and data, either known or needed. "The facts, just the facts." Yellow HatSymbolizes brightness and optimism. Under this hat you explore the positives and probe for value and benefit Black HatJudgment - the “devil's advocate”, or why something may not work. Spot the difficulties and dangers; where things might go wrong. Probably the most powerful and useful of the Hats but a problem if overused

19. Red HatSignifies feelings, hunches and intuition. When using this hat you can express emotions and feelings and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves, and hates without any justification Green HatFocuses on creativity; the possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas. It's an opportunity to express new concepts and new perceptions Blue HatUsed to manage the thinking process. It's the control mechanism that ensures the Six Thinking Hats® guidelines are observed

20. 6 Thinking Hats Discussion  Advantages of using?  Disadvantages of using?  When would you use the 6 Thinking Hats in an integrated planning process?  Examples of when you have seen it used?

21. Appreciative Inquiry  Appreciative inquiry is a strategy for purposeful change that identifies the best of "what is" to pursue dreams and possibilities of "what could be”  It is a co-operative search for the strengths, passions and personal forces that are found within every system— those factors that hold the potential for inspired, positive change  Appreciative inquiry is a way of seeing that is selectively attentive to—and affirming of—the best and highest qualities in a system, a situation or another human being

22. The 4 Stages of Appreciative Inquiry

23.  The core task in the discovery phase is to appreciate the best of "what is" by focusing on peak moments of community excellence—when people experienced the community in its most alive and effective state  Participants then seek to understand the unique conditions that made the high points possible, such as leadership, relationships, technologies, values, capacity building or external relationships  They deliberately choose not to analyze deficits, but rather systematically seek to isolate and learn from even the smallest victories

24. In the dream phase, people challenge the status quo by envisioning more valued and vital futures. This phase is both practical, in that it is grounded in the community's history, and generative, in that it seeks to expand the community's potential Appreciative inquiry is different from other planning methods because its images of the future emerge from grounded examples of the positive past. They are compelling possibilities precisely because they are based on extraordinary moments from a community's history

25.  In the design phase participants create a strategy to carry out their provocative propositions. They do so by building a social architecture for their community that might, for example, re-define approaches to leadership, governance, participation or capacity building  The final phase involves the delivery of new images of the future and is sustained by nurturing a collective sense of destiny. It is a time of continuous learning, adjustment and improvisation in the service of shared community ideals  Appreciative inquiry is a continual cycle. The destiny phase leads naturally to new discoveries of community strengths, beginning the process anew

26. Appreciative Inquiry Discussion  Advantages of using?  Disadvantages of using?  When would you use the Appreciative Inquiry approach in an integrated planning process?  Examples of when you have seen it used?

27. Grouping Information  Have individuals or small groups write one idea per post-it note. Once they have generated all of their ideas, have them stand up and move to a blank wall  Have one person start by posting an idea on the wall. Then ask others who have the same or similar idea to post their note with that one. You have the group sort the information into themes by posting it  You can then have small groups take each of the themes and work with them – identifying a name and definition of the group, etc. depending on the purpose of the exercise

28. Parking Lot To capture ideas or issues that arise in a meeting but don’t fit into the agenda  Flipchart to capture these thoughts and ideas  Post at each meeting  All issues and ideas should be resolved by the end of the process

29. Gathering Feedback  Gather feedback on the meeting and the overall process  Can be informal or formal  How have you done this in the past?

30. Like  Post three flipchart papers on the wall 1.Like 2.Didn’t Like 3.Ideas  As people are leaving, have them write one comment on each of the flipcharts Ideas Didn’t Like

31. Potential Questions to Assess Meetings  On the whole I thought this meeting was… poor, fair, good, excellent  The strengths of the meeting were…  The weaknesses of the meeting were…  This meeting would have been better if we had…  At our next meeting I would like to see us…

32.  The most helpful thing anyone did today was…  I was somewhat surprised at…  Today we really needed someone to …  It really hindered our progress when…  Of the things people did I tended to admire…  It gave me a comfortable feeling that…  I felt that I did a good job of…  I felt that I did not do a very good job of…

33. Tools of the Trade  Information/knowledge  Flipchart paper  Markers  Masking Tape  Dots  Stickers  Post-its (big and small)  Name tags  Scissors  Index cards  Glue sticks  Chime

34. Reflection  What learnings and reflections do I have from this session?  What are some potential actions for my Regional Network?

35. Wrap Up and Questions

36. References  De Bono Group Ltd. www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php  Appreciative Inquiry Commons http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/intro/definition.c fm http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/intro/definition.c fm