2. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Webinar 1 :
Moderation/Facilitation in general
„Open Space Technology“
Webinar 2:
Question techniques and
discussion techniques
„Future Search“
Webinar 3:
Visualization
„World Café“
Checklist for facilitator
3. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
What is a workshop?
Workshops are work meetings in
which participants deal with a specific
topic in the style of a closed session.
Workshops are supported by
visualization.
The person chairing the
workshop is the facilitator.
What is facilitation?
Facilitation is a method of providing support to the participants
of a working group to handle a certain issue, problem or task.
4. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
It is the facilitator’s responsibility
to clarify the starting situation
to guide and steer the group work
to deal with group-dynamic processes
to steer and evaluate group processes
Role of the facilitator
The position of the facilitator is
characterized by:
Impartiality in the subject matter
Neutrality in personal relations
5. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Objectives of facilitation
Facilitation…
supports information,
planning and decision-making
processes in groups,
guarantees development
of a perspective,
encourages everyone to become actively involved and
therefore expresses the group’s overall potential,
democratizes planning and decision-making processes,
and thereby
achieves improved participant motivation.
6. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Distinction from a presentation
Presentation Facilitation
Goal Inform, win over, Produce a group result
teach, decide, sell
Role Expert Process supervisor
Responsibility Content Structure
7. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Josef W. Seifert’s facilitation/moderation cycle:
6 Steps
Conclusion Introduction
Moderation
Planning Gathering
cycle
Handling Selecting
the topic
8. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Step 1
Questions:
Introduction
• How do I introduce the
workshop, how do I start?
• How do I deal with
resistance?
Goals:
• Create a positive work
environment.
• Provide orientation about the
object and purpose.
• Agree time schedule and goal
setting.
• Clarify organizational matters.
• Define discussion rules.
9. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Step 2 Step 3
Gathering
Questions: Questions:
• How do I find out • How can I identify the
what result has to be produced? relevance of a topic?
• How do I identify the relevant • What do I handle first?
topics? • What comes later?
Goals: Goals:
• Present topics • Determine order of procedure
• Define priorities
10. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Step 4
Questions:
• How do I deal with the individual
topics?
• What techniques are available?
• What do I have to consider when
using the various techniques?
• When can I consider a topic
concluded?
• How do I proceed next?
Goals:
• Handle topics according
to priority
11. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Step 5 Step 6
Conclusion
Questions: Questions:
• How do I explain what • How do I close the
is to be done in concrete terms? workshop appropriately?
• How do I reach agreements or • What is important when
inspire action? concluding?
• How can I distinguish real action • What still needs to be
from “good resolutions”? said?
Goals: Goals:
• Draw up an action plan: • Evaluation and conclusion
who? what? which purpose? of the work process
by when?
12. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Josef W. Seifert’s facilitation/moderation cycle:
6 Steps
Conclusion Introduction
Moderation
Planning Gathering
cycle
Handling Selecting
the topic
14. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY (OST)
• Genesis of OST
• Structure of an OST meeting
• Appropriateness
• Conditions of use
• Requirements: time, space,
physical arrangements and
materials
• Fundamental principles of OST
• The „Signs“
• The gathering
• Prioritization and action planning
15. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
The Genesis of Open Space Technology
Where, when and how was OST born?
1985: Harrison Owen hosted an International
conference for 250 participants.
The truly useful parts were the coffee breaks.
Big questions:
• Is it possible to combine the level of synergy and excitement present in a
good coffee break with the substantive activity and results characteristic for a
good meeting?
• Can I build certain basic mechanisms of human gatherings into an approach
that is so simple it cannot fail and so elemental it possesses the natural power
of a good coffee break?
16. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
The Genesis of Open Space Technology
Association and Recollection
Late 1960s: Owen was working as a
photojournalist in West Africa.
Once he was participating in the rites of
passage for the boys in a small village.
Participants: 500 people Duration: 4 days
Photo by Georg Klingsiek, www.geo-kids.de
The event was characterized by perfect self-organization.
Possible reasons:
• Village was laid out in a circle with an open space in the middle.
• The whole village seemed to breath.
17. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
The Birth of OST:
Owen was convinced that effective meetings needed some kind of order!
So, was it possible to set up a conference in a coffee-break-mode?
Finally he found 4 basic mechanisms:
1) The Circle
2) The Breathing
3) The Community Bulletin Board
4) The Village Market Place
Those are the „main ingredients“ of OST.
18. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
General structure of an OST Meeting
1. Prior to the meeting:
Focal theme/issue that is of genuine
concern of all has to be found.
2. Invitation:
The invite outlines the theme and
introduces to principles behind OST meetings.
In this phase the facilitator works closely with
the initiator/sponsor of the meeting.
3. Gathering:
• Welcome by sponsor and Opening of the OST event by facilitator
• Creation of agenda (community bulletin board, village market place)
• Discussions in little groups and typing proceedings
• Reconvention (in turns)
• (Prioritization/Action planning session)
• Ending: plenary reflection session/closing circle by facilitator
19. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Appropriateness OST is not appropriate in every situation!
OST is effective in OST will not work in
situations… situations…
• where a diverse group of • where the answer is already
people must deal with known.
complex and potentially
conflicting material in • where somebody at high
innovative and productive levels thinks he or she knows
ways. the answer.
• when nobody knows the • where that somebody is the
answer, and the ongoing sort who must know the
participation of a number of answer and therefore must
people is required to deal always be in charge.
with the question.
20. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Conditions of use
There has/have to be…
1. a real business issue.
2. a great deal of complexity.
3. lots of diversity in terms of people and points of view.
4. real passion, and probably also conflict. (people care!)
5. a genuine urgency.
People have to be…
1. creative,
2. synergistic (they work together),
3. self-motivated.
21. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Requirements of OST
TIME Recommendation:
1 – 3 days
SPACE One main room,
several breakout
areas, „the wall“,
in main room space
for coffee break setup
and computers.
PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENTS
Chairs in a circle,
plenty of space,
nothing in the middle but materials (see photo).
MATERIALS
Plain (white) paper (size A3 or quarter sheets of flip-chart paper),
flip-chart marker, sticky tape/glue tag, print and copy paper,
computers on tables, „The Signs“, post-its.
22. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Fundamental principles of OST
• The law of the two feet:
H. Owen: „If, during our time together, you find
yourself in any situation where you are neither
learning nor contributing, use your two feet and go
to some more productive place!“
• The 4 principles:
Whoever comes is the right person.
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.
Whenever it starts is the right time.
When it´s over, it´s over.
• „Be prepared to be surprised!“
23. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
The „signs“
1. Theme, behaviour and expectations
(see above: „Fundamental principles“)
2. Daily schedule and space/time matrix for „the wall“
• Space/time matrix
(post-its with time and place)
• The schedule
3. Report production
• „Newsroom“
• „Breaking News“
24. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
The gathering
Procedures/Phases:
• Welcome by sponsor/initiator
• Opening of the OST event by facilitator
• Creation of agenda:
The community bulletin board
The village market place
• Discussions in little groups (typing proceedings)
• Reconvention (in turns)
• (Prioritization/action planning session)
• Ending:
Plenary reflection session
Closing circle by facilitator („conference book“)
25. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Prioritization and action planning
An OST event does not necessarliy require
prioritization or action planning!
• Sometimes participants long for more formal
priorities or action plans so that they feel
they include „reality“.
• Both are relatively natural extensions of what had already happened before.
• Often people have discussed the matter what to be done to make it happen in
smaller groups.
• Working out an action plan is a collection of what has already been
transpired.
26. Well-Structured Workshop Facilitation
Preconditions for prioritization and action planning
• The group must identify the areas
where some action is needed.
• Required action must be specified
in sufficient detail that real work
can commence.
• Responsible parties must be
identified: Who will „get the show
on the road“?!