Three Proven Strategies for Successful Group Dialogue

Image by David Castillo Dominici

I was recently contributed this article to Leadership Strategies, based on a previous post on The Role of the Six Sigma Black Belt as a Facilitator. This version is for a broader audience and explores three proven strategies for successfully facilitating productive group dialogue.

In the world of continuous and process improvement, practitioners range from quality engineers, to lean specialists, to six sigma black belts (and green belts), to a variety of other titles and labels. They all share certain things in common:

• All are interested in improving business results by improving processes.
• All use some methodology or toolset to do their work. Most have specialized training or certifications in such tools.
• All face the opportunity (or challenge) of working with people as they facilitate dialogue.

Many years ago, as new Six Sigma Black Belt, I learned the importance of my role as a facilitator. I was with a team of IT programmers to develop a SIPOC (a tool that identifies the inputs, outputs, suppliers, and customers for each step of a process) of the testing process for new software. To start, I asked a logical and straightforward question..."what are the process steps for testing new software?"

Surprisingly, the group seemed stumped. They obviously knew the answer; after all, they were subject matter experts. So I asked the same question again twice more but with the same outcome...silence!

I had recently learned how to formulate what I call ‘facilitative questions’ and I decided to give it a try. I asked...

"Imagine that I am a new employee...and that you have been assigned to train me on how to test new software. Where would you start and what information would I need to test new software?" 

It was like magic. The information came pouring. Fast!

I could elaborate on the technique but the point is this: Effective questions can be one of the most powerful tools an improvement professional can use to engage a team. Like effective questions, there are other facilitation strategies that could help an improvement professional engage people in ways that can lead to extraordinary results. From years of experience in a variety of settings, here are three proven strategies for successful dialogue:

I. Clarify the ‘Why’ and ‘What’ of the Meeting 
Effective meetings have a clear purpose (why?) and specific outcomes or deliverables (what?).

Purpose: First, ask yourself ‘why is this meeting necessary?’ ‘Could the same be accomplished via email or a phone call?. A meeting could have different purposes such as:

• Sharing information (e.g. status meetings)
• Reaching a decision (e.g. gate keeping meetings)
• Planning work (e.g. strategic planning)
• Producing work (e.g. team offsites)

It is important to point out that depending on your purpose, the meeting deliverables and design will be different.

Outcomes: Second, you must ask yourself ‘what product should we walk out with at the end of this meeting?’ If you can’t answer that question, either the meeting is not necessary, or the purpose is not clear. Try using the verb+noun combination. For example, if the purpose of the meeting is to ‘decide the future of project X’, the deliverables could include:

• Revise (verb) business case for project (noun)
• Quantify benefits/cost outlook for the next year
• Decide whether to stop or continue
• Develop alternative recommendation(s)

Clear purpose and tangible outcomes make it more likely that the right people will be there, that they will engage effectively, and that the meeting will yield productive work.

II. Planning the Meeting 
Planning the meeting is the HOW. Once purpose and deliverables are clear you can determine:

• The topics
• The flow (sequence)
• The structure (questions, interventions, etc.)
• Logistical requirements

When considering structure, think about ‘How will you elicit participation from the "prisoner" in the room?’ or ‘How will you prevent the monopolizer from taking over?’ or ‘How will you react if one of your buttons is pushed?’

As with project work, “well planned IS half done” in facilitation. Meetings rarely go as planned, but planning can prepare the facilitator for the unanticipated dynamics that will surely happen.

III. Managing Process vs. Content. 
Managing content and process is probably the most difficult aspect of the role of the facilitator, particularly for improvement professionals. However, it is one of the keys to working with people and to successful project outcomes.

Content refers to what is discussed (topics) while process is how the content is discussed (dynamics). Recognizing the difference is the first step. Improvement professionals, who also play the roles of the expert and/or project manager, may feel more comfortable focusing on content because that is the ‘real work’ and they are measured by it. Here are three tips for managing process:

• Pay attention to body language. Watch for such things as facial expressions and posture, to better understand how content is being processed or received by all participants.
• Pay attention to tone and volume of voice. Conversation plays out differently in different cultures (compare an Italian vs. Japanese conversation over dinner for instance); however, watch for voice inflexions, speed, and even silence. This can tell you much about how engaged participants are, how someone feels about a particular point, or whether there is a meeting of the minds (e.g. violent agreement).
• Pay attention to who is talking to whom and how much. Imagine creating a dialogue map of the meeting. The table in the middle, the participants around it, and lines that represent the direction of an exchange between two or more people. The map would look like an airline route map you might find in an airline magazine. Mentally mapping out these dynamics can tell you something about the relationships in the room, where the high and low pressure points are, and how the influence is flowing. You can then intervene to help the group be as effective as possible.

In all cases, the secret is to pay attention, to observe with your eyes, as well as your ears. This makes you aware of the context of the discussion and enables you to modify your plan.

Obviously there is much more to facilitation than I can cover here. My intent is to create awareness about the importance of the facilitator role for improvement professionals. Whether your team gets stuck on a question or a whole tool, chances are that effective facilitation will help.

Having trained hundreds of Continuous Improvement professionals on change management and facilitation, I am confident saying that facilitation is just as much an art as it is a science (literally!). Though some may have a natural knack for it, facilitation is a skill that can absolutely be learned, and one that will make any improvement professional a much more effective and successful change agent.