Another way to handle all that talking

If you've wandered around my website and found many of the resources and templates or read my blog ... you will have seen me 'go on' about my Facilitator 4 Step. 

When you don't have a structure for a conversation, workshop or meeting, this model can really help you out. It can give the team focus and give you a place to go to guide you through the conversation. 

Yesterday in a workshop with a team, they wanted to 'workshop' a topic. What do you do? Just open it up and let things go wherever they go? Or follow a structure?

Well, I did a little of both. I outlined the structure - the Facilitator 4 Step, though I didn't call it that. I said "We'll talk about what we know, the facts... then hear your views and opinions... and then listen out for your ideas and suggestions."

I created three flip charts with headings for the first of the three steps, facts, opinions, ideas - we weren't doing the 'actions' step at this stage. That would come later. 

Then I opened up the discussion and just let it go on... and on. 

As the team talked for the next 20 or 30 minutes or more, I listened and scribed or noted their key points. 

If they said something that was fact based, I wrote it on the facts flip chart. 

If they were talking about their views and opinions, that point went on the opinions flip chart. 

And if they had a suggestion or idea for a solution, I wrote that on the ideas chart. 

I simply let the conversation go on and on, capturing and sorting as they talked. 

Yes, I was dancing and jumping from one chart to the next and back again - each time someone talked. This showed so clearly how our thinking and talking jumps from fact, to opinion to idea or solution - in just one sentence!

It's no wonder teams or groups in conversation can find it difficult to get to actions and commitments when all of this mixed content is happening. 

The flip charts and my sorting helped them see what they were talking about. It was a very efficient use of time. I didn't interrupt, I just let it go. 

The end result: they have a categorised capture of their evidence and facts; their opinions and views; their ideas and opportunities. 

Now they can go and prioritise and commit to action. 

This is just another way to use a model or structure. You can make the group follow it or you can listen and sort as you go. 

Try it out at your next meeting, workshop, strategy or planning session.