Meeting Facilitation

Partnership Meetings

Partnerships meet individually during the week then share reports of progress to the larger community or “Circle” at the community meeting.

Community “Circle” Meetings

Community meetings are held on the second  Sunday of each month from 1-5 PM; the meeting may be rescheduled when it falls on a holiday. Each month (on a rotational basis), an Odonata member will have the role of Facilitator. Members should read the following material thoroughly in preparation for their rotation.

Preparation for Meeting

  • Community meetings are a co-creative process between the Path Partnership and the meeting facilitator. Facilitators are asked to attend the Path meeting closest to the bi-monthly meeting for the purpose of reviewing agenda items and understanding the goals of each – whether a decision is wanted, a brainstorm needed etc.- so they are prepared to engage the community accordingly. Facilitators will be responsible for the opening, rest break, and heart-share/closing portions of the meeting, and work with Path to create a good experience for the members. If the facilitator is unable to attend in person, they may “call in” via telephone or Skype.
  • The Path Partnership will email all members the week before each meeting, inviting input for the Partnership Agenda. The “Business portion” of the meeting occupies one and one-half hours. Path members set key agenda items based on their overview of Partnership work, and the strategic aims of the Odonata project. Facilitators help define the order of the agenda in the context of the meeting as a whole.
  • On the meeting day, the facilitator should arrive at least 20 minutes early, to help set up the meeting space (see #4) and to begin on time. The facilitator is responsible for assigning members for a “grounding”, “inspiration” and, if there are new members attending, a “greeting” go-round of names. There will also be one hour at the end of each meeting for a “Heart share” circle or other community sharing/creative time. The facilitator may wish to ask for support or ideas from other members. Finally, the facilitator should choose a song or other ending for the meeting.
  • Facilitators set up and have on hand any materials needed for the meeting. They write the agenda items and time allotments on the flip chart and have consensus cards ready. They manage the overall flow of the meeting, including all items on the Partnership Agenda.
  • Facilitators should review the use of our consensus cards, in advance, and know how they are used. (See attached guidelines for the consensus cards)

If help is needed in understanding the role of facilitator, contact another member who has experience and skill leading meetings. The Circle itself has wisdom and skill, and will help the facilitator keep things in line.

Meeting Format

  • Beginning circle (1/2 hour)
    • Grounding (meditation or other way to bring us all together)
    • Inspiration (reading or other method of keeping our sights high)
    • Greeting (if needed, for new members or visitors)
  • Requests for volunteers & passing out consensus cards
    • Time-keeper, who watches the clock for the facilitator to keep the meeting on schedule
    • Heart-keeper, who watches for the emotional climate of the meeting & may call energy issues to the group’s attention (the facilitator or circle will respond), and
    • Note-taker, who will be responsible for taking notes during the meeting and putting those notes on the website
    • Consensus cards are for use in discussion and decisions during the meeting
  • Outline of the agenda, including the time allotted for each item.
  • Partnership Agenda: scheduled discussions, presentations etc. (2 1/2 hour)
    • Break time if energy is lagging – a quick 5 minute stretch.
    • Finishing agenda items: end on time! Either table remaining items for a future meeting or – if a conclusion seems within reach – ask for consensus to extend the meeting to reach that specific goal.
    • Extension of the Partnership Agenda period should NOT reduce the time allotted to the sharing circle; rather lengthen the meeting as a whole.
  • Sharing circle (1 hr) to close
  • Appreciations for the facilitator.
  • Closing

Roles of the Facilitator

The entire circle also watches for and assists with these functions. The facilitator is the person who steers the meeting, while all participants may point out the road.

  • Keeps the discussion on topic
  • Encourages and moderates participation
  • Watches for confusion – provides clarification
  • Summarizes underlying agreement and differences in viewpoints
  • Keeps the pace from lagging or getting too intense – keeps things running on time
  • Helps to reformulate – takes notice when new issues are being raised and writes them down for the group to address later or, if it seems important, asks the group to give the new issue precedence.
  • Solicits feedback – asks for agreement or disagreement on re-phrasing, summaries etc. She/he is open, serving the group.

Looks for group readiness to come to decision – asks if all discussion is complete. States the proposal and asks for a vote with the consensus cards. Clearly reiterates decisions and stops to make sure they are recorded. If appropriate, tables any proposal unable to reach consensus for future discussion / revision.

Conflict Management – The Facilitator’s Role

  • Assists The Quality Of Communication: Asks a speaker to rephrase something if it is not being understood or asks a listener to restate what is being said to insure correct understanding.
  • Aids The Group’s Emotional Climate: Allows for break times when the group becomes restless, a quick energy-building exercise when concentration dissipates, a moment of silence in the heat of an argument.
  • Facilitates Disagreements: Keeps disagreements and criticisms focused on ideas and issues and behaviors, not on member’s personhood. The facilitator should uphold the guideline that no one should be personally attacked. Upholds the use of NVC skills when conflicts arise.
  • Encourages Expression Of Issues: Suppressing conflict should also not be encouraged and, if suspected, the facilitator can ask that issues be identified and addressed. A “round robin”(each member of the circle shares one at a time) can be helpful in getting all perspectives out in the open.