Presenter: Jim Ritscher
Date: Marc 27, 2000

Organizational Hierarchy Chart

(Most people felt that their organization fell around level 4)

Personal Container (definition): Everyone comes to a meeting or scenario with their own container, but hopefully the facilitator can read the energy of the group and help the bonding of multiple containers.

Jim explained the "thought & emotion generation machine" – us. 

• In many respects, we have a ‘plastic idea about people." We think people do not see highs & lows of people. It’s important to remember that people suffer.

• All too often, "ego’s get in the way." It’s very important to try to work with "self" and address concerns.

Participant Question – "How do we manage tensions within a group?"

Response:

• Go through what is working well now (in the organization or within the group setting) and what would you like to have happen in the future (almost an appreciative inquiry approach).
• Before the start of the facilitation process, interview high level leaders to get their insight and buy-in.
• Build in checkpoints along the way (like a plus/delta system), during the facilitation process.
• Establish a set of rules within the group that allows for people to stop and express how they are feeling at a given point in time. Jim shared an example of '‘Meta-Plan"" which is a facilitation technique used to dictate a way of expressing one’s feelings by holding up any number of cards with certain markings/symbols on them. The symbols represent a feeling for that person and help to make the facilitator and the rest of the group members aware of where that person is.

Spirituality is like a syndrome 

Remember, you can not make trust, but you can be a clearinghouse for trust.

There are many different skill sets that make up what it takes to be successful as a leader. When you are talking with a leader/manager, he/she has a certain set of skills. If they are missing a lot of critical ones, then it will be nearly impossible to heighten his/her awareness, because they are working from a different platform than you are. If you knew which boxes are missing from their skill sets, you could help him/her to fill in those areas for development and be able to communicate more effectively.

Life is quantum. There are times when you don’t just gradually move up; you may have to go up in a large step (maybe even leap up a couple of steps). Groups can often gain a lot of ground in a short period of time, but sometimes the group does not have enough skill in a particular area to support the leap, so they fall backwards. As facilitators, we need to help groups bridge those gaps to minimize that backward movement.

If someone lies in a container, it contaminates the space… especially if the CEO is the one putting the bad information out. A facilitator has to explore and expose these items either softly or with "force" if necessary. A question to do this softly might look like, "Can you tell me more about that thought…?"

The only way to remember things is to record promises made within the group. It is easy to agree to something in a group setting, but then forget it afterwards if it is not written down. Everything is real in that (group) moment, but as soon as you walk away that reality begins to fade into a new reality. Organizations need to record promises.

Participant comment: Something like a public declaration?"

Participant comment: This is done now, but more as a method of CYA (for accountability reasons), rather than to elevate the organization/individual.

Four handouts were given during this presentation.