facilitate groups

Question 1

Collaborative approaches

Answer 1

• Listening skills
• Defining roles and responsibilities
• Group management skills
• Group decision making
• Negotiation techniques

Question 2

Define roles and responsibilites

Answer 2

It is essential to assign the correct roles to the correct team member, without properly defining roles and responsibilities the group will fail to complete tasks effectively and on time, may result in conflict and confusion.

Question 3

Listening skills

Answer 3

A facilitator cannot expect to create collaboration within a group unless they establish an environment where everyone respect each other

Question 4

Optimal Group Performace

Answer 4

Task Allocation and Mentoring

Question 5

Stages of group formation

Answer 5

FORMING
STORMING
NORMING
PERFORMING
ADJOURNING

Question 6

What happens during the forming stage

Answer 6

Initial stages of group formation, the facilitator plays a more dominant role. The group may discuss goals and establish ground rules for the group.

Question 7

What happens during the storming stage

Answer 7

Where conflict arises. Participants will push to establish boundaries. Some teams will skip this stage.

Question 8

What happens during the norming stage

Answer 8

Differences have been resolved, participants start to work together towards a common goal.

Question 9

What happens during the performing stage

Answer 9

The team starts to perform, the group works together without friction. Participants should feel part of the group.

Question 10

What happens during the adjourning stage

Answer 10

The group is dismantled and moves on. Evaluate how the group did, acknowledge experiences.

Question 11

Performance Plans – why they’re used?

Answer 11

They are used so that people can be as affective as possible in their job role and get the desired outcome

Question 12

Performance plans, what they include?

Answer 12

What are they planning to do?

How they plan on doing it?

What will they need to get the job done and achieve their desired outcomes? What knowledge and skills are needed?

What support will they need? – Physical, financial, human and logistical resources

How much time do they have to complete the project and map each stage

What will good performance look like? – How will the performance of the group be monitored, reviewed and measured?

Question 13

Mentoring – definition, how to be a good mentor, benefits for all parties

Answer 13

Mentoring is when someone with experience or expertise acts as a role model or leader to someone who is less experienced. A good mentor should:
- provide advice and act as a role model
- encourage and guide the individual on a learning path
- encourage continual improvement

Question 14

Benefits for a Mentee

Answer 14

• They get to work one on one with someone who is highly experienced
• They get to ask questions
• There learning is tailored to them and specific to their needs

Question 15

Benefits for a mentor

Answer 15

• Develops coaching and leadership skills
• Strengthen their communication and active listening skills
• Opportunity to potentially learn something new from your mentee

Question 16

Benefits for organisation or business

Answer 16

• Develops a professional development culture
• Save money on external training and professional development
• Better communication in the workplace, creates relationships

Question 17

Task allocation

Answer 17

Task allocation requires you as the facilitator,
together with team members, to divide and
assign specific tasks that need to be completed

Question 18

Task allocation steps

Answer 18

1) List all tasks that need to be allocated and rank them in order of importance

2) List the competencies for each task - what needs to be done to complete task

3) List competencies of group members - their skills, ability and level of experience

4) Match the competencies of the task to group members

5) Ensure tasks are clearly assigned and explained. Document allocation of tasks and ensure that this information is distributed to each team member

Question 19

Barriers to facilitation

Answer 19

• Poorly defined roles and responsibilities
• Conflict of interest
• Conflict between individual and group goals
• Lack of group cohesion and commitment to group goals
• Personality clashes
• Poor communication skills

Question 20

Strategies to overcome poorly defined roles and responsibilities

Answer 20

• ensure roles are clarified
• provide group members with a summary of roles and responsibilities
• chart roles and responsibilities

Question 21

Strategies to overcome conflict of interest (biased)

Answer 21

• acknowledge conflict of interest and address issue
• if a person is unable to be unbiased they should withdraw from decision making
• stay open and honest

Question 22

Strategies to overcome conflict between individual and group goals

Answer 22

• identify conflict openly and honestly
• discuss how these differences will impact the group and group dynamics
• trying, where possible to implement individual goals into group goals

Question 23

Strategies to overcome lack of group cohesion and commitment to group goals

Answer 23

• speaking openly and honestly
• find a way to get people involved
• encourage open communication

Question 24

Strategies to overcome personality clashes

Answer 24

• accept that everyone is different
• be professional, keep interactions to a minimal, be respectful
• discuss issue with management so they can seperate you

Question 25

Strategies to overcome poor communication skills

Answer 25

• concentrate during all communications, be clear and concise, don’t overload with information
• be an active listener
• always think before you speak

Question 26

Communication mediums – best suited for types of situations

Answer 26

When working in groups it is essential to communicate using appropriate mediums to ensure that everyone understands and receives a message. e.g
- Face to face conversations
- Phone (spoken or text)
- Email
- Form or template
- Written note, letter or memo
- Social media

Question 27

Facilitation techniques

Answer 27

Icebreakers
Energisers
Brainstorming
Ground rules

Question 28

Group dynamics include…

Answer 28

Communication
Conflict resolution
Decision making
Respect
Safety
Trust

Question 29

Communication

Answer 29

Verbal and non verbal communication mediums can affect a groups ability to work cohesively

Question 30

Respect

Answer 30

Respect amongst members of the group is essential for solid group dynamics

Question 31

Safety

Answer 31

All members of the group should feel safe mentally, physically and emotionally

Question 32

Trust

Answer 32

For a group to function successfully, individuals need to trust each other. Trust is all about being someone who other can count on

Question 33

Steps of conflict resolution

Answer 33

1) Confront the conflict, acknowledge that there is a problem and address it.

2) Understand each others positions, be open to differences and don’t assume your right

3) Involve those affected by the decision.

4) Define the problem, write down exactly what the problem is/

5) Search for and evaluate alternative solutions.

6) Agree upon and implement the best solution.

Question 34

5 Conflict resolution strategies (including if they are win-win etc.)

Answer 34

• withdrawal/ avoiding - both parties abandon issue (lose-lose)
• forcing or controlling - one party overpowers other (win-lose)
• compromise - each person gives a little to gain a little (win-win)
• accomodation or smoothing - one party concedes to the other to prevent further conflict (win-lose)
• collaboration - coming up with a new way to do something (win-win)

Question 35

Measuring facilitation performance

Answer 35

Customer feedback, monitoring attendance rates, opinion survey, informal questioning

Question 36

Leadership styles

Answer 36

Lassez-faire (casual)
Participative (democratic)
Authoritarian/ Disciplinarian (autocratic)

Question 37

Lassez-faire

Answer 37

This leader delegates decisions to the group, provides the group with some general guidance and then lets the group go about their responsibilities

Question 38

Participative

Answer 38

In this leadership members of the group participate in decision making. They share ideas and opinions and discussion is encouraged

Question 39

Authoritarian/ Disciplinarian

Answer 39

Has complete control and makes all the decisions with minimal involvement from group