3 September 2015

Facilitation: putting a microscope on process with Ian Colley | Monday September 14, 2015 | 5.30pm

Formal theories and methodologies provide a strong scaffold for facilitation, especially in the design stage. My favorites over the past few years have been Solutions Focus, Theory U, Design Thinking, Circle of Trust and a little dash of Marshall Rosenberg’s Non Violent Communication. Each provides guidance in designing meaningful events. Yet no theory guarantees success when the event goes live. People struggle with purpose, the tasks, each other, and the facilitator. I had a recent experience as a participant where the result from a group discussion was worse than each individual might have produced for themselves.
 
This session will put a microscope on table group/small group discussion. What can we, as facilitators, say and do (or not say and not do) to reliably generate useful dialogue? This session will explore this question and, to a lesser extent, the assumptions underneath the question. In particular, we will do some experiments with small/table groups in ‘fish-bowl’ role plays. Come, if you want to be part of the experiment, either as participant or observer. No results are guaranteed. Like life, really
 

About Ian Colley

Ian Colley is a facilitator of change and learning projects.  These mostly deal with ‘tricky’ issues – building common ground between diverse interests, solving problems, leading difficult conversations, creating clarity about uncertain futures (isn’t it all uncertain).
Over 20 years in consulting, Ian has led hundreds of projects in business, government and community settings. He has chaired a number of community liaison committees – for Barangaroo Development Authority, NSW Ports, Orica, Taralga Wind Farm.  Ian also teaches facilitation and leadership at the University of Technology (since 2005).
Ian’s current focus is on the possibilities (and limits) of dialogue.  He is passionate about teaching facilitation – helping other professionals stretch these skills in their everyday practices.


Venue:  [Our usual venue]
University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Jones Street, Ultimo corner Thomas Street. Room 5.580 Level 5, Building 10, Take the lift to level 5, cross the atrium footbridge, walk straight ahead to room 580.
Time:
From 5:30pm to 7:30pm sharp | No RSVP - Just turn up | Donation $5

Enquiries | Greg Jenkins; gregjenkins@yahoo.com ; 0418 486 501 | Eoin Higgins  eoin.p.higgins@gmail.com ; 0407 411 684