Facilitating Meetings

Here are some points (in no particular order) on the role of the Facilitator in a Friends World meeting:

Facilitation often means shutting people up gently when
1. they are saying something redundant
2. they are saying something off the topic, or
3. they are saying something rude or disrespectful (which is not always the same as critical).
Often the facilitator can smooth out wrinkles by rephrasing things in a way that everyone can agree to.
The facilitator can take side issues that keep popping up and add them to a later agenda slot.
The facilitator needs to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to speak. Sometimes, when many people want to speak, it is helpful to keep a running list of those who have something to say. If things are really overwhelming (which often happens at a World Conference meeting), then another person may be appointed to maintain this list, while the first attends to the smooth running of the meeting.
The facilitator, especially when the topic is controversial, needs to stay out of the discussion. The facilitator is supposed to be an impartial moderator, and can't do that well if everyone sees that s/he is strongly for one side or another of an argument. If the facilitator needs to speak to the issue, s/he can step down as facilitator and have someone more neutral take the post.
The facilitator must structure the meeting according to the agenda items and must understand how the dynamic of the discussion will differ from topic to topic.
At times, the facilitator might want to stop the discussion in order to clarify a point; if time is running out or basic disagreement exists on an item, he or she might try to identify where the disagreement lies or call on a particular member of the group to clarify a position.
If the discussion becomes especially heated or hits a deadlock, the facilitator may call for a moment of silence.
It is the facilitator's job to determine when a "sense of the meeting" has been reached. The recorder might also be called on by the facilitator to read back a proposed statement or minute, to be sure that agreement has been reached on the content of the discussion. When a decision has been reached it is stated clearly.
If agreement cannot be reached after considerable discussion, a recess might be called in which the participants in greatest disagreement are brought together to resolve their differences.
If particular objections seem inappropriate or are holding up what seems to be the "sense of the meeting," the facilitator may say so and ask the individuals involved if they feel so strongly about their position that they cannot "step aside" and accept the group's decision.
If that does not help, the facilitator may suggest a special committee of people most interested in the topic to bring to the next meeting the outline of a decision.
The facilitator and all members of the group must find the delicate balance between honestly listening to all opinions and nevertheless having to make a decision. People certainly cannot be bullied into submitting to a group's decision. There is no mechanistic recipe for this process; it takes a large measure of basic solidarity within the group and good faith.

Workshop Discussion Sparks

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Put together a training course for Friends World facilitation.
Find out more about the process of facilitation in a Quaker Meeting, and add new insights to this section.

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The only way to get practice at this is just to do it! Volunteer to facilitate your next Community Meeting.

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See Also

COMMUNITY MEETINGS (J.2)
BRAINSTORMING (G.4)
CULTURAL SENSITIVITY AND AWARENESS (H.5)

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