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  • Facilitation and Ground Rules by Tom Romito, Facilitator

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    Tom Romito
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    Ground Rules. Ground rules govern the behavior of people in a meeting. This paper describes the ground rules we will use to support collective action so groups can be more productive.

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    Ground Rules. Ground rules govern the behavior of people in a meeting. This paper describes the ground rules we will use to support collective action so groups can be more productive.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    46 views2 pages

    Facilitation and Ground Rules by Tom Romito, Facilitator

    Uploaded by

    Tom Romito
    Ground Rules. Ground rules govern the behavior of people in a meeting. This paper describes the ground rules we will use to support collective action so groups can be more productive.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 2

    1

    FACILITATIONANDGROUNDRULES

    ImTomRomito.ImafacilitatorandIworkwithorganizationsthatwanttoimprove
    themselves.Thisshortpaperisabouthoworganizationscangethighresultsinmeetingsthatare
    governedbygroundrulesandledbyafacilitator.

    Groundrulesgovernthebehaviorofpeopleinameeting.Withouthavingsomegroundrules,
    meetingscanbecomechaotic.Theproblemwithgroundrulesisthattheyaresometimestoo
    numerousandartificialtoinspirepeopletoactuallyabidebythem.Forinstance,oneofthefirst
    groundrulespeopleignoreistonotinterrupteachother.Whileitsanimportantgroundrule,
    peopleinahighenergygrouphavethetendencytorunroughshodoveroneanother.Thereare
    twosolutionstothiscommonproblem.Oneistohaveaskilledfacilitatortopolicegroup
    behavior.Theotheristosetjustafewgroundrulesthatsetthestageforgroupwork.

    WhenIfacilitateameeting,Iaskpeoplewhatgroundrulestheywouldliketohave,andwelist
    themforeveryonetosee.ThenIsetafewgroundrulesofmyownthatenablemetomodelthe
    behaviorIwantpeopletoemulate.Herearemybasicgroundrules:

    Themeetingstartsontime
    .Ibeginthemeetingwithwhoeverhasshownupbythe
    appointedhour.Ihavebegunmeetingswithonlyonepersonintheroom,asiftheroomwasfull
    ofpeople.Iintegrateothersintomyprocesswhentheyarrive,buttheyknowtheyarelate.

    Everyoneworks
    .Ipracticetheprincipleofinclusion.ThatmeansIgeteveryoneinthe
    roominvolvedinthediscussion.Idontletanyonegetawaywithbeinganobserver.If
    theyreintheroom,theyregoingtoparticipate.Ienforcethisgroundrulesimplybydrawing
    themout.SomepeoplegointoshockwhentheydiscoverthatIwantthemtoofferanopinion.I
    helpthemtosaywhattheythink,andmostpeoplearegratifiedthatItakethetimetoinclude
    theminthediscussion.Thegroundruletendstogetpeopletocomebacktofollowonmeetings.

    Nothingisfree
    .Thisisacorollarytothepreviousgroundrule.Mystyleistoprompt
    peopletocontributetothediscussionandcapturetheirobservationsonflipcharts.Butthereisa
    limittomypromptingandwriting.Mostofmyworkshopslendthemselvestousingbreakout
    groups.Thistechniquegetspeopleoutoftheirchairs,walkingtodesignatedplaces,and
    workingonsomefacetoftheissueathandinsmallergroups.Ivisitthebreakoutgroupsto
    ensuretheyareontrack,working,andreturnontimetothemainmeetingareawithsomethingto
    reporttothewholegroup.Thisgroundrulekeepseveryoneengaged,alert,andcontributingto

    BuildingCapacityinYourOrganization
    2015TomRomito,Facilitator,Cleveland,OH44109USA
    Email:
    thomasmromito@gmail.com
    Web:

    http://www.tomromito.com

    theresult.AnotherpartofmystyleisthatIwillchastisethegroupifpeoplearerude,
    discourteous,ordisrespectfultoothers.Iwilldothiscollectively,butIcanalsochastisepeople
    individuallywithoutoffendingthem,becausetheyknowImtheretomaintainruleandget
    thingsdoneontime.Thisgroundruleacknowledgesthatmeetingsarehardworkandeveryone
    hastocontributetomakemeetingssuccessful.

    Themeetingendsontime
    .Whenthedesignatedtimecomes,themeetingisover.Ifwe
    arenotdoneandwehavetoscheduleafollowonsession,wetakeupatthattimewhereweleft
    offattheendofthelastmeeting.Peopleseethatthisisaseriousendeavor.

    Whenwepracticegroundrules,peopletendtoseetheimportanceofattendance,timeliness,and
    considerationofothers.Asaresult,meetingsareproductive.

    BuildingCapacityinYourOrganization
    2015TomRomito,Facilitator,Cleveland,OH44109USA
    Email:
    thomasmromito@gmail.com
    Web:

    http://www.tomromito.com

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