group whispering helping groups find their hidden power carol sherriff and simon wilson
TRANSCRIPT
GROUP WHISPERING
Helping groups find their hidden power
Carol Sherriff and Simon Wilson
What is ‘Group Whispering’
A way for facilitators to help groups find the power to solve their own problems and create their own solutionsGroups are doing the best they can with the
resources they haveGroups have more power than the
individuals that make up the groupThe facilitator’s job is to help the group
unlock their power and focus it
Why Group Whispering
Many standard facilitation approaches result in groups feeling that things are being done to them
When groups most need to dig deep they also need to find their own way
Facilitators need to be able to focus on what really matters and avoid being drawn into the superficial
Tools and techniques
1. Reading the non-verbal communication of the group
2. Unlocking the energy of the group by working with its stories and metaphors
3. Questions that help the group work through its frustrations and benefit from its diversity
4. Helping the group understand its power over individual members
5. Introducing the group to ways of co-creating solutions and new ideas
6. Understanding your own behaviour in a group
Group Whisperer
Still your mindAllow the internal talk, pictures, feelings to fadeFocus on the group with a ‘soft’ gazeNotice what you notice
Working in pairsPerson A describes a group they have worked
with (1 min)Person B goes into group whisperer state and
senses the group describedQuick feedback and change roles
Unlocking the energy of metaphors Metaphors help groups reach deep
understanding of what matters to them A metaphor is a way of talking about one
thing in terms of another thing
Unlocking the energy of metaphors Capture the metaphors members of the
group use to describe themselves Ask the group to agree the metaphor
they want to explore Get into the Group Whisperer state
Ask open and ‘clean’ questionsMove the metaphor on – ‘what happens
next?’Debrief the metaphor – what did the group
learn?
To find out more
‘Metaphors at Work’ in the IAF handbook, Creating a Culture of Collaboration
Podcasts and resources from Riders on the Storm
Questions eBook Contact us