reos and kaospilots: effective group facilitation reflections

8/7/2019 Reos and Kaospilots: Effective Group Facilitation Reflections

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EFFECTIVE GROUPFACILITATIONA 3 DAY FACILITATION COURSE TOACHIEVE BETTER RESULTS WITH GROUPS.

Thoughts and refections on the experiences o 6 Kaospilots who were invited to join the

workshop in Ox ord.

15-17 NOVEMBER 2010



MATIASJUUL THORN MARTIN BØHM

What were your expectations to the threedays?

I had met Zaid earlier in Denmark and knew o his work so my expectations or the E ec-tive Group Facilitation course were rather high.

Upon arrival we were welcomed like an oldriend welcomes you into his house. All partici-

pants were welcomed into this space o open-heartedness and compassion and the three-day course greatly exceeded my expectations both when it comes to learning the art o acilitationand enjoying social li e at the same time.

What stood out to you?The most power ul learning I had was the

one o Deep Democracy. That you as a a-cilitator oster a deeper level o dialogue andinclusivity by expanding current reality by de-veloping awareness o and appreciation or alllevels o experience. Where I earlier would try to create immediate consensus, go or majority rules or create insecurity in the group by being insecure and a raid o the uncom ortable statethe group was in, I now have tools to use the“No” to create stronger oundations or collec-tive action.

What did you bring with you?Con dence and that I as a acilitator have

urthered my skills in creating awareness in agroup or collective direction though this o teninvolves leaving the com ort zone o the group.

Equally important is to create connection in thegroup. Personal stories is a power ul tool to doso - to unite people and create trust in a group.Behind learning tools and practicing these isthe art o knowing onesel deeper as a humanbeing and the importance o one’s inner condi-tion or how well you serve the group you work with. Zaid and Mia where both extraordinary teachers and role models.

What were your motivations for joining thecourse?

When reading about the course on e ectivegroup acilitation I immediately knew that I wanted to join. With my educational back-

ground as a school teacher and as a currentstudent o project, process and business designI see the role o the acilitator as the one whodeepens the meeting and enhances the possi-bilities or understanding and learning betweenpeople.

It’s an extremely important role that must belearned through years o practice and refec-tion. I hoped that this course could combinethese two elements plus bringing in new per-spectives on the acilitation role rom the many experiences the teachers o the course have.

How did you experience the 3 days?In Ox ord I was happy to be a part o a dedi-

cated group o people who engage themselvesin this pro essional eld. Everyone with di er-ent backgrounds and levels o experience. Miaand Zaid led the course in a very inviting andhumble manner which led me and the otherparticipants lean into the process and use each

other in the best possible way.The course had a nice mixture o practical

work and refections and moved orward in a way that engaged and challenged everyone.

What did you bring with you from the course?From the three days I bring with me a

con dence in mysel as being able to acilitate well, and a new ound courage to keep testing mysel . I now have a better understanding o the importance o training and experimenting with the role o being a acilitator, and embrac-ing the mistakes you make along the way. It islike learning a cra t – it’s something that youcan’t learn rom a book alone, but that needspractice to become better.

The course provided a great oundation ormy urther practice.



GUNVORJØSENDAL

ERIK RODIN

What were your expectations to the threedays?

I had heard some about Reos, and the way they work, rom a riend who did an internshipat their Johannesburg-o ce. I had also read

Adam Kahanes book ‘Solving Tough problems’,as part o our processleadership education atthe Kaospilots.

Based on this I was expecting to be chal-lenged on both a personal and pro essionallevel, in training my acilitation skills. I expect-ed to get a better understanding o the theoreti-cal background that Reos works rom, as wellas some practical experience and training, insome o the skills/tools taught. I was expecting to start breaching the gap between concretetheory and practice, with the more di use andinstinct-based aspects o group acilitation.

What stood out? A couple o things stood out during the three

days. First o all was the infuence and learning I took rom the other participants. I was moved,inspired and challenged, not only by the input

rom Zaid and Mia, but to a great degree alsoby the refections and experiences o the other

participants. Having room to refect and sharethe learning with the others - some which Iknew, others complete strangers - gave an extradimension to the course.

Another thing that stood out was both Zaid

and Mia’s ability to contain the whole group,and relate to everyones wants and needs orthe 3 days. They were able to keep a red linethroughout the otherwise very dynamic days,and make sure that there was room or bothconcrete/pro essional input, as well as refec-tion and sharing o personal experiences.

What did you bring with you?New riends and pro essional network.

Inspiration and insights relating to acilita-tion and leadership. New tools and methods

or working with group acilitation. (+ Experi-ence and refections on using them.). Theory,metaphors and examples that make it easierto verbalize some o the challenges related togroup acilitation.

What were your expectations to the course? As I got on the bus to leave downtown

Ox ord and go to the Grove House I was sitting and looking out the window and wondering what to expect rom the next three days. Having

participated in similar (or so I thought) coursesbe ore I was curious to see how this would play out. I was hoping that the three days would bea play ul mix between theory and action. Work-ing with likeminded yet di erent people wouldbe considered a bonus.

What stood out to you?For me there were three things that particu-

larly stood out:Mix o theory and practice: Getting input

rom Mia and Zaid combined with trying thingsout or ourselves made the course very un andthe three days few by. Teambased learning: Working and learning in teams was challenging and un. I learned a lot by working with peoplethat have similar interest yet very di erentbackgrounds. We all attended the course ormore or less the same reason, but we broughtdi erent things with us, and le t with di er-ent things as well. For me the diversity in the

participants added to the learning environ-ment. Importance o rames: I think the courseitsel was really good, but what really made itunique was everything you didn’t pay attentionto. The small details, the breaks, the room, the

dinner we all had together, the small conversa-tions, the eedback we gave to each other, andperhaps most importantly how Mia and Zaidinvolved us and managed to make us leave witha eeling that this wasn’t a Reos workshop, butour workshop. A workshop that we took part increating ourselves, and that or me is what good

acilitation is all about.

What did I you take with you from the threedays?

A ter the three days I ound a new ound loveor acilitation. I eel that I have gained a better

overview o what it means to be a acilitatoras well as how I as a participant can be a good

ollower and support whoever acilitates. I’vegained con dence through hands-on doing,

ailing, refecting, succeeding, and above alllearning. This was all made possible by the sa e

rames and learning space provided by Mia andZaid. Thank you!



PHOTOS BY ALBERT OLIN

Find these + more, in high res at: http://jonasska te.com/ReosPhotos.zip

http://jonasskafte.com/ReosPhotos.zip

http://jonasskafte.com/ReosPhotos.zip



THANK YOU FOR A GREAT WEEKEND!

Jonas, Gunvor, Albert, Erik, Mathias, Martin

I w a s a l s o t he r e !

Jonas S kaf t e

reos and kaospilots: effective group facilitation reflections

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