Yateen Gharat session last session 08 Feb 2026- Design the Process questions in a fac session

 Designing the process questions . 

Yateen : Give me a situation , I will design or frame questions . 

Yatish Chandra  : Ownership ? Had a client level discovery conversations. 

Yateen : More context . 

Yatish : Lack of ownership by middle managers. Most facilitators try to treat the symptoms. 

Problem : Lack of ownership . 

Yateen : How may we create an environment , where everyone will OWN the situation and show accountability ? 

What's our understanding oof our ownership ? What are the evidences of situations , where ownership is clearly visible ? and where it's missing ? 

What's our current reality ? Where are want to go ? What is the support we need, from the top management ? From the team members ? 

Which one we really want to act on ? 

Is this what we resolve ? We need a robust process to execute this .  There should be enough divergence , there should be enough churning ( manthan) and conclusion questions. 

This can just one  process . You may require a number of processes. 

I looked at a situation and converted all  these questions into divergence. Points of discussion . 

Is it realliy possible to cure the systemic problem of accountability with 5 or 6 questions ? OYR model ? Above the line or below the line or Oz principles ? That would be a content . Reflect deeply before delivering the content. 

I am very natural at creating questions. But people struggle . Even MCC coaches struggle . 

I need more context in order to frame questions . 

Thinking rooms. Discussions Rooms. Situation will be given to you . Frame or create process questions . Process by itself does not work. It works is questions.  Take 3 or 4 minutes . For individually frame questions. 

THINKING ROOM : 

The situation is -

Sales for current quarter is dipped by 20%.

Organization is having a good product, customer reviews are great, just this 

quarter sale is dipped.

You are invited as a Facilitator.

Prescribed outcome -: Team “must reflect”  on what happened? 

What was missing? What are strategic directions for next quarter?

Stake holder want you to facilitate  conversations with Sales team without ruffling too many feathers.

Your job today is to - Create Process questions to facilitate this conversation

. ***** 5 min personal reflection and questions design. Thinking rooms - 10 min

Given Situation : all agree ? 

DIAGNOSTICS 

(1 ) What is your take on the sales drop ? Both internal factors , external factors ? And competitive factors ? Seasonal factors ? Think PESTEL factors and 4 P s.

(2) In the last 10 years or 15 years , what was this quarter's sales , in the whole of the year ? Dips are natural and seasonal or this happened only this quarter ? 

(3)  What ideas do you propose or suggest , to pick up the sales next quarter and make up for the drop this quarter ? Some actions that are in our control .  ( 15 % solutions ) 

Sessions 2 : ( ACTION PLAN and SUGGESTIONS ) 

(1) what are the factors that are in our control that can be acted upon ? 

(2) What are your suggestions to the management ? 

(3) 

PLENARY , YATEEN : 

Focus question is the mother of all questions . We need some clarity is on why we are here . Guide them specifically, wehy we are here. 

Divergence enabler questions. None can be closed ended questions. Simple questions. No jargon. 

 " How we may achieve a goal by the end of 2026 ? " What is the ask. 

They may debate. Discuss. This is called Manthan. Discussion must happen. Clarify of question is extremely important. 

Typically ' what all the things can do ? 

Manthan : ' What if we did this ? ' what went wrong last time ? The churning . Is where you expect a lot of discussion . A lot of putting forth their points. 

During convergence time : particpants may jump back to another , second divergence phase and that's absolutely ok. 

Closing : Action. 

And then , are my questions guiding them , step by step, towards the desired outcomes . 

Use appropriate processes. 

Brain is a dot connecting thing. Gently challenge the status quo. 

SONALI VAIDYA QUESTIONS 

1. What areas of our work together do we feel good about?
   
2. What challenges are we facing
   
3. What was a difficult situation in the last quarter that you managed well?
   
4. What factors in our environment - internal & external are contributing to this challenge
   
5. What are some opportunities for change?
   
6. What do we want to focus on moving forward?

DEVANG PATEL : 

I divided the theme in three cohorts ( each cohort four questions each) , participants solve all 12 questions individually phase wise and then rotAte .....cohort A - questions on what happened ( last one year what was done / not done , observations) b) reasons for  it to happens c) choices available now , who will do what' 

From Ajith Kamath session on Design thinking

 Room No 4 . Break out . 

Divergence & Convergence . And their importance. 

Tita , Indonaesia : At the state of divergence, people create idea . It's not the amount of talking but DIVERSITY of it. More people speaking and not just volume. 

Monica Sharma ; In the context of facilitation , when you throw open gathering , expansive thinking is possible, along with contradictions . 

Converging : You do a fine tuning of the lot . 

Throwing open the funnel. 

CVR : Divergence is ideation . Deep democracy . Convergence : Action . Actionable ideas. Execution . 

Amy Chen from Taiwan : Facilitators are neutral to the situation . Hold space. Pay attention to the participants. Stay neutral. 

Fair opportunity to all participants. 

Facilitation Week session on right questions , the power of ...

 First Question , session opener . What made you sign up and join the session today  ? 

Questions affect paradigm shifts . Mind loves compelling questions . Put a question on a big piece of paper and put on space ? So that it would start working on you ? 

Get over transactional questions . Transformational questions are different . Questions should stimulate creativity . They must challenge underlying assumptions . Where do you find the right questions ? 

What is mine to do ? Your ' No ' is yes to something else . So, don't be afraid of closing the doors . 

Sometimes some questions do not work. Because, the scope is in the wrong place . Either the scope is too big or too small . 

( 1) Assumption (2) Construction and (3) Scope ! Touche !

What is one question that really matters to you right now ? 

Nancy Bragard 18:11
What becomes possible for me when I have quieted down my mind to give more space to my heart and soul?

 How can I crack open conflicted silence among members of my congregation?

How can I crack open conflicted silence among members of my congregation?

How might I create a healthy boundaries to be happier?

How can I better offer my gifts to the world?

How do I know whether my question is right or wrong? Any guide to acknowledge ?

A question I have found very helpful, both for myself and others, is:

"In saying/doing/asking what one is saying/doing/asking, what is one really saying/doing/asking?”

How might I towards the sweet point between learn, earn and contribute? 

What becomes possible for me when I have quieted down my mind to give more space to my heart and soul?

how might I be able to create real impact through my work

3 breaks out rooms, with only 2 participants, pair up activities. With only one question . 

What is one question you are most absorbed in - right now ? 

Roll Dice  ( Flow Game Dice ) 

https://flowgame.net/dice/

WEST: It is the rest between the notes that makes the music. Where do you need to pause? (Green)

NORTH: What is your unique leadership? Ask the others for their intuition. (red)

Break out room questions . 

What are you able to hear , what is nature whispering to you ? 

Memorable Training Session I attended . Fac Week 2026 Feb Blog

 

A GREAT FACILITATION SESSION I ATTENDED ( MARCH 2006 . AS A PARTICIPANT )

 

I won’t say ‘ the best ‘ because , it would invite unnecessary comparisons , within myself . I happed way back in March 2026 , in my first job as a Branch Training Manager ( BTM ) in Bajaj Capital , a BFSI company ! At that time, most of us haven’t heard of the word ‘ facilitation ‘ !

Conducted by our RTM, our reporting manager , who asked me to keep his name, confidential !

THE FACILITATOR :

We didn’t know much about him at that time, except that he did his MBA-HR in England and worked in Prudential Insurance for a few years. It was the sponsors of the first 60 over cricket world cup that India won in 1983 !

THE CONTEXT :  It was a new , upstart , national level BFSI company . With nearly 50 branches in the state of combined Andra Pradesh . They started recruiting Branch Training Managers a couple of years ago for each branch.

Now, we are a team of 30 BTM s reporting to our Regional Training Manger functionally and to the Area Sales Managers, administratively . In a Matrix form of dual reporting system.

THE PROBLEM :  Training department and all of us were a legal compliance focused and due to sales pressures, sales managers were all results focused, and this creating a daily functional frictions .  Also, equally important, how to reduce attrition rate in the sales department and what’s our contribution towards the same.

To reduce that and to improve mutual understanding between the Sales Department and the Training Department, our RTM called for a meeting in Hyderabad. That was the meeting objective . In March 2006 . Exactly 20 years ago .

THE TEAM : Back in 2006, almost none of us 30 BTMS had any formal training qualification !  One third of us are like me, coming from sales back ground to sales training . Others are from academia , like Economics & Commerce lecturers, some from BFSI ( Banking , Financial Services, Insurance ) industry experience in other functions .  

For us , training meant slide delivery , new product launch training , sales training etc. None of us ever heard the word “ Facilitation “ . Yet, when I look back after 20 years, this is one of the great facilitated sessions by our Manager, the RTM.

DURATION : It was a 2 days session .

 

PRE SESSION PREPARATION :  He sent an official mail to all of us. He set the context, stated the problem . The friction between Sales Managers and Training Manger in the branch and asked us to come with 3 specific Branch Related issues, apart from general issues.  He also asked us to come with possible solutions to the problems , within our company rules and norms . Since we are 30 in numbers, each Trainer gets no more than 5 minutes to 10 minutes to present our cases.

 

THE SESSION : All this back ground details I had to provide to give my readers , who are facilitators, with the CONTEXT at that time.

Our RTM set the context on day 1 , set the agenda and requested all of us not to interrupt any speaker, whether we agree or not. There was a time keeper, who will ring first bell at 5 minutes and second at 7 minutes and CLAP after 10 th minute !

He was accompanied by our Regional Training Coordinator, who came with his laptop and fiercely typing away points.

At the end of each presentation , we handed over the written paper, with a few points , to our Training Coordinator.

Our RTM was watching.  As our friend Vinisha Jayaswal used to say , ‘ he was present but it was an invisible presence ‘ .    If any one entered the meeting room, no one would notice him running the show ! He was sitting , not on the stage but among participants, in a remote, invisible corner.

Only occasionally and gently correcting the presenters when we went off the track or asking us to maintain silence – if the side talk decibel levels increased a threshold level !

 

On day 1, he spoke only for 10 minutes , summing up the session, taking questions and providing some spot solutions and ending on time ( NOW when I look at it , adhering to our SOT 4 formula ! ) with a tea and chat.

 

SESSION DAY 2  :

We didn’t know these words but this was the day of convergence . Our Coordinator has collated all the ideas from 30 of us, all coming to 85 to 90 . Some being the same.

Our RTM gave us one copy to each one of us , which has these 90 ideas . We need to READ all of them  . That was the first round. Now when I look back 20 years ago, it looks like a Textra game.

Then, he divided us into 7 groups of 4 each. Gave us 10 ideas each . We need build a consensus and select top 3 ideas from the same.

Each team has to present, (a) why they are the best as per our company policies and rules (b) if implemented , the possible effect on the individual , team and the company.  5 minutes each.

Top 20 ideas were selected. Now we understand, this is the convergence process ! At that time , we didn’t know . Back in 2006.

Post lunch second day , since none of us were formally trained to be trainers, he gave us a Training session !

On basic Adult Learning Principles or andragogy , principles from Malcolm Knowles, Blooms Taxonomy . Also demonstrated, how they look like when weaved into every day training .

And took practice sessions from 2 or 3 of us.

Session End reflection . He certainly corrected some of us during and after presentation , on body language, eye contact , choice of words etc. When required.

When I look back with the knowledge I have gained on facilitation thanks to IAF , this ranks as one of the memorable, unforgettable facilitated session I have ever attended. That’s why , it’s finding a mention after 20 long years !

It has the following , as I see it now :

(1)  Divergence. Idea generation . Brain storming . Problem statement .

(2)  Valuing every voice and idea . Deep Democracy principles. No one was more equal than others or less.

(3)  Convergence and the basis for it.

(4)  Action planning. We didn’t know but there was a bit of ORID in all that.

(5)  Psychological Safety . We were all new to the company and to the training profession . For ALL of us, it was our first training job . But we enjoyed it ! Many of us still remember it. I am in touch with a few colleagues even now !

(6)  It had group wisdom harvesting

(7)  The session was refreshingly free of  jargon . Had our boss used any Technical Lingo or jargon , we would have felt the apprehension that, this Training function and profession , was too difficult for us to handle.

This, as a participant . This was my first in training profession . There is another I can say , a great one, is the latest I attended in Bangalore. But more of it later ! 

No Photos are available . We all had ‘ feature ‘ phones in 2006.

I thank IAF for allowing me to share this !

C V RAMANA . IAF Hyderabad Hub , India Chapter .

Membership Number ; 38625