“ Growing the Facilitator in me ! “
IAF monthly learning . Mrunal Lamge. Thu 29 Feb 2024 . 7 pm .
(1) Participants expectations were captured , 2 each, on idea boardz dot com . There are 40 expectations . I took the screen shot .
( Screen shot )
PARTICIPANTS’ EXPECTATIONS ON IDEA BOARDZ
" Growing the Facilitator in me " Thu 29 Feb 2024 . Growing the facilitator in me by Mrunaal Lamge.
First idea board. Expectations from participants , fellow IAF mates. What do you want to learn from this session ?
(1) Handling a client who shows " I know all " attitude and we know , we believe he/she has some incorrect views. How to correct them without losing the contract ?
(2) About facilitation as a profession.
(3) Understanding the need of the client in facilitator mode and how , this is different from what I have been doing so far. Also, give a ' powerful feel ' to the client about facilitation.
(4) How to differentiate between a training session and a facilitation session at the ' need analysis ' stage.
(5) Activities and ideas in terms of facilitation .
(6) How to guide conversations into meaningful conclusions .
(7) How can I be empathetic to various stake holders, in understanding their ' real ' needs.
(8) Coming off the client meeting with relevant information ( how ? ).
(9) How to meet desired outcomes.
(10) To know how to close the gap between my understanding and client expectations.
(11) I aspired to address the client desires optimally.
(12) To understand what client really wants ( spelt need versus latent need ? )
(13) What if - we hit the roadblock ?
(14) Being able to understand and speak client's language.
(15) Same learning objective announced in the flyer. " Infusing IAF Competency A into client contracting meeing " .
(16) (a) To avoid mistakes in this area (b) To increase my success rate / strike rate.
(17) Engaging in meaningul client conversations such that they honestly come up with the desired outcomes.
(18) A few opening questions to elicit with the client.
(19) How to uncover needs from wants ( of a client ) ?
(20) Learn some frameworks on how to question the cleint .
(21) Agreed articulated outcomes with the client.
(22) Deeper understanding
(23) Learning the competency A of the IAF
(24) Real life examples and case studies and stories without naming the client organization .
(25) How to channelize the inputs meaningfullly in such a way that is time efficient.
(26) How to make client realize that, everything ( they want ) is not possible in the given time and how to ask the appropriate questions.
(27) Which powerful questions are to be asked.
(28) Effective questioning methods to understand client needs.
(29) How to ask client, some specific and probing questions, and listen to understand their deeper, latent need and not just the stated need.
(30) How to navigate the multiple client needs ? CEO Vs HR
(31) Managing difficult clients.
(32) To know about challenging experiences in handling difficult clients.
(33) How much clarity is clarity as a facilitator, to propose an apprpoach ?
(34) Money talk. To negotiate commercials.
(35) To understand who is the real decision maker among stakeholders . Functional Head ? L&D head ? HR ?
(36) TNI and stake holder involvement.
(37) How to persuade the client to have a series of ( longer ) intervention rather than an one off session .
(38) Better understand how to do a proper need analysis . Tools for TNI .
(39) Frame work and your go to question , during client meetings.
(40) When I am dealing with 2 or more decision makers, any powerful facilitation tool I can use to understand the client needs and bring them to a consensus ?
(41) How to negotiate money ? How can I know what charges are apt ?
(42) How to confidently position oneself ?
(43) Basically TNI and problem solving through training intervention .
Discussion on IAF Competency 1 : Collaborative client realtionship A 1 : Developing working partnership .
(1) ( Mrunal ) Make it clear that client cannot expect a magic. That we do not have a magic wand in hand.
(2) (Mrunal ) We should tell them, when we are a process facilitator, when ,a trainer and when ( and IF ) we play the role of an SME .
(3) Use ' 5 whys ' to reach to the root of the client company's problem ! " better team bonding " , why ? So that we can add value in the first meeting itself, to the client .
(4) We don't need to put the client on the pedestal all the time.
Sanjeev Survya ; Client says " I want servant leadership training " . Often, Client managements do not know WHY they want this training ? And what top 3 results they expect from this intervention !! Why ? Client boss had no answer.
Mrunal : : What kind of outcomes do you expect from this program on servant leadership ? Top 3 outcomes ?
19.45 : Break out room activity - 12 minutes . Screen shot taken. ( Screen shot )
Break out room members : Shyam Iyer, Anu Naga etal, Jyotsna , Monica .
Shyam Iyer suggested , at the very outset, 2 perspectives . In the break out room, there are freelance training consultants and there are L&D heads , managers who work for a company . So, Shyam suggested a Yin & Yang perspective ! Challenges etc that corporates have from outside trainers and the consultants have from corporates !
Break out room : Anu naga : ( corporate side ) She says training consultants act as self proclaimed experts. And they come with their own agenda . They are bad listeners. Consultants have their own agenda. ( pain area for corporate )
Jyotsna ( corporate side ) : Good partnership with external consultant ( good practice ). Good conversation .
Monica : ( good practice ) Regular conversation with external consultants , in case of multiple sessions and long term project.
Shyam Iyer : Be open to questions . Listen well. Ask questions from ' Humble Enquiry " mind set. Make client talk more. Than you talking more. ( good practice )
POST BREAK OUT ROOM ; ( Top 2 points ) Team presentations .
BR 1 : Listen to your client well. Q & A . The more questions you need to ask. Make notes while talking to your prospective client in your first client meeting.
(Rishu Singh )
Design stage : Be clear on desired outcome . Understand the client org CULTURE before starting any training facilitation interventions . ( Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions ? Or Fons Trompenaars cultural dimensions ? Gotta use some tools, we gotta wear some glasses , to view cultural aspects of the client org clearly.
Challenges : Time and budget constraints. Poor listening on part of the clients. ( Break out room 1 presentation over )
BR 2 : ( Good practices ; cleint contracting stage ) Not actually pushing for the project. Having an abundance mindset and not a dearth mindset . Don't show it anyways. Don't be desparate.
Design ( Good practices : Design stage ) : Understanding the audience better. Culture and environment of the client. Be aware of YOUR OWN assumptions.
Challenge : Time that the client gives you for discussion . Attitude of the client. Blase and supercilious. Superior attitude.
BR 3 : ( Good practices ; cleint contracting stage ) Listening. Good practice . Being honest with them ; on what is possible and what is not possible. With this L&D intervention.
( Good practices : Design stage ) : Co creation of content. Understading the boundaries of participation. Challenges : ROI how to measure it ?
BR 4 : Challenge : Make the client understand the importance of facilitation and how, that will be more helpful to them, than training.
BR 5 : CVR presented. ' Humbe Enquiry ' while talking to client ( Shyam Iyer ) . External consultant and the corporate L&D head better listen to each other more actively. Best practices, challenges etc, view from both corporate and external consultant perspective . Continuous and ongoing conversations to make adjustments in the middle , rather than going with a blue print and fixed mindset.
Break out room 6 : Dinesh presented.
Dinesh ( Good practices ; cleint contracting stage ) : Have a check list prepared , before the first meeting with the client. Make notes. Michelle : could send a questionnaire in email , before the first meeting with the new prospective client.
Design stage . Best practice : Meet 4 or 5 prospective trainees / participants and understand their job, their joys and challenges and tailor the content accordingly. Understand their pain areas and what they think of the organization .
Meet 1 or 2 reporting managers of the target participants . What areas of improvements they want , for their team mates. 15 - 20 minutes .
( Mrunal ) Meet the functional heads of the target participant and their immediate superiors.
Best Practice : Meet 3 participants of different vintages. Super senior, some experienced and a fresher. Take their perspectives. Measure their skills. Understand their pain points and challenges.
Mrunal : Ask some industry specific questions. Do some ground work in that direction . Understand the Industry, in which you are operating . Your client and their main competitors.
Best practice : Maintain confidentiality of the information clients share with you , if their competitors are also your clients.
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SESSION END RECAPTURE. IDEA BOARD.
SESSION WRAP UP . LEARNINGS OF PARTICPANTS
SESSION WRAP UP . One key learning from the session of Mrunal Lamge Thu 29 Feb 2024 .
IAF Competencies A .
(1) Research about the company, competitors, industry in which it operates and industry trends, before first client meeting. Ask, ' industry specific questions' in the first meeting.
(2) Humble Enquiry.
(3) Remind yourself, whose need is it, anyways.
(4) Meet target participants of different vintages in that organization , before the design phase ( good practice ) .
(5) Establish the intended outcomes of the meeting, at the start.
(6) Do Generative listening.
(7) Be open minded.
(8) Set a timer. Share my outcomes of the meeting with the client and ask fo theirs.
(9) Create a structure to your thougthts. Write a checklist before meeting the client.
(10) Write a checklist before the meeting and try to follow a diagnostic model to ensure that, all the domains are covered.
(11) Understand what worked and what did not work in their earlier trainings . So that we don't repeat those old mistakes.
(12) More pre work to be done on " Per client " basis .
(13) " Know the client organizations and know all the stake holders " .
(14) I will listen more.
(15) I will do a small meditation , so that it brings me ( and my clients ) to the present moment and we can get more out of the meeting.
(16) Humble Enquiry followed by deep listening.
(17) Setting the tone of the conversation right in the beginning of the meeting.
(18) Prepare for the meeting. Visit the website of the company ( also, perhaps ' news ' in google , about the company in recent past ) , know about it. Visit the Linked In profiles ( if available ) of the persons I am about to meet.
(19) Go with an open idea and a blank receptive mind and get the best out of the meeting.
(20 ) Get the pulse of the participants ( prospective learners ) before the design phase , that includes meeting their reporting managers.
(21 ) Actively managing time for myself and tthe client and clarifying outcomes upfront .
(22) Ask client for pre-session chat with 2 or 3 participants. Different vintages . Male / female.
(23) Being inquisitve and listen more.
(23) Prepare a checklist. Also, send the prospective client, various stake holders, a mailer before meeting .
(24) To wear a facilitator hat during the client meeting. Help to identify the real need.
(25) Stay focussed during the meeting.
(26) Explore the big picture of the industry. Ask the client, where do they see their organization , when the industry is at a particular epoch / point.
(27) What organizational problem , this training intervention is attempting to solve ? Is Training workshop / facilitation, the only solution ?
(28) Convey what I want, in half the words , using half the time.
