Developing People and Teams [P1]: Facilitation - Facilitation

Question 1

What is double loop learning?

Answer 1

identifying and understanding causality and then taking action to fix the problem (compared to just fixing the problem - single loop)

Question 2

What is facilitation?

Answer 2

• used to lead people toward agreed-upon objectives in a manner that encourages participation, ownership and creativity by all involved
• remaining neutral and impartial
• Facilitators enable a purposeful and participative environment in which people feel safe to engage, learn and collaborate

Question 3

What are the five facilitation principles?

Answer 3

• participation
• healthy
• transparency
• process
• purposeful

Question 4

Explain the principle: participation

Answer 4

full participation and engagement, which enables shared responsibility in a team

Question 5

Explain the principle: healthy

Answer 5

healthy space where people feel safe to raise differences and even conflicting perspectives while respectfully learning from each other

Question 6

Explain the principle: transparency

Answer 6

Transparency only exists when there is shared understanding

Question 7

Explain the principle: process

Answer 7

Facilitation should enable a team to progress toward the desired objective of the interaction in a way that is collaborative, inclusive and leverages diverse perspectives

Question 8

Explain the principle: purposeful

Answer 8

clear objective that everyone is aligned with and works toward

Question 9

What are the 13 skills and traits of a good facilitator

Answer 9

• Active listening
• Encouraging curiosity
• Problem solving
• Resolving conflict
• Using a participative style
• Encourage openness
• Empathizing and showing compassion
• Demonstrating leadership
• Building consensus
• Managing time effectively
• Setting objectives
• Communicating adequately
• Being organised

Question 10

Explain active listening

Answer 10

listen actively, and focus completely on what is said and what is not said. They lead by example, inspiring participants to both fully express themselves and engage in active listening when others are speaking.

Question 11

Explain encouraging curiosity

Answer 11

encourages curiosity and different viewpoints. They are skilled in asking powerful, often open-ended questions, in order to stimulate reflection and discussion.

Question 12

Explain problem solving

Answer 12

help a group define a problem, reframe it as a clear problem statement and encourage the group to consider a range of solutions to the problem

Question 13

Explain resolving conflict

Answer 13

recognizes that conflict among group members is natural and, as long as it’s expressed appropriately, does not need to be suppressed. Conflict should be expected and dealt with constructively and respectfully

Question 14

Explain using a participative style

Answer 14

encourages all participants to actively engage and contribute in activities and discussions, depending on their individual comfort levels. This includes creating a safe and comfortable atmosphere, in which group members are willing to share their thoughts and ideas

Question 15

Explain encouraging openness

Answer 15

encourages the group to be open to other people’s ideas, suggestions and perspectives

Question 16

Explain empathizing and showing compassion

Answer 16

understanding, aware and respectful of the feelings, perspectives or actions of others

Question 17

Explain demonstrating leadership

Answer 17

facilitator leads a group of people to reach their collective goals and objectives

Question 18

Explain building consensus

Answer 18

skilled in helping groups to achieve general agreement

Question 19

Explain managing time effectively

Answer 19

keeps things on course while allowing flexibility. They focus on achieving the outcome within a timeframe instead of a strict agenda. Overly restrictive time management can stifle good, purposeful conversations and reflection, whereas a lack of time management can limit focus and progress

Question 20

Explain setting objectives

Answer 20

facilitator communicates the purpose of a meeting in a clear and concise manner. This can be done by setting a strong overarching objective (often done in collaboration with the team) instead of focusing on a strict agenda.

Question 21

Explain communicating adequately

Answer 21

facilitator communicates effectively, using clear and concise language

Question 22

Explain being organised

Answer 22

Facilitation does not start or end with the act of facilitating a group of people. It includes preparation and following-up on decisions that were made.

Question 23

why is facilitation beneficial?

Answer 23

• keep team on track
• remind team of the purpose of the event
• get the most out of the ceremonies

Question 24

Who can facilitate scrum events?

Answer 24

anyone on the scrum team

Question 25

What are some problems that can occur without good facilitation?

Answer 25

• The purpose of the events may be missed
• People might talk over each other or not talk at all
• We might constantly hear the same few voices and miss out on the opinions of others
• Events can run over their timeboxes without creating necessary action items
• Opportunities to collaborate and progress toward desired outcomes may be missed