Group Facilitation

Groups of all sizes can benefit from the guidance of an outside facilitator who helps move the members toward their collective goal. A group may be newly formed, and in need of a person that can help ease members into a comfortable exchange. Others are under tremendous pressure, and simply need someone to plan the agenda, take minutes, keep discussion on task, and monitor the timeline of group activities. Finally, some groups have been operating for years, and need an outsider to help offer perspective, identify strengths and weaknesses, and provide creative new suggestions for sustaining a healthy group dynamic. Whether a group needs teambuilding, meeting management or problem solving, several strategies can be employed to improve or sustain a high level of functioning.

Teambuilding
Meeting management
Problem solving

Teambuilding
Teams come in many shapes and sizes. One may be a large, diverse group of stakeholders involved in a community health care initiative, while another may be a small core of engineers who need to develop a business plan for their new venture. Regardless of size, focus, or diversity of membership, teambuilding activities can promote cooperation, trust, creativity, and dedication to a collective goal. These teambuilding activities might be fun or serious, physical or mental, and last a few minutes or a few days. Each teambuilding activity must be customized in order to meet the needs of the group, and QuERI is available to discuss these teambuilding needs with you.

Meeting management
Groups may engage in meetings annually, or as often as weekly, and it is sometimes difficult to identify a leader of the group to ensure that agendas are distributed, notes are created, and reminders are sent to those who need to accomplish tasks. The meeting may be a strategic planning meeting that sets the course of activities for subsequent years, or it might be a regular Board meeting designed to keep members up to date on the collective activities of smaller work groups. Whether this meeting management involves the creation of a decision-making model for the group, or the nitty-gritty of reserving space, taking notes and following up with participants, we can help design a plan or provide the staffing that will help manage your meeting.

Problem solving
A team or work group may occasionally need an outsider to assist with difficult issues such as conflicts or mistrust. Often it takes an outsider to remind participants that these difficult issues are a normal part of a group's development and that the challenges are often the heralds of exciting new things to come. Problems help groups tap into their own creative solutions and even mark a moment of group transformation. However, an outsider is often the best person to help the group identify the problem, examine the strengths or solutions, and develop realistic goals for moving through the challenge. We can help you look at group conflicts in new ways and encourage the celebration that is deserved when energy is directed toward turning the problem into an opportunity.