Challenging Behaviors

Low participation: There are many reasons groups loose energy. A good first step is to note the shift in energy and ask the group about it. When I do this I hear everything from “I need an after lunch nap”, to “I am still back in the conversation that ended five minutes ago”, to silence. If you get silence, you might ask the group if they need a break, or if the topic is of interest to them. When there is low energy it is a good time to shift the agenda and move to any processes that have the group moving around. If there are reports to give, or some way to get other people’s voices in the mix that can help. If safety emerges as a reason for low participation (people may not tell you this directly so you may need to look for other clues) you may want to have people work in small groups. Or, you might ask the group what would make the topic more interesting to them. If you suspect that there is no interest (people often don’t want to say this), suggest a structured go-around where people rate their interest in the topic on a scale of zero to five. If all else fails suggest moving on and see what happens.

Poor follow through on assignments: It is quite common for people to assume responsibility for a task and not have it completed when the next meeting is upon you. In responding to this a facilitator walks a line between supporting people to follow through without enabling them. If the pre-meeting work of some individuals is critical to being able to accomplish the agenda that you have designed, a phone call to check in two or three days before the meeting is appropriate. If they have not yet completed the assignment, ask when they were planning on doing it. You may also want to do some reality checks as to how realistic it is they will finish, or tell them that you would like them to call you when they finish it. While this takes some of the facilitators time, the group will save time in the long run by having the facilitator check in. Another approach is to always have groups of two or three work on tasks between meetings. In this way it is more likely that someone will follow through. If the problem persists, note it and invite the group to problem solve around it. It could be that the group is getting involved in conversation or work that they are not committed to, or perhaps the timelines are not realistic. Remember, if the group is not doing its work, you as the facilitator are not responsible.