I’ve discussed the concept of “reading the room” with fellow facilitators countless times. As a seasoned facilitator, I’ve walked into many meetings and sessions and had to pivot based on the participants, goals, and other factors, always staying flexible and keeping a pulse on the room. In a conversation with a fellow facilitator, though, I found myself asking: is reading the room enough?

In today’s corporate world, the “room” is not always like it was in the past–an assigned conference room with a whiteboard at the front and participants gathered around a table. Many meetings are hybrid or virtual, bringing together participants from different cities and different backgrounds to work toward a common goal.

These meetings are also taking place in the larger context of the organization, the industry, and the current events going on in the world around. I realized that I needed to consider factors from beyond the walls of the room.

In order to be successful, I found myself modifying the art of reading the room. We have to look beyond the room—and read the system. In this article, I’ll break down what it means to read the system and how to implement this perspective in your own facilitation.

Understanding Systems Thinking in Facilitation

Let’s start with understanding systems thinking. Systems thinking is defined as “an approach to problem-solving that views problems as part of a wider dynamic system” which “recognizes and prioritizes the understanding of linkages, relationships, interactions, and interdependencies.” This method means problems should not be addressed in isolation, but rather as a part of the larger context of the organization.

As a facilitator, I strive to understand the interconnectedness of various elements within an organization or project. Changes in one part can affect the whole system, so it’s important to recognize key patterns, relationships, and dynamics, identifying opportunities for growth and potential points of weakness. When a facilitator understands the system, they can better select the right techniques and methods to pursue an optimal outcome.

A Note About Systems Thinking in the Workplace

What was true yesterday is not guaranteed to be true tomorrow. Systems are often complex and adaptive, meaning that we have to be aware that they can change at any time. Leaders must be nimble, aware that what they once thought about a room, system, or organization can change on a dime and must be adapted guide participants toward success.

As leaders, we have to consider how much we can trust data, even though data is key to our practices. We should continually question ourselves and probe the system to understand how it is functioning and responding to our actions and interventions.

6 Tips to Read the System

Let’s break down a few ways you can implement reading the system in your facilitation practice.

Take a Holistic Perspective

The key to reading the system is looking beyond the immediate and considering the underlying structures and processes at work. This holistic perspective can help ensure that the final consensus is sustainable for long-term success.

External facilitators will always have to work toward understanding the systems within the organization they are working with. When I’m in that position, I leverage techniques that invite the participants to examine their own system when addressing the problem at hand.

Embrace Empathy and Cultural Awareness

When I think about systems, I don’t just think about the systems of an organization—I also consider the systems of our society and culture. Each participant in a meeting has their own unique background and perspective, and their different viewpoints affect their interactions within the system.

By recognizing and respecting diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds, we unlock powerful new ways to approach and address a problem and build a solution. In fact, it’s part of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) Core Competencies to honor diversity and promote inclusiveness.

It’s also important to consider who isn’t in the room. That could include other team members, company leadership, your customers, your clients, or the public at large. Consider the systems that those people are a part of and how that could affect them, and prompt participants to do so themselves. By imbuing empathy into your approach, you can anticipate the needs of the people who are not in the room, building a solution that works for everyone.

Support Conflict Resolution and Negotiation

There are inherent conflicts in systematic interactions, as different departments or factions have different priorities and approaches to solving problems. These conflicts, and conflict in general, are not bad. Healthy conflict can lead to creative, powerful consensus.

When I facilitate a meeting, I consider the conflict that may exist under the surface. Often, participants don’t even realize there are underlying conflicts in their systematic interactions, but by identifying and addressing those conflicts, a better solution can be found.

By reading the system, I can dip into my repertoire of facilitation methods and techniques for the right solution to balance different perspectives and move toward resolution.

Leverage Data

For me, one of the most exciting parts of the future of facilitation is the use of data to better inform our decisions and understand trends within the system. The amount of data available can feel overwhelming, but, as a facilitator, I help participants distill that information and focus on the right data points. It can be easy to get caught up on one particular piece of data and get stuck in a circular discussion, but proper facilitation can keep participants moving forward with that data. 

As an experienced facilitator, I’ve seen the power of being able to interpret and communicate data insights effectively. When moving out of the groan zone and toward a resolution, the right data can help streamline the decision-making process.

Navigate Virtual and Hybrid Environments

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the structure of meetings and events has looked very different. I’ve walked into sessions expecting a full room of attendees only to learn that half the participants were virtual! This unexpected change required me to shift my techniques to better operate within a hybrid system.

I’ve become attuned to the fact that the system could shift from in-person to virtual or hybrid at a moment’s notice. To read the system, facilitators must master adapting facilitation techniques for virtual, hybrid, and diverse environmental contexts. The facilitator does not get to control the setting, instead reacting to the environment and the system and working as a guide against those obstacles.

Cultivate Feedback

Even the most skilled facilitators are not mind readers, so it’s important to realize that there will be aspects of the system that are not apparent to you as the facilitator. The participants are the ones who are actively part of the system, for better or for worse, and they can be the key to unlocking insight for optimal success.

To garner this feedback, facilitators should conduct interviews, send surveys, and host communal listening sessions. Focus on providing a welcoming, comfortable environment where participants can be completely honest about their experiences, opportunities, and obstacles.

This feedback is critical to understanding how people are thinking, how they are experiencing the system, and how they are influencing it.

Learn to Read the System with Voltage Control

The Facilitation Certification Program from Voltage Control gives facilitators and collaborative leaders the knowledge and tools they need to properly read the system in every session. We also host Facilitation Lab, a vibrant community of facilitators and collaborative leaders committed to lifelong learning. Facilitation Lab offers a free virtual meetup every week that you can attend to get a taste of the community.

Contact Voltage Control to get started.

The post Read the System appeared first on Voltage Control.

Table of contents

• What Is a Conflict Resolution Meeting?
• Why Conflict Occurs in the Workplace
• 6 Steps for Facilitating a Conflict Resolution Meeting
  • 1. Establish Ground Rules
  • 2. Identify and Involve All Parties
  • 3. Set a Time Limit for Discussion
  • 4. Create a Safe Environment for Discussion
  • 5. Use Active Listening Skills to Understand All Perspectives
  • 6. Develop an Action Plan to Resolve the Conflict
• Learn Facilitation Skills for Better Conflict Resolution Meetings

Conflict can feel inevitable in the workplace. On top of causing headaches for everyone involved, workplace conflict can be costly. Disagreements and conflict can lead to lost time and revenue, as well as a less tangible impact on morale and corporate culture, as the tension from persistent conflict can promote employee disengagement.

With employee stress reported at an all-time high, business owners and leaders should seek to address and remediate workplace conflict quickly and effectively to prevent further stress. This is done through a conflict resolution meeting, which can require unique facilitation skills that some managers may not have.

In this article, we outline the basics of the conflict resolution meeting and share a quick guide to facilitating a conflict resolution meeting.

What Is a Conflict Resolution Meeting?

A conflict resolution meeting is a dedicated meeting to address persistent or significant disagreement related to one or more employees in a workplace. Conflict resolution meetings are not needed for regular, healthy disagreements that naturally occur in the workplace. 

Instead, they should be used for conflict that cannot be overcome by standard communication or conflict that can negatively impact productivity, business performance, employee wellbeing, and corporate culture. The conflict may or may not be in violation of company policies, and the appropriate leaders and managers should always be made aware of the need for a meeting.

Any serious allegations such as harassment and bullying should be addressed immediately by HR.

Conflict resolution meetings are often conducted by managers and leaders who may or may not have the facilitation skills necessary to lead the process. Though they are typically well-intentioned, organizational leaders do not represent a neutral enough party for the best possible conflict resolution. At the very least, the leader or manager is not perceived as neutral by both parties equally, which makes it difficult for both parties to then be completely forthcoming.

Experienced facilitators can serve as that truly neutral party, guiding all the involved parties through the often uncomfortable conflict resolution process. Conflict resolution is an invitation, not a demand, with the goal of coming to a satisfactory agreement for all parties. 

Why Conflict Occurs in the Workplace

Not all conflict in the workplace is negative. Healthy conflict can be a part of a normal decision-making process, with the involved parties working through their differences in opinions to reach a satisfactory resolution. It’s normal for employees to have disagreements, as workplaces bring together a variety of personality types in conflict-inducing situations.

Sometimes, though, conflict reflects a larger issue, an underlying problem that crops up regularly. The University of Oklahoma points out a few primary causes of workplace conflict, including:

• Poor communication
• Different values
• Differing interests
• Scarce resources
• Personality clashes
• Poor performance

No matter the initial cause, workplace conflict can typically be classified by type: task-based conflict, relationship conflict, and value conflict. Sometimes conflict can be connected to poorly defined job roles, too, with the expectations of the employee not aligning with what the manager assigns. Identifying the cause and type of conflict can be helpful in the conflict resolution process.

6 Steps for Facilitating a Conflict Resolution Meeting

It’s important to remember that conflict is unique to the individuals involved and the nature of the workplace. The below steps for facilitating a conflict resolution meeting serve as a basic outline, but your conflict resolution meeting may look slightly different based on your scenario.

1. Establish Ground Rules

To ensure an equitable workplace, policies and procedures should be easily accessible by all employees—and enforced fairly across the board. Reference how the conflict involves any policies from your employee handbook and official procedures, and, if you’ll be utilizing any additional documents or resources, review them prior to the meeting.

As part of facilitating a conflict resolution meeting, you may also put together guidelines of how participants should interact. This can include the use of “I” statements and the focus on the specific problems rather than on people.

If any documentation will be a part of the meeting, be consistent on how that is recorded and ensure that it remains confidential. Conflict resolution meetings can be highly personal and should not be shared with anyone outside of those in the meeting and leaders who need to know the outcome.

2. Identify and Involve All Parties

There’s no worse feeling than realizing you were left out of a vital meeting; that holds true for conflict resolution. While your initial planning and investigation meetings may not involve all parties, the ultimate conflict resolution meeting should bring everyone together and give all parties time to share their feelings. 

Facilitate the conflict resolution meeting in a private office and at a time that works well for all parties involved. Be cognizant that this meeting may be a source of anxiety for some of the parties and thus may affect when they want to schedule the meeting.

Some conflict resolution meetings can be successfully conducted by a manager and the involved employee, particularly when the conflict is task-related. For more persistent or involved conflict, though, a dedicated facilitator can be hugely beneficial, serving as a neutral party and leveraging the unique power of their emotional intelligence and facilitation skills. 

When utilizing a facilitator, emphasize early in the meeting that the facilitator’s role is not to control the conversation but to serve as a resource for the benefit of the participants.

3. Set a Time Limit for Discussion

Set a clear amount of time for each involved party to share their feelings and goals, and share the expectation for that time limit up front. The conflict resolution meeting is meant to be a safe space to share feedback, but it’s important not to spend too long rehashing past events. Instead, make it clear that the focus will be on identifying the cause of the conflict and moving toward a resolution.

This time limit can also help prevent escalation and tangents. It also importantly prevents employees from avoiding the conflict, which is a less-recognized style of conflict management, as everyone involved has their own period of time to share their honest feelings.

The conflict resolution process can be highly uncomfortable, so sharing these time limits and expectations ahead of time can help alleviate anxiety. Participants will know what to expect.

4. Create a Safe Environment for Discussion

Approach the conflict resolution meeting with an open mind, encouraging honesty and open feedback. If your organization has corporate values, it may be useful to restate your corporate values up front, centering them in the meeting.

You can also ask the meeting attendees to agree to basic rules, such as:

• Participants will work in good faith toward a solution.
• Participants will treat each other with respect.
• Participants will take ownership for their actions.
• Participants will make an effort to understand other viewpoints.

As you facilitate more of these meetings, your conflict resolution management strategy may grow to include a clear set of rules and expectations that is documented and shared, rather than a simple verbal reminder.

A great facilitator will include scheduled break times for longer conflict resolution meetings, and they may also find it necessary to take unscheduled breaks when emotions get too high for discussion to be productive. The conflict resolution process can look different for every disagreement, and thus is not a process that can be rushed to fit within short time frames. It’s important to be realistic and open to giving a bit more time if things are continuing in a productive manner, as moderated by a skilled facilitator.

5. Use Active Listening Skills to Understand All Perspectives

Successful conflict resolution strategies rely on active listening to hear opportunities for compromise. Good active listening will quickly begin to relieve any tension in the meeting, as it makes it clear to all parties involved that you hear their stories and you validate their feelings.

As the conflict is discussed, restate the main facts and reflect the emotional side to ensure that you are accurately understanding the employee’s experience. As the time limit is reached, summarize the most important components of the discussion.

6. Develop an Action Plan to Resolve the Conflict

As you gain a full picture of the conflict, look for areas of collaboration or compromise between the employee and the area of conflict, whether that involves a task or another person. Focus on positive efforts that move everyone forward toward their goals, while staying grounded in your organization’s guidelines and values.

Identify every employee’s role in the action plan and clearly assign any follow-up tasks. Be sure to distribute these tasks fairly and with consideration to the current workload and other tasks that must be completed as part of each person’s role. 

After the meeting, share next steps regarding the action plan. If it seems necessary, schedule a follow-up meeting to check in on the conflict and ensure future conflicts have not cropped up.

Take time to reflect on the conflict, noting any larger patterns that this conflict is indicative in the workplace. The content of the conflict resolution meeting should remain confidential, but the knowledge you gained from it can be leveraged to better help future conflict situations.

Learn Facilitation Skills for Better Conflict Resolution Meetings

The importance of conflict resolution skills cannot be understated in today’s corporate culture. Facilitators and collaborative leaders alike are called upon regularly to navigate the tricky conflicts that occur from the different personality types in the modern workplace.

At Voltage Control, we know our way around a conflict resolution meeting—we help leaders and teams harness the power of facilitation for conflict resolution and beyond through our certifications, workshops, and more. Voltage Control also hosts the popular Facilitation Lab community, which features a free weekly meetup where you can engage with and learn from other facilitators from around the globe.

Contact Voltage Control to learn more about conflict resolution facilitation training for your organization.

The post How to Facilitate a Conflict Resolution Meeting appeared first on Voltage Control.

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Have you ever found yourself in a disagreement or argument where the other person was solely advocating for their opposing position with little regard for your point of view? Not feeling heard is not only frustrating but also makes it nearly impossible to arrive at a solution or consensus. This concept is at the core of what makes for great facilitation. It is more inviting and leads to more effective outcomes to ask questions to better understand individuals’ perspectives than to advocate for a single perspective.

The goal of facilitation is to help the group arrive at a common understanding, develop ideas, and make decisions in support of reaching objectives. If the group does not understand one another, it is not likely that they will arrive anywhere desirable. A facilitator is responsible for leading with questions to guide the group to collective understanding.

Let’s take a look at how to identify and combat positions of advocacy.

Abolish Advocacy

When someone makes a statement about what they want they are advocating for what they want. When someone does this to you, it feels like they want to “win” rather than cooperate. There is little to no opportunity for them to hear let alone accept another point of view. A facilitator can begin to break down this wall by introducing a position of inquiry. Asking questions automatically changes the perspective from describing a solution to seeking shared understanding around needs and possible options. Instead of maintaining a defensive posture, asking questions opens up an inviting space to hear other peoples’ perspectives. In this space, there is no “right” or “wrong”, just discussion. An inquiry approach leads to an amicable solution. You must first understand the person’s position in order to conceive solutions that will support everyone. The only way to do this is to ask questions.

There are 3 factors that contribute to a groups’ defaulting to an advocacy approach instead of an inquiry approach even though it is less effective and less fun. Let’s explore all three.

Siloed Information

Disagreements among a group can come about due to several factors. One is misunderstandings/misinformation. If the group doesn’t have shared information, it’s easy to misunderstand one another or varying perspectives. Lack of information can lead to disagreement because context is simply missing.

For example: Imagine there is a company meeting about whether they should remain remote permanently or return to in-person. Someone pitches the idea of transitioning to a hybrid workplace as a beneficial solution. They say it will increase team members’ productivity and ultimately lead to increased profits. Several others in the group strongly disagree. They advocate for their opposing view, saying that a hybrid workplace is just too complicated to implement. There’s no way it could work, they argue. This meeting has no facilitator to mediate and intervene with questions to shift the dynamic. So the two opposing sides continue to strongly advocate for their stance. Both sides push and push and struggle to make any headway until finally it’s clear there is no hope of reaching a consensual decision. Then the most senior or the most assertive person in the room announces which solution wins. People support the decision begrudgingly, everyone leaves disgruntled, and the project doesn’t go well. 

Now imagine if the same meeting had a facilitator that helped the group understand one another and navigate the decision-making process. The same opposing viewpoints are presented and people are taking a defensive stance to defend their position. The facilitator intervenes and begins to ask questions to both sides, working to better understand each perspective. Using MURAL,  the facilitator creates two sections on a template for the group: one for hybridizing and one for returning to the office. The facilitator asks both sides questions to extract more details about their viewpoints, such as, “Tell me more about that,” and “How would this work?” “Now how is this different?” They document the breakdown in the MURAL sections and the group can see the breakdown of each side, which gives them a clearer understanding.

Through inquiry, the group learns that those with a fear of hybrid oppose the idea because they lack the knowledge of how to successfully transition to a hybrid workplace. Because they don’t know how to do it, they opposed it. Instead of asking more questions about how to transition to hybrid, they just advocated for their idea. Asking questions revealed the missing information that both sides needed to better understand each other, and ultimately reach a solution that was best for the company. The more you know, the more you are able to find common ground.

Opposing Values

A difference in values can also lead to misunderstanding. When people have the same information, but fundamentally disagree due to their values, it can lead to disagreement. You can come to a solution by isolating the key values – understanding the different values for what they are – and then combining the values to create a compromise.

The notion of compromised values is inauthentic and people can’t uphold the accommodation for long before they collapse under the weight. When there is a values clash, all hope is not lost, but it is essential to name it and have a focused conversation to explore those values and why the group is stuck on them. Explore if you’re able to adapt the option to come to a decision or solution that the entire group can support. Or perhaps you realize that the conflict is around a value of someone that doesn’t have to directly support the outcome and maybe they are ok with it after understanding the trade-offs. You can only come to these conclusions when you address them through conversation.

Personal Issues

An unrelated or outside factor can also affect disagreements. This could be someone’s personal experience that affects their decision or perspective on the matter at hand. A disagreement could also be as simple as the people involved not liking each other. To solve these types of disagreements, you have to rise above the problem and solve it from a higher vantage point. The more you can understand the individuals involved, the better prepared you are to gain consensus. People who advocate for their viewpoint due to matters unrelated to the topic being discussed often don’t have a definitive reason for their stance. A common type of response is “It just won’t work.” Asking these people questions like, “Can you help me understand your thinking here? “ and “How might we improve this?” will help you dig deeper and uncover the core issue. Everyone may not agree with each other’s opinions, but a better understanding of where each person is coming from can lead to a space of compromise and agreement about the matter at hand. The more inquisitive you are about the point of view of the audience, the better you are able to help them arrive at solutions.

Facilitator Questions

It’s one thing to know the importance of asking questions, it’s an entirely different matter to know the right questions to ask. When you frame them correctly, questions are an immensely powerful tool to dissolve tension and problems and create impactful solutions. 

That’s why we created the Facilitators Guide to Questions to help facilitators effectively navigate meetings/conversations. It includes questions to facilitate engagement, understanding, alignment, positivity, and more. It’s an excellent resource to refer to and use to spark ideas of ways to lead groups with inquiry, especially in times of disagreement. 

Here are a few examples: 

For when participants are disagreeing

• “What is your understanding of what ___ is saying?”
• “What evidence and reasons are there for…”

For extracting understanding

• “Is that the real issue or are you upset/worried about something else?”
• “It seems as though you had a reaction to that. Can you help me understand why?”

One of the greatest powers a facilitator has is that of posing questions. Simply asking can open minds and lead groups to think differently about one another and the world at large. The more questions you can ask of a group, the more understanding the group will gain. Remember, if you find yourself advocating for a cause, stop, breathe, listen, and ask a good question. You will take yourself out of attack mode and into a space of understanding. That is where creative solutions are born.

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