UNDERSTANDING FACILITATION FOR DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING: A MICRO-WORKSHOP Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 22, 1995 266 UNDERSTANDING FACILITATION FOR DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING: A MICRO-WORKSHOP Judith F. Vogt, Incarnate Word College ABSTRACT *To experience participation in an experiential learning activity. *To systematically examine the experience of participation. *To systematically examine the skills and process of facilitation. *To enhance participants’ understanding of the essential elements of group work. *To recognize the impact of group composition on the learning process. *To review the conditions which promote adult learning. INTRODUCTION This design promotes many learnings about groups, facilitation, learning theory, and work dynamics. Participants often find it a “light bulb” experience. It is relevant to self-directed work teams, training, management, leadership, TQM and its company-specific variations, continuous learning, organizational structure, and participative management and/or decision making. Of most importance to guiding this activity is that the facilitator not force specific learnings but allow for the recognition, development and divergence of the potential learnings which it offers. Materials Participants: One copy of “Four Corners Theory Sheet”, p. 54- 5 for each participant; one copy “Dimensions of Learning” for each participant; and flipchart paper, large tip multi-colored markers, masking tape. Facilitator: One copy of “Four Corners Design and Materials”, 1988 Annual for Human Resources Development, pp. 51-55; one copy for reference of the “Four Corners Theory Sheet”, p. 54-5; easel for flipchart paper, large tip multi-colored markers; tape the signs posted as described in “Four Corners” for each corner of the room. Logistics A room large enough to accommodate 30 participants and to allow some freedom of movement with wall space for posting flipchart pages. This exercise will take approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Exercise Step 1: The facilitator describes the goals of the activities. Participants are then asked to stand up and converge at the middle of the room. The facilitator gives very brief input about the elements of groups (refer to the “Four Corners” design and materials, 1 988 Annual: Developing Human Resources, Pfeiffer and Company). The facilitator will urge participants to move to their corners of preference rapidly (refer to process steps I and II in “Four Corners Design”). Step 2: Follow process steps III and IV, p. 52 of “Four Corners Design” in the 1988 annual. Step 3: The facilitator then draws a blank organizational pyramid and points out that the four elements of group work are parallel to the traditional roles of organizational levels. Participants are asked to “guess” which corner (structure, action or caring) goes with which level. The facilitator fills in the pyramid as shown in figure 1. Step 4: The participants then discuss their observations, personal choices, implications of distribution in terms of total group strengths and needs, and so forth. Step 5: Participants remain in their groups and Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 22, 1995 267 brainstorm their reactions to this participative experience. After two to five minutes, the facilitator asks group members to focus on their own participation in terms of the “beginning”, “middle”, and “to this point” time periods of the session. Each group generates three lists (one list per flipchart paper). Step 6: The facilitator then instructs the groups to break in to new groups of four or six which have representatives from each of the corners, or as many as possible. For example, there may be only three people who go to the “meaning” corner and thus, there are not enough “meaning people” to join each group. Participants are asked to list as many facilitative and non-facilitative behaviors (non- verbals, verbals, etc.) of the facilitator as they can. These should be brainstormed on flipchart paper in two columns, one facilitative and the other non-facilitative. After five to eight minutes, the groups are instructed to broaden their perspectives beyond the facilitator to any aspect of the experience “to that point” of the session. Each group is then to create a model, list, or statement(s) of facilitator capabilities and facilitative dimensions that enhance experiential learning. Step 7: After bringing all participants into one large circle, each group presents its model, list, or statement(s). The facilitator then invites dialogue about facilitation and facilitators intended to promote understanding of both the skills and the process of this emerging requisite for the work place. Participants also draw conclusions about the relationship of participant reactions (refer to Step 6) and facilitator behaviors. Step 8: Finally, each participant will receive a copy of the “Dimensions of Learning” handout which describes conditions that promote adult learning. Examples are drawn from the “Four Corners” activity, group outputs, and total group discussions about how participation and facilitation, as they were experienced during the session, are congruent with these conditions. Table of Contents Volume 22, 1995 Simulation Performance, Learning and Struggle Are Good Simulation Performers Consistently Good? Cognitive and Behavioral Consistency in a Computer-Based Marketing-Simulation-Game Environment: An Empirical Investigation of the Decision-Making Process Chalk & Cheese: Executive Short-Course vs. Academic Simulations Revisiting Personality Bias in Total Enterprise Simulations Are Good Strategies Consistently Good? Investigating the Use of a Computer Simulation as an Effective Pedagogical Tool for the Application of a Strategic Model The Problem of determining an Individualized Simulation's Validity as an Assessment Tool A Simulation Based Analysis of the Value of Information in the Hrebiniak Joyce Typology of Adaptation Relative to Porter's Generic Strategies The Impact of Sales and Income Growth on Profitability and Market Measures in Actual and Simulated Industries A Comparison of a Stand Alone Version of a Simulation with the Traditional Competitive Version Computer-Assisted Gaming of International Business Analyzing Simulations with Computer-Based Programs and Applying the Experience to a Real-World Business A Preliminary Investigation of the Use of a Bankruptcy Indicator in a Simulation Environment Graduates' Views on the Use of Computer Simulation Games Versus Cases as Pedagogical Tools An Analytical Advertising Model Approach to the Determination of Market Demand Dealing with the Complexity Paradox in Business Simulation Games A Prototyping Approach for Incorporating Large Data Bases into Media Planning Simulations: An Example Using Magazine Media Through the Looking Glass, Inc: Superior-Subordinate Personality Type and the Leniency effect Evaluating the Effectiveness of Role Playing Simulation and Other Methods in Teaching Managerial Skills Student and Teacher Perceptions of a Management Simulation Course Performance Evaluation: The Effect on the Propensity to Create Budgetary Slack Management Team Formation for Large Scale Simulations Comparative Static Analysis with the Complete PPA Package: A Strategic Market Planning Tool Consistency in Intent: Learning Objectives at the 1994 Intercollegiate Business Policy Competition A New Twist on an Old Game: The Business Strategy Game: A Global Industry Simulation 3ed Evaluation of Performance in Management Simulation: A Management Coefficients Model Building SimuWorlds: Strategic Management Games of the Future Bulls and Bears: A Stock Market Simulation A Systems Thinking Paradigm and Think Computer Simulation Model of Broadcast and Cable Television Industry Competition Jacket Factory The Sales Management Simulation The Marketing Management Simulation A Demonstration of Promodel Demonstrating A New, Cross-Functional Business Simulation: Vision+ A Cost Chain For The Business Strategy Game Simulation Special Session On Experiential Teaching Compensation Dilemmas: An Exercise In Ethical Decision-Making Organizational Storytelling: Telling Tales In The Business Classroom Evaluating Experiential Training: Case Study And Recommendations The Internship Portfolio: An Innovative Tool For Experiential Learning, Critical Thinking, And Communication An Ethnographic Analysis Of The Pedagogical Impact Of Cooperative Communicating Consumer Behavior: A Long-Term Integrated Exercise Using Personal Consumption Journals And Consumer Analysis Papers An Experiential Paradigm For Teaching Business Problem Solving Developing Leadership Skills The Spss® Student Assistant: The Integration of A Statistical Analysis Program Into A Marketing Research Textbook Negotiating With Your Students Using TQM Principles To Transform Accounting Systems Into An Experiential Exercise Enhancing The Effectiveness Of Outdoor-Based Experiential Training Using Virtual Reality Concepts Case Writing In A Developing Country: An Indonesian Example Experiential Learning Using Focus Groups How Real Should Experiential Pedagogy Be? A Viewpoint From Our Students Reengineering The Internship: A New Approach To Experiential Learning Utilizing The Cosmopolitan/Local And Marginal Man Constructs To Measure Students' Propensity For Creativity Developing Experiential Processes For Teaching Quantitative Techniques For Business Team Learning Roles: A Cooperative Learning Technique Creating the Ultimate Small Business Student Experience: Melding Score/Ace with SBI The Development of Trust in Work Teams: The Impact of Touch Some Outcomes of Experiential Learning: How the Cultural Dynamics of Different Countries are reflected in Workplace Norms & Values Incorporation of Job Analysis Results in Various Forms of Selection Interviews Chudesno, Inc.: An Evaluation of an Experiential Training and Development Simulation An Exercise for Exploring the Relationship between Jungian Psychological Types and Organizational Dynamics Partnership: A Radical Approach to Experiential Learning Partnership: A Nice Idea, But How Do I Get Started? Recognizing Discrimination at Work Using Critical Incident Skills Questions to Help Students Become More Successful at Job Interviewing The Video Project Introduction to Psychological Type Theory Come On Down Understanding Facilitation for Development and Continuous Learning: A Micro-Workshop Leadership and Empowerment: An Experiential Exercise in Decision Making Experiential Exercises and Pedagogy Track Workshop: Selecting a Manager for Maquiladora, Inc. Experiential Training In Multi-Cultural Corporate Settings The Role of Facilitation as an Aid to Complete Learning An Experiential Exercise to Illustrate Difference in Information Processing Behaviors and Styles How to Deliver Accessible Survey Results Age Diversity in the Workplace- Family Feud Style Nafta Standoff: A Cross-Cultural negotiating Role-Play Three Strikes and You're Out!: A Downsizing Experiential Exercise