"transforming potential into success"

the facilitation process

Coaching4success uses an eight point process when facilitating sessions.

These are:

• Opening Discussion - providing opening comments that outlines the theme of the discussion and periodically contribute ‘topic raisers’ or ‘prompts’ that open further discussions within the framework of the forum’s general theme.

• Setting the norms - suggesting rules of procedure for the discussion. Some norms are modeled by the form and style of the facilitator’s opening comments. Others are explicitly formulated in comments that set the stage for the discussion.

• Setting the agenda - managing the forum over time, selecting an order and flow of themes and topics of discussion. The facilitator generally shares part or all of the agenda with participants at the outset.

• Recognition - referring explicitly to participants’ comments to assure them that their contribution is valued and welcome, or to correct misapprehensions about the context of the discussion.

• Prompting - addressing requests for comments to individuals or the group, includes asking questions.

• Meta-commenting - directing remarks at such things as the context, norms or agenda of the forum; or at solving problems such as lack of clarity, irrelevance, and information overload. Meta-comments play an important role in maintaining the conditions of successful communication.

• Weaving - finding threads of unity in the comments of participants and implicitly prompts them to continue along lines that advance the agenda.

• Summarising – pulling together the state of the discussion and bring it to a conclusion.

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