Comments for Penny Walker’s blog

Comment on Facilitation training – can it work one-to-one? by Penny Walker

Penny Walker — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:22:29 +0000

Hi Donald, thanks for your comments.
Good to hear from you, and I hope you find the IAF a good way to meet fellow facilitators.

Small organisations will sometimes have a group of people who want training in facilitation skills, but in my experience this is much less likely than in a larger organisation. The work I was describing here is mainly with people who are not in formal leadership positions, and who will be running meetings which they would like to make more participative.
But it seems as if there are many similarities in our work.

Comment on Facilitation training – can it work one-to-one? by Donald Jessep

Donald Jessep — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:33:34 +0000

Hi Penny
I’m new on the IAF scene and so feeling my way for people I want to associate with. New Zealand in a land of small businesses and these are who I predominantly work with. I work with the owners and so I adopt a blend of coaching, training and mentoring.
Facilitating observation, reflection and experimentation. Amongst that I get to teach.
I believe everyone has the ability to adopt a more facilitative leadership style.

Comment on Facilitation training – can it work one-to-one? by Penny Walker

Penny Walker — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:34:32 +0000

Thanks for dropping by, Sandor. I’m sure you have loads of experience of developing facilitators. How do you keep your own practice honed?

Comment on Facilitation training – can it work one-to-one? by Sandor Schuman

Sandor Schuman — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:52:25 +0000

I think the kind of apprenticeship and mentoring approach you describe is highly desirable and effective (and was probably the predominant form of facilitator training before it became sufficiently established to warrant a workshop/training program). Given the benefits of learning with peers, as you describe so well, a combination approach is outstanding.

Comment on When uncertainty leads to conflict by Position, Interest, Need – uncovering latent consensus using PIN — Penny Walker’s blog

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:03:28 +0000

[...] (choices, preferences) more clearly. Which of them are symptoms of anxiety caused by uncertainty about facts or about whether they can trust the others? Which of them relate to paradigms, values [...]

Comment on (Dis)engaging staff by Philippa Corr

Philippa Corr — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:15:52 +0000

Perhaps this staff member is generally resentful about her employer, or sees this as another example of being directed to make a particular choice (even though the scheme is voluntary). Perhaps she positions herself as the “voice” of the staff against management. I’d be interested to see the tone of the company communication about the scheme – is it preachy? patronising?, directional – anticipating a positive response? Some are reluctant to be “directed” – even when it might be in their interests to do so.

Comment on (Dis)engaging staff by Changing travel behaviour — Penny Walker’s blog

Changing travel behaviour — Penny Walker’s blog — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:58:32 +0000

[...] written some weeks ago, before the encounter with a disgruntled staff member which I blogged about here. (Neither of the organisations in the article is the one in that [...]

Comment on (Dis)engaging staff by George Ablett

George Ablett — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:51:28 +0000

Employ the 80/20 rule. IF 80% of staff are happy you have got it about right. in this case 1/3 of staff had signed up to the scheme (33%) therefore it suggests that the majority are not taking part. My first reaction would be to look at the statistics i.e. how may of the staff are actually using the canteen in the first place? This may effect the 33%. If it still remains below the 80% mark then survey annomimously to find what the issues are. Following that you can then decide the course of action. Changing the scheme without this data would be effort where effort may not be needed. you also need to know how long the scheme has been in place (it maybe a role out issue). You will also need to consider staff eating habits, but that can be ascertained through the survey.

Comment on (Dis)engaging staff by Gareth Kane

Gareth Kane — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:47:38 +0000

This is a fairly common reaction to being preached at.

Like you Penny I avoid it by never telling people what to do and why, but by asking them why they should ‘go green’ and then getting them to generate ideas on how to do it.

Comment on Holding nested tensions – doing and waiting by Penny Walker

Penny Walker — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:25:49 +0000

Thanks to Johnnie Moore for the link from his blog http://www.johnniemoore.com/blog/archives/002953.php, and the point about creative tension.