Introducing process to staff
Prior to beginning the assessment process, Facilitated Solutions, the facilitator(s) and the larger process needs to be introduced to the staff involved. This meeting is generally twenty to thirty minutes long. Frequently groups will have this as the last agenda item on a regularly planned staff meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to let staff know what they can expect (thereby reducing some fear and anxiety) and to develop some initial connection/rapport between the staff and the facilitator(s).
Individual interviews
The facilitator will interview each party individually (or in small groups) in a meeting that normally lasts between 45 and 90 minutes. These conversations are confidential.
During the interview, the facilitator will ask about:
+ The context/background/history of working team
+ His/her perspective of the conflict, i.e. what it is about, who is involved, when did it begin, etc.The strengths of the team, what the person enjoys about his/her work, what is functioning well The challenges from her/his perspective
+ What a healthy, productive, functioning team/group would look like
+ What has been tried in the past to work through the situation
+ What needs to happen from his/her perspective to work toward the desired outcome
During the interview, the mediator will explain:
+ Confidentiality
+ The role of the facilitator/s
+ What they can expect from the report which will be produced at the end of Phase I
+ Timelines re: moving through the process
Assessment and Recommendations
Throughout the interview process, the facilitator is gathering information for the purpose of assessing the group/organization regarding both the nature of the conflict (i.e. naming the contentious issues or problems) and what needs to happen so that the group can move forward (i.e. making process suggestions that will lead to concrete change within the group).
Issues raised in the interview process will be articulated in the assessment when they are identified by more than one person.
When the problems facing a team are identified, the facilitator then makes process recommendations that address each of the problems/issues.
Typical process recommendations include:
+ Coaching – for management and/or individual staff
+ Interpersonal mediation – between 2 staff, between a staff person and a manager
+ Facilitated conversations – clarifying decision making structures, role clarification, facilitated feedback sessions
+ Group facilitation – critical incident debriefing, developing a conflict resolution protocol
+ Training – Building Respectful Workplaces, Interpersonal Conflict Resolution
Report
The mechanism for delivering the assessment and recommendation information is referred to as "the report"
The report is most often a formal written document which is used as both a means of dispensing information to the organization about the findings of Phase I and as a map for Phase II, the group intervention phase. The report is always shared in draft form with the leadership, the person(s) who has/have contracted for services.
Presentation of report to staff
The last part of Phase I and the first recommendation in Phase II is to share the content of the draft report with the people who were interviewed. This presentation is often shared at a regularly scheduled staff or team meeting as the last agenda item. The purpose of this presentation is to provide the team with an opportunity to hear and affirm the summary of the issues as identified by the facilitator and to outline the possible next steps.