Presentations and Facilitating task (deliberative) processes

Fosters Depth

• Helps participants to do their best thinking
• Encourages deep reflection on benefits and trade-offs; gets beyond surface observations
• Asks open-ended, focused questions that are relevant to topic

Fosters Deliberativeness

• Resists the tendency to focus initially on what is practical, and instead helps participants to consider what they find valuable
• Highlights tensions, ambiguity, or “gray areas” unearthed during discussion
• Prevents the conversation from becoming a debate

Maintains Neutrality and Credibility

• Functions as a facilitator rather than a lecturer or contributor
• Remains open to alternate solutions, approaches, benefits, and trade-offs that your group might not have considered
• Cites at least two sources aloud effectively

 

Facilitating social processes

Fosters Clarity

• Draws out key ideas by consistently paraphrasing (p. 344), summarizing ( p. 363), and tracking key themes (p. 349)
• Encourages sustained deliberation of a line-of-thought, via follow-up questions

Manages Logistics

• Manages time so that all elements are given fair consideration (stacking, balancing, linking, summarizing, etc.  See pp. 344-363)
• Handles facilitation challenges effectively (disruptions, misinformation, monopolizing participant, slow start to conversation, etc.  See pp. 364-374)

 

Note Taking

• Captures main ideas offered by participants
• Paraphrases and summarizes, rather than recording verbatim
• Asks for clarification from participants as needed
• Prints neatly and organizes ideas effectively