Group dynamics

The potential for challenging obstacles when facilitating are many and varied. They include personalities that may clash within the group, aggressive or unacceptable behaviour by one or several staff, and overly talkative staff who may even seek to gain control of the conversation.

It is important to gain general agreement on ground rules (fiction contract) before beginning the session. This helps establish decorum at the outset. If distractions occur, politely remind staff of the agreed upon ground rules. If antagonistic behaviour occurs, whether from a staff member trying to control the discussion or one who consistently argues with the facilitator, it is the facilitator’s challenge to bring the meeting back on track.

There are a number of strategies to engage challenging staff. These may include

• Do not react to ‘smart talk’ and comments.
• Remain confident and humorous.
• Gain rapport by sharing your experiences.
• Do not set participants up for failure.
• Don’t respond sarcastically to staff comments or suggestions.
• Remain patient.