A Heart for Facilitation

I'm sometimes asked what the key is to successful group facilitation. In the past, I've pointed to group process consultancy skills or creative techniques aimed at engaging with, building relationships within and drawing the best out of a group. In more recent times, I've come to believe the most fundamental thing is a finding deep intuitive empathy with the group - being tuned in as well as I can be to how people are feeling, how the world looks from their point of view, what seems to matter most to them etc. Working from a place of real empathy can build trust, open my eyes to issues and possibilities I would have missed at a more surface level and create opportunities for real and profound transformation. I'm learning too, however, how this kind of intutive empathy is challenging both in my own practise and to develop in others. There are so many distracting elements - desire to impress the group, need to get the group to a certain place within a certain time, to find techniques that are simple, effective and not so mentally, emotionally or spiritually demanding. The incarnational principle of working from a place of intuitive empathy can feel like hard work but I'm learning the richness of the benefits that can emerge is well worth the effort.

A Life Worthwhile

I spent the last two weeks providing facilitation and coaching at an international Christian NGO event for people from over 50 countries around the world. I met a gentle, humble man from Ethiopia who told me quietly over a meal how conditions are so bad where he is living and working that people often only have one shirt to wear. He has decided to only own two shirts for himself and, if he meets someone without one, he gives one of his away. I also met a bright young woman from Bosnia whose father was killed in the last war and whose best friend was shot dead in front of her by a sniper when she was just 14. She's committed herself to this type of work to help rebuild the lives of others who have also suffered and continue to suffer. Stories like this abounded: of brokenness, struggle, desperation, aspiration, love, care, faith and hope. I came away feeling deeply moved, challenged and humbled. My own life seems so shallow and self-centric by comparison. May God help me to learn from and follow their example and live a life worthwhile in the world.

Christian Talent

Many organisations today are concerned with how to attract, engage and retain talented people. This is because most recent research shows that people who are both talented and engaged typically contribute most to an organisation’s success. People who are talented in this sense are those with high potential who are not only knowledgeable and skilful but have the ability to learn quickly and apply what they bring to fresh, challenging and changing circumstances. People who are engaged in this sense tend to be prepared to go the extra mile, can’t imagine wanting to leave and instinctively encourage others to join in.

Similarly, the church has historically sought to nurture and sustain high levels of engagement – with God and the church in the context of wider community. These things are at the heart of what we might describe as Christian commitment. The church’s view of talent has been, however, similar in some ways and different in others. On the one hand, Christians believe that everyone has particular God-given gifts and talents that should be invested for kingdom purposes (e.g. Mt 25) and on the other, that everyone is valuable – i.e. not just those with ‘high potential’ in a utilitarian sense – and should be honoured as such (e.g. 1 Cor 12).

Churches and Christian organisations alike have struggled with some of the practical challenges this latter tension creates, especially when operating with strong mission mandates, trying to apply professional standards and having to compete with others for scarce resources. The tension is particularly acute when we depend on volunteers with a variety of motivations and a relative ease to leave. The question becomes how to get the job done well through people whilst, at the same time, valuing everyone’s contribution, keeping the right people involved in the right ways and helping release God-given potential.

A Curious Interest

I met with a friend and ex-colleague this week, someone whom I hadn't seen or heard from for almost 20 years. One thing that struck me in our conversation was her distinction between 'curiosity' and 'interest'. Curiosity is about intrigue, fascination, inquisitiveness. Interest is about relationship, empathy, a desire to understand. We joked about whether we had decided to meet after all this time out of curiosity (e.g. would we still look the same, what has happened in our lives etc.) or genuine interest (a desire to re-connect, to re-establish relationship). Maybe curiosity is something about fulfilling a need within oneself whereas interest is in some way concerned with mutuality or the needs of the other. As someone who feels naturally interested in people, I was challenged to think about the quality of interest I take in those around me - family, workplace, neighbourhood etc. - and how often my interest stays at the level of curiosity. That's quite a challenge.