Section 9 The Facilitator's Task - To Support People Speak Freely in the Group

Some of the key phrases facilitators need to be alert to are:

“I do not wish to be provocative but …”

This indicates that the person is in rivalry with someone who has spoken or some idea that has been put forward.

The use of the word “but” in this situation builds a wall to hide behind.

In the course of a meeting the facilitator would gently bring such phrases to people’s attention, assisting people to speak their views without being false or patronising to others by prefacing their remarks in this manner.

“Why are you doing that?”

The use of the word “why” can sow many seeds of confusion in a group meeting.

Many of the reasons why people do things in day-to-day life belong to long forgotten relationships and experiences.

There are many times when people cannot answer such a question. People, in this form of group work, can honestly say they do not know.

Other people can use the word “why” as a prelude to devastating others with their own views and so it is to secure a dominant position in a rivalry.

Another barrier is to order questions for convenience.

A basic ground rule in this work is that each question a person asks stands on its own, free for people to make their own varied connections with it, often totally unexpectedly.

For the facilitator to order the questions that people ask is to drive out aspects of personal meaning that may have been in their questions. Such acts are subjective. To do so the facilitator imposes, possibly, a false structure since they do not see the question as the questioner does.

To categorise is to encourage people to speak generally, rather than personally and concretely.

Categorising questions belongs to teaching. Ordering the questions drives out the personal narrative, which is at the base of this work with groups.

The facilitator cannot take over ownership and responsibility for people’s questions and themes.