Glenn Brome asked:


So, facilitative leadership: is leading by committee … not!

It is not about getting everyone together and asking, “what do you and you think?” Everything cannot be decided via committee! Especially if your work involves things like law enforcement or the military. The front lines are not the place to take a ’straw poll’. Even as I say this, and even in those aforementioned operations, there are times when a leader can, and should get people together to talk about how to improve the operation; by genuinely asking for input from all levels. That is what facilitative leadership is about.

For this process to work, the leader must be successful at creating an atmosphere where people not only feel comfortable contributing ideas and suggestions, but where the leader actually acts on that input.

Acting on input does not mean doing everything the group tells you to do. It does mean making it clear to the group that their input is valued by defining how that input will be used. Many times a leader will give the impression that if the team members give honest input, they will be given their ‘marching orders’. This is why the leader must clarify prior to asking for input how that input will be used. For instance, let the group know if you are:

1- Just asking for ideas and you (the leader) will make the final decision

2- Asking for ideas and you (the leader) will discuss options with the group again prior to making the final decision.

3- Requesting input so final decision will be made together as a team

4- Requiring input and the team will make the final decision after reviewing it with you.

5- Giving input to the team and the team will tell you what the final decision is.

These are just examples of how to explain your intentions when involving direct reports in the decision-making process. The added advantage of this clarity is that it is another critical step in building respect, trust and rapport.

This model is the strategic outgrowth of the changing role of leadership.

Back in the day, and hopefully this does not mean last week for you … the leader stood in the middle of everything and directed the team with one-way communication. Essentially that leader would say, “jump” and the followers would need to know how high.

As this leader progresses she/he allows for two-way communication, but the leader is still in the middle directing the activities of the group.

Continuing this progression, the leader steps out of the middle – and becomes a part of the team. This also allows for better communication – actually between team members. The leader is still responsible but does not ‘push’ her/his people, they tend to ‘pull’, to get people to follow them – not to push and micro-manage them.

As the leader progresses even further, they can actually step away from the day-to-day aspects of the area. This affords even more communication between the members of the team. Again, you cannot do this until you have helped the team members interact with each other on a ‘level playing field’. This is why you should be familiar with the elements in this book that can help you build those essential skills for your subordinates – so you can be free to work on the more strategic elements of your job, instead of the tactical.

The skill required for this process is critical because the typical leader’s area of span and control is not retracting, it’s expanding! So you will be required to ‘run’ multiple departments, and that cannot be done effectively if you are ’stuck’ in the middle of one trying to direct everything.

Now, keep in mind, when you step away do not disengage! Because you ‘cannot expect what you don’t inspect’. So, as you have allowed for the skills of your teams to be sufficient enough for you to ’step away’ – you must be accessible and continue to coach and hold everyone accountable.

Facilitative leaders also have courage. This starts when we are very young …

A six-year old and a four-year old are upstairs in their bedroom. “I think it’s about time we started cussing” the four-year old nods his head in approval. The six-year old continues. “when we go downstairs for breakfast I’m gonna say “hell”, and you say “ass”, “ok!” The four-year old agrees with enthusiasm. Their mother walks into the kitchen and asks the six-year old what he wants for breakfast. “Aw hell, mom, I guess I’ll have some cheerios.” Whack! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up, and runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mother in hot pursuit, slapping his rear every step. The mom locks him in his room and shouts, “you can just stay there till I let you out!” She then comes back downstairs, looks at the four-year old, and asks with a stern voice, “and what do you want for breakfast young man?” I don’t know,” he blubbers, “but you can bet your *** it won’t be cheerios.” -origin unknown

Courage is exemplified by that leader that has the ability to not fold under pressure. Take this situation; you have been coaching a direct report on leading an important project. ‘fast forward’: the project does not reach its target. Your boss calls you in an asks, “what the h_ _ _ happened?!” Most people in that situation would start to explain about how they have been coaching a member of their team, blah. Blah, blah … wrong answer! A facilitative leader would have the courage to say something like, “I am responsible, and I will make sure, that doesn’t happen again…” now that takes courage. You don’t ‘turn the person in’ to the boss. You are ultimately responsible for your group’s output, so act like it!

Now, you do have some conversations with that direct report about what happened. Clearly there were some miscues during the ‘coaching’ process that need to be revisited. Keep in mind, during these ‘discussions’ that it is and was a two-way street. It is the employee’s responsibility to accomplish the goals and it is your responsibility to be sure your people are on-track.

Another essential ability a facilitative leader possesses is their capacity to ‘take counsel’. They have the ability to listen to multiple points of view, including those who typically do not agree with them. This is a powerful trait because you tend to have more complete input, thus making better decisions. To do this, a leader must be able to capture the key kernels of information. They have to be able to maintain bridges between people and create an atmosphere where people share information with each other – largely because they have earned respect, even from people who usually do not see things the same way.

When one has mastered these skills they are recognized as a facilitative leader.

(c) 2006, Glenn Brome. Reprint rights granted to all publishers so long as the article and by-line are kept intact and all links are made live.



Kansieo.com

Sophia Peters asked:


Success in a face-to-face environment does not always transfer to the elements needed for success in an online course; however, teaching online can be as rewarding as teaching in person. By including a variety of interactive strategies and maintaining communication, instructors can create a learning environment that encourages students to learn and to explore. The following tips include the key elements for success in teaching and learning in an online course.

The first week of an online course is very important for both the instructor and the learners regardless of the subject area, program, or level. Clarity is required because the students many not know how to utilize all the online course functions and features, or may be nervous if they have never taken an online class before. Be sure to be very clear on class policies, such as when and how to submit assignments. Some strategies that help the students feel less isolated are including a welcome page or email before the class starts and then having the students introduce each other can help guide how the rest of the class will run as students make connections to their classmates.

Including a general area to discuss things unrelated to a class such as weather, travel, pets is suggested so as to maintain a social connectiion that is often missing in online courses. It is also very important to clearly outline the rules of netiquette. Let the students know how you want them to frame communications and the tone that is comfortable to all class members. Have a clear organizational structure. For example, the syllabus should be very clearly outlined with dates and deadlines.

When facilitating the class, keep learners actively engaged in thinking about the course content through a variety of strategies such as active participation. For example, you can post thought-provoking questions that do not have direct answers and lend themselves to prompting even more questions and debate.

Make use of online resources that students can easily access. For example they can virtually access electronic articles in the library or repository. With the power of hyperlinks, this is quite doable. However, be sure to check your links each time you teach the course and several times during the course as these may change depending on the hosting service.

Plan interactive assignments that require students to work in teams to problem-solve. For instance, provide them with case studies that they can discuss in chatrooms and discussion boards and have them take turn being responsible for different tasks such as recorder or moderator. Organization is important – make it intuitive where and how to locate course content. Don’t switch out things to often and let them have multiple ways of accessing the information.

Use student-centered techniques. You can empower students by having them be responsible for summarizing the week’s discussion, being in charge of a discussion, or writing weekly reflections. This approach will empower them and save you time. Create activities where the students can integrate new ideas with existing knowledge, and provide them a frame of reference within the online environment.

Do not let the technology drive the instruction! Try to strike a balance between technology and content. Remember that good courses use the best aspects of multimedia but that do not leave the technology to do the teaching. You want the students to learn and use the technology but not at the expense of the course content.

Most important, be there for them! Remember they could be miles away and feeling isolated. Respond to requests as soon as possible and provide detailed feedback. Patience, availability, and accessibility will keep you connected to the students.



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