Learning more about the invisible assumptions, experiences and behaviours of groups is an essential leadership skill, says Bella Mehta, founding director of Association of Facilitators. As a trained scientist leading my first project in the world of consultancy, it soon dawned on me (with a degree of fear) that 'group dynamics' were going to influence our achievement much more than the quality of our research data or the qualifications we all held...

Bella Mehta examines the difference facilitation can make to people’s relationships with their organisations. Employee engagement is not just about ‘comms’ or ‘hearts and minds’. Engagement happens, or fails to happen, at many levels of organisational life, but often the day-to-day team experience is undervalued. Most employees experience working life through being part of a team. For a group of individuals to become a high-performing team, they need healthy habits, good communication and positive group dynamics. Most groups need to learn how to create a high-performing environment, but few are taught. This is a training gap that leaves a huge untapped source of potential within our organisations.

Earlier this year, we were delighted to welcome Nick Mabey to lead a Learning Day for us exploring Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. The session was a rich, energising day of play, reflection and deep learning, and we received such positive feedback that we’ve invited Nick to run it again next year. In this article, Nick shares some of the thinking and experience behind his approach, exploring how theatre can help us imagine and rehearse change in our work as facilitators.

How awareness of group dynamics can substantially add to coaching: There is much similarity between the practice of 1-1 coaching and group facilitation. Active listening, rapport, and effective questioning each build to a common skill set. Couple this with a commitment to learning and

Good facilitation releases the potential of a group to cooperate actively and intensively. When teams flourish, it feels powerful. There is action, there is accountability and there are results. Beyond the bottom line, work is rewarding, there is an atmosphere of confidence and competence, and the culture is one of of achievement and performance. In this article, I hope to offer you a sense of how facilitation skills can help teams achieve high levels of performance, and really importantly, when they are there, how to keep themselves there; being aware of their group dynamics, and able to navigate themselves through conflict and change.

“It’s not about how you feel. It’s about how you feel about how you feel.” This paraphrase from the work of Dr Will Schutz, originator of FIRO® (Fundamental Interpersonal Relationships Orientation) theory, really resonated with me during my second experience of the Group Dynamics course. Though I’m sure it had a similar impact when I first did the course in 2022, this time it felt more understood – grounded by my experience as a practicing facilitator. So, it feels fitting to begin here, because the course itself is centred on personal experiences in groups, and for me, it really was, and is, all about how I feel about how I feel. Before I share my reflections, let me explain why I’m writing this. When I considered the possibility of attending Group Dynamics for the second time, I was invited to write something sharing my thoughts, and so here we are.

Co-enquirers and co-authors: Bella Mehta, Brian Watts, Colin Heyman, Ellie Highwood, Louise Veenhuis, Inger Bowcock, Victoria Shaw, Elizabeth Matsui, Simon Roe, Becky Venton, Ian Hiscock, Debbie Jackson-Cole Introduction In May 2020, during the coronavirus outbreak, and with various degrees of lockdown in operation across the world, the Association of Facilitators (AoF) hosted a 90-minute cooperative enquiry session, using web-based video conferencing tool Zoom, into our experiences of facilitating meetings using video technology. AoF is a member organisation dedicated to the training,

The Constellations approach allows individuals to explore the quality of connections, and enhances our skills for effective relationships within groups, organisations and wider systems. It is a gentle and connected way of working and even short sessions can bring fresh perspective and insight in surprising and practical ways. Read this for background and/or as an introductory paper before attending our Constellations Learning Day.

Foundation Course in Facilitation Skills - A Remarkable Journey of Self Discovery: I signed up to the AoF’s Foundation Course in Facilitation Skills with a degree of anticipation but also trepidation. Would everyone have more experience than me? Was I a good facilitator or not? Over the five day course my eyes were truly opened to