Training Guide for the Head Start Learning Community--Community Partnerships: Elements of Success--Module 2 Handout 4

Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community:
Community Partnerships:
Working Together

Module 2

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Elements of Success
Handout 4: Choosing a Skilled Facilitator
Overview
A skilled meeting facilitator is key to effective meetings and ultimately to the collaborative's success. Sometimes, the initiator of the collaborative takes on the job of facilitator, sometimes the job is shared by partners, and sometimes partners bring in an outside source to do the job. When deciding who will take on the job for your collaborative, look for a person, or persons, who can:

Maintain a neutral or impartial position on decisions or actions;

Identify and assess resources that may be of value to partners (e.g., information, organizations, consultants, funding sources);

Accept and delegate responsibilities or tasks;

Help partners problem-solve, resolve conflicts or differences, compromise, and reach consensus;

Communicate verbally and in writing the collaborative's mission, goals, strategies, and action plans;

Organize, arrange, and structure meetings so everyone feels prepared, respected, part of the process, and involved;

Relate easily to different audiences (e.g., community leaders, elected officials, service providers, volunteers, and consumers);

Keep partners focused on their shared vision, mission statement, and what needs to be done;

Bring out and utilize the strengths of individual partners;

Summarize and pull together different ideas or issues raised during a meeting;

Give a personal reading on behaviors displayed in the group (e.g., "I'm starting to feel frustrated about not knowing where a lot of you stand on this issue."); and

Focus attention on the agenda item at hand (e.g., "We seem to be getting side-tracked. Are you ready to get back to this item on our agenda, or do you want to talk about it again at our next meeting?").

Handouts

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		Maintain a neutral or impartial position on decisions or actions;
		Identify and assess resources that may be of value to partners (e.g., information, organizations, consultants, funding sources);
		Accept and delegate responsibilities or tasks;
		Help partners problem-solve, resolve conflicts or differences, compromise, and reach consensus;
		Communicate verbally and in writing the collaborative's mission, goals, strategies, and action plans;
		Organize, arrange, and structure meetings so everyone feels prepared, respected, part of the process, and involved;
		Relate easily to different audiences (e.g., community leaders, elected officials, service providers, volunteers, and consumers);
		Keep partners focused on their shared vision, mission statement, and what needs to be done;
		Bring out and utilize the strengths of individual partners;
		Summarize and pull together different ideas or issues raised during a meeting;
		Give a personal reading on behaviors displayed in the group (e.g., "I'm starting to feel frustrated about not knowing where a lot of you stand on this issue."); and
		Focus attention on the agenda item at hand (e.g., "We seem to be getting side-tracked. Are you ready to get back to this item on our agenda, or do you want to talk about it again at our next meeting?").