9th Session: Consensus Building Is Not About 'Summarizing Simply'
Finnish Facilitation® Basic Course No. 1 Event Report
Hello, this is Aichan.
Over the weekend, we held the "Finnish Facilitation® Basic Course No. 1"
in a hybrid format.
This time, we had participants aiming for the certification exam in June,
as well as those participating in a single session,
including corporate education professionals, government officials, regional revitalization practitioners,
HR personnel, organizational development facilitators,
and managers from general companies,
and once again, we spent a deep and rich time in dialogue
with a truly diverse group of people.
Even though their positions and industries were different,
what they all had in common was this sentiment.
"I want to make meetings more active."
"I want to draw out opinions from everyone,
not just from the few loud voices."
"I want to build a team where members act proactively."
People with such challenges gathered together.
Consensus building is not about "summarizing things easily"
The theme we valued in this Basic Course No. 1 was,
"How can we create meetings where everyone discusses sufficiently
and reaches a consensus that allows us to move forward with conviction?"
is the question.
When people talk about consensus building,
・Reaching a conclusion quickly
・Summarizing things well
・Creating a state where no one opposes
It is often perceived in such ways.
But what is truly important is to understand the background and reasons of each individual.
Why do they hold that opinion?
Why can they not agree with that proposal?
What do you value?
Even if you organize only superficial opinions,
people will not truly be moved.
By touching upon the thoughts and values that lie beneath,
understanding each other,
'That is why we will proceed in this direction'
is something everyone can be convinced of.
That is where
true consensus building lies.
The 'structure' of Finnish-style Facilitation®
The strength of Finnish-style Facilitation® is that it is
It is easy for anyone to adopt,
and easy for participants to understand.
However, behind that simplicity,
there is a solid 'structure'.
What should be clarified?
How should questions be framed?
How should implementation plans be considered?
How should it be connected to action?
It is precisely because of this structure that
deep mutual understanding is born,
and convincing decision-making becomes possible.
And,
'a state where everyone is convinced
and can move forward'
can be created.
Facilitation is not
just a technique for running meetings.
It is the power to unlock the potential of people and organizations
through dialogue.
Voices of participants (a selection)
“The best part of this session was learning the 'structure'.
I am in a position where I conduct training and facilitation myself, but
I realized how much I had been doing it my own way.
There is a world of difference between running a session by intuition
and running it with an understanding of the structure.
It is completely different.
In particular,
the way of drawing out participants' opinions and
creating consensus with a sense of conviction
felt unique to me.”
“I thought the amount of conversation between participants
was completely different from conventional methods.
Instead of just a few people talking,
everyone participated naturally,
thought in their own words,
and deepened the dialogue.
I felt the atmosphere of the room itself
change in a positive way.”
“The part I always found difficult
was 'from convergence to consensus building'.
Even if many ideas are generated,
it is difficult to know how to move forward with conviction from there.
Finnish-style facilitation has a process leading up to consensus building
that is well-designed,
“This is why we are moving in this direction”
so it is easy to move into action
with everyone feeling convinced.
I felt that this sense of conviction
is very significant in the field.”
Every time I hear such feedback,
I am reminded that Finnish-style Facilitation® is not just a 'way of holding meetings',
but has the power to change leadership
and the very nature of an organization.
Information on the next session
Finnish Facilitation® Basics No. 2
Next time, we will cover
more difficult
'How to move dialogue forward in chaotic situations'
.
We will address this.
Examples of content
・Organizing chaotic dialogue
・Formulating implementation plans that respect autonomy
・Refining ideas
・Planning exercises
Single-session attendance is welcome,
and retaking the course for certification exams is also highly encouraged.
Please come and check your
'current' position.
When we meet next,
I look forward to hearing about the changes
you have created in your workplace.
Recommended for those who want to know more about Finnish Facilitation
Finnish Facilitation: Dialogue-based Leadership that Draws Out Autonomy
#FinnishFacilitation
#DialogueBasedLeadership
#ConsensusBuilding
#OrganizationalDevelopment
#PsychologicalSafety
#PositiveOrganizationalDevelopment
#Leadership
#Facilitation