Chapter 1 Facilitation Framework

A Framework facilitates the understanding of complexity through context and its constructs.

~ Arjit Mahal, Author, Educator and Facilitator

Understanding the Value of Facilitation

To facilitate is to “to make easier.” So it follows that facilitation is the process of “making something easier.” Teachers facilitate knowledge; physicians facilitate healing; politicians facilitate legislation; the United Nations facilitates programs for countries (in the broader context of the definition). The scope of this book is facilitation in organizations, including for profit or not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, and governmental entities, regardless of the profession or industry.

The audience for this book, therefore, is every knowledge worker, professional, manager, and executive engaged in four broad areas of any organization: improving performance, optimizing execution of operations, enhancing human capital, and people collaboration. To understand the context of these concepts, it is imperative that the reader is familiar with the basic structure of an organization. The outline below describes a generic and common structure of an organization.

What is an Organization?

In the broadest context, organizations are people, processes, technologies, and infrastructure assembled to accomplish a mission through an agreed vision and its supporting strategies. Most organizations have a similar structure regardless of their purposes, product offerings, and services. See the conceptual view of a generic organization structure depicted in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1 – Organizational Structure

Organizations generally consist of two broad areas: Planning and Operations. Planning constitutes the Mission, Vision, Strategies, Programs, and Projects. The mission defines the purpose for why the organization exists. Based on their mission, organizations define the values and principles by which all employees are expected to conduct themselves in all aspects of organizational work, including their brands, goods and services, and all stakeholder interactions. The manifestation of these values and principles is known as the Culture of the organization.

Organizations and their organizational units (including business units, divisions, departments, and so on) create a vision for their future state of being. This vision includes goals and objectives to be achieved along with measures by which the accomplishment of the vision is tracked and adjusted for changing conditions.

To realize the vision, strategies are created. These strategies define the ways and means by which the goals and objectives of the vision will be achieved. The strategy is always aligned with the vision and may also be adjusted from time to time due to changing business environments.

To make the strategy actionable, programs and projects are created and then headed by program managers and project managers, respectively. These constitute a professional practice that identifies ways of achieving the desired strategic results and allocates needed resources such as money, people, technology, and equipment. Programs are first created and then within each program, projects are defined for unique actions and their deliverables. Programs are always aligned with strategies and are adjusted as changing needs require. Programs directly impact and influence the operations of the organization.

Within operations are the functional areas and processes directly involved in fulfilling the mission of the organization, namely, producing goods and services. Functions such as manufacturing, sales, finance, human resources, and others, are a legacy of the Industrial Age whereby employees are organized in the area of their skills and the cost of their labor. Work performed in all organizations is done through processes (or business processes).

A process is defined as “how work gets done” and end-to-end processes deliver goods and service to all stakeholders including internal and external customers. Examples of business processes are: Order-to-Cash Process, Procure-to-Pay Process, the Process to Acquire Capable Talent, and the Process to Provide Services, to name just a few.

For organizations that struggle with the established concept of function-centric to process-centric operations, a hybrid approach can be applied. Operations may be viewed as a giant process where the inputs come from suppliers and are transformed through functional skills and process manipulation into outputs for customers. The inputs may be materials, resources and data that are transformed into goods and services and information. (Data becomes information.)

Functions and processes are enabled by three types of resources: people—how employees perform their work, technology—how work is enabled, and infrastructure—how employees and technology are supported. Management of organizations is delegated to professionals ranging from general leadership to line managers to professionals in specific disciplines required to deliver goods and services. I have just summarized an organization with a generic structure that is also conceptually similar to all types of enterprises.

How to Use this Knowledge

All employees and particularly those in the roles of internal or external consultants, facilitators and trainers, must have the basic knowledge of the organizational structure in which they are working or doing business with in order to make well informed decisions for the success of their roles, their organizations, and for their own development and career advancement. Knowledge is power; leverage it!

Mahal Facilitation Framework

The art and craft of enabling individuals and groups to discuss issues and opportunities around a shared objective and develop agreed strategies for a common direction is generally referred to as Facilitation. Facilitation also allows people to learn through transfer of knowledge—learning and training in specific skills by subject matter experts. The person or persons skilled in facilitation are called Facilitators. The approach for creating agendas, conducting research, and facilitating sessions to deliver planned outputs is referred to as the Facilitation Process.

As we have seen earlier, every organization has two major aspects: Planning and Operations. Driven by the mission and vision, planning shapes the strategies to achieve agreed upon goals and objectives, and the resulting programs and processes are executed to run the operations. Both planning and operations must be optimized to ensure that organizations deliver performance, optimize the execution of programs and processes, increase the competency of employees to enhance human capital, and enable the work force to be more effective through cooperation and collaborative intentions.

At the center of this organizational view lies the art and craft of facilitation. Facilitation is necessary to assure that there is learning transfer among the members of the group being trained. When used effectively, facilitation is a critical activity and competency that enables the success of an organization.

Opportunities to understand and manage the deployment of facilitation competency in organizations can be divided into four groups. Each of these groups contributes to the success of the organizational objectives as shown in Figure 1.2.

Figure 1.2 – Mahal Facilitation Framework

Facilitation Groupings	Objective
Strategies and Solutions	Improve Performance
Programs and Processes	Optimize Execution
Learning and Development	Enhance Human Capital
Cooperation and Collaboration	Enhance Effectiveness

These four facilitation groupings are interrelated and codependent on one another. While individually they contribute to the organization in their unique way, collectively they enhance organizational performance. We will examine each of these four groups to understand the scope of the facilitation opportunities and who might facilitate these groupings.

For thousands of problems of various types in various professions, there are an equal number of methods, techniques and tools that can be used. (See the definition of Frameworks, Methods, Techniques and Tools in this chapter in Figure 1.3.) To define every possible method, technique or tool would be a volume by itself that is outside the scope of this book. This book teaches the underlying process of facilitation and use of some of the commonly used methods, techniques and tools.

While some of the methods are unique to specific vocations and professional practices and require subject matter experts for facilitation, others can be learned and applied by a competent facilitator with a relatively shorter learning curve in most cases. In many instances the terms framework, method, technique, and tool are used interchangeably and are also referred to as simply “tools” for the sake of convenience. Facilitators, however, must be aware of the proper structure of these “tools.”

Definitions: Framework, Method, Technique and Tool

“Tools” have a hierarchy, as shown in Figure 1.3. Conceptually you may think of this as a “parent-child” relationship where one concept contains one or more of the subordinate parts.

Figure 1.3 – Framework Structure

Framework: In the context of a generic organization, a framework is a strategic frame-of-reference that provides a structure of a specific concept, entity or subject matter, including organized ideas, assumptions, theories, practices, and an approach to viewing reality. A framework constitutes one or more relevant methodologies. For example, in an organization, a Change Management Framework may include methodologies such as program management, organization design, technology development, and human change approach.

Methodology: A methodology is an overall plan for a profession or vocation that shapes a strategic intent and provides solutions for a particular area of consideration. A methodology may use one or more techniques and/or tools. Examples:

• A Business Process Improvement Methodology is used for the improvement of organizational performance.
• In dentistry, Maxillofacial Surgery Methodology relates to maxilla and the face.
• A Systems Development Life Cycle Methodology is used for developing information technology applications.

Technique: A technique is an approach or physical movement used to accomplish a desired objective. A technique may be a part of an overall methodology and may use one or more tools. For example: the use of breathing exercises to demonstrate stress management, team-building exercises for optimizing collaboration, or a technique for implanting an artificial tooth to replace a missing tooth.

Tool: A tool is an instrument, apparatus, or template used in a practice, vocation, or profession to achieve desired results. In some professional practices, these may be known as “templates.” A tool may be used by one or more techniques. For example, an instrument used by a dentist to extract a tooth or cement an implant, a beaker used in a chemical laboratory, or a template used for project planning.

1st Facilitation Grouping: Strategies and Solutions

The concept of strategy originated from military strategy, which is a collective name for planning the conduct of warfare. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy was seen as the “art of the general.” Military strategy and tactics are essential to conducting warfare. Broadly stated, military strategy is the planning, coordination, and direction of military operations to meet overall political and military objectives. Tactics implement strategy by the use of short-term decisions on the movement of troops and employment of weapons on the field of battle. The great military theorist Carl von Clausewitz put it another way: “Tactics is the art of using troops in battle; strategy is the art of using battles to win the war.”

Organizations use strategies to fulfill their missions and value propositions. The mission statement clarifies the purpose of the organization, the vision statement describe the organizations future state aspirations. Goals lay out the targets to be achieved. Strategies articulate the overall approach. Tactics outline the ways and solutions to achieve the strategies. Action plans are the road maps of implementation.

All organizations, regardless of the industry, are engaged in acquiring, developing, creating, delivering, and servicing their value propositions. These value propositions can be goods and services, legislation, and wellbeing in all aspects of life. To accomplish this, organizations and their employees continually identify opportunities, conduct feasibility studies, perform tests, solve problems, and roll out improved solutions.

Strategies are created to provide an overall context and deliver the desired results. Strategies are schemes or action plans for achieving the outcomes by deploying necessary resources. In an organizational context, strategies provide direction for programs and processes. The employees working on these strategies and solutions may need facilitators to arrive at collective and comprehensive solutions that can be strategic, tactical, operational, ad hoc, or even temporary in some cases.

The pyramid in Figure 1.4 shows a general concept of how organizational objects are related in a hierarchy in order to produce the value proposition. The Mission is at the top of the pyramid which drives all other aspects of the governance and operations of the organization.

Figure 1.4 – Hierarchy of Organizational Objects

In an organizational context, strategic thinking is the process of constructing and communicating a cohesive, actionable vision of the future based on an integrated, holistic understanding of the external and internal environment, currently and into the foreseeable future. The goal is to honestly assess the organization’s options, readiness, core competencies, and value proposition in light of dynamic external pressures to position the organization for sustainability and growth while keeping true to its mission and values. (Source: Anne Pauker Kreitzberg, Co-Founder and Principal, Cognetics Interactive and the Center for Agile Thinking.)

Examples include:

• A manufacturer of coffee machines is solving the problem of water leakage in the machine when consumers dispense a single-serve cup of coffee. Technical experts from several countries meet to discuss root causes and determine solutions. A facilitator is hired to optimize the process of trouble shooting and recommending the solution.
• A hospital system has a high rate of patients catching infections in their out-patient surgery area. The hospital management conducts a facilitated session with physicians, nurses, and other medical staff to brainstorm and determine potential causes and their solutions.
• A county college has decreased enrollment of students from the surrounding community. High school students feel intimated by the uncoordinated enrollment process since the facility’s administrative staff is located on two separate sites. The college cabinet conducts focus group sessions with the faculty and administration staff to determine the root cause of the problem and find solutions. A facilitator is engaged to conduct the focus groups and synthesize the findings for management to take corrective action.

Who Facilitates Strategies and Solutions?

Depending on the complexity of the problems to be solved or strategies to be conceived, any one of the following may facilitate—assuming they have knowledge, skills and ability for effective facilitation using relevant methods, techniques and tools.

Internal to the organization:

• Executives, senior managers, line managers or other knowledge workers related to the subject matter
• Subject matter experts (SMEs) and other professionals from practices such as organization development, performance management, change management, program management, process management, and Business and Technology Analysts
• Trained facilitators from other areas such as human resource, organization development, and relevant centers of excellence.

External to the organization:

• Professional consultants and facilitators in a specific profession
• General professional consultants and facilitators.

2nd Facilitation Grouping: Programs and Processes

Programs

Strategies and solutions provide a direction for operations teams to execute strategies and implement solutions. This direction may be in the form of initiatives that provide the vision and goals to be achieved. The initiatives are organized as Programs and Projects to bring about change. The change includes developing and delivering new products and services through the optimal execution of business processes. The end objective of any change is to improve organizational performance.

Programs may be defined as a structured approach to planning and controlling the execution of strategies to ensure that the defined benefits are realized and the planned outcomes are achieved. A program is headed by a program manager. Each program constitutes one or more projects. See Figure 1.5.

Projects may be defined as a set of unique activities initiated to deliver a specific output or a deliverable of value to one or more stakeholders. A project is headed by a project manager.

Programs are more strategic in nature, while projects may be tactical with a defined beginning and an end.

Figure 1.5 – Programs and Projects

One definition of programs and projects is (Source: Ernest Baker, Start to Finish PM, Inc.):

• Program: A group of related projects, subprograms, and program activities managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available by managing them individually.
• Project: A temporary endeavor undertaken to produce a unique product, service, or result.
• Project Management: The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to meet the project’s requirements (Source: PMBOK® Guide, 5th Edition Glossary).

In other words, projects produce outcomes (deliverables) or work products. Programs produce benefits and control that would not be available at the project level. Things like reallocating resources or funds from one project in the program to another, more critical or higher priority project in the same program. The program manager has that “big picture” view of all the projects in his/her program, whereas the project manager is focused down and inside their particular project.

The employees working on programs and projects need facilitators who can assist in various aspects of planning, execution and monitoring to ensure success. For example:

1. Program: A food manufacturing organization plans to launch a function-food snack which contains vitamins and other nutrients for health conscious consumers. This organization would have a strategy for launching function-food products. One of the first programs might be the development and launch of snacks for teenagers. This program would be headed by a program manager.
2. Projects: In our example, the program of function-food snacks may contain projects:

1. Conduct ideation, develop the snack, and test snack’s feasibility
2. Design and implement the production line and technology to make the snack
3. Test the snack in the east coast market and assess results.

The strategy would have identified some ROI (Return on Investment) which must be realized through the program and its projects. The program and project managers create plans, deploy and manage resources, mitigate risk, and ensure that the desired deliverables are produced within the budget and timeframe promised.

A concept known as Triple Constraint is commonly used by project managers to ensure all critical aspects of a project are executed for success. The scope, quality, time, and resources must be balanced among each other for effective delivery of the desired result. Resources include people, money and equipment. If the scope increases then more time or resources or both are needed. If the time is shrunk the scope/quality has to be decreased or resources have to be expanded. And if resources are limited then the scope and time must be adjusted accordingly.

Figure 1.6 – Triple Constraint

Who Facilitates Programs and Projects?

Typically program managers and project managers are expected to act as facilitators for various aspects of the life cycle of programs/projects with the basic management of the Triple Constraint (maintaining the balance among the scope, time and resources). Facilitation needs can include: program development/project charter, program/project kickoff, stakeholder and communication management, risk assessment and mitigation, status reporting, and decision making.

Internal to the organization:

• Program and project managers
• Subject matter experts (SMEs) from the professional practices being utilized
• Trained facilitators from other areas such as human resources, organization development, and relevant centers of excellence.

External to the organization:

• Professional consultants and facilitators in program/project management
• General professional consultants and facilitators.

Processes

Programs and projects bring about changes in an organization’s products and services and how they work—the processes. A process or a business process is defined as “how work gets done”—a series of steps undertaken to produce a specific output or outcome to meet stakeholder needs.

While programs and projects have a defined beginning and end, processes are perpetual in nature. They are always there even if not properly defined and documented. Processes are managed collectively by process owners, process managers, and process performers. Process owners are typically senior managers who are accountable for ensuring that the processes perform as desired and are continually improved. Under the direction of the process owners, the process managers are responsible for the day-to-day execution of the processes, and the process performers are employees who are assigned to work in the relevant process areas.

In the context of the Mahal Facilitation Framework, processes include technology (including Information Technology), mechanisms, and infrastructure. The reason for this is simple: Processes are enabled by technology and infrastructure and therefore may be considered an integral part of their existence. One working definition of a business process is:

An organization’s business processes clearly describe the work performed by all resources involved in creating outcomes of value for its customers and other stakeholders. (Source: Business Process Manifesto, by Roger Burlton. www.bptrends.com).

Processes may be classified in several ways. One view may include business processes and operational processes. Business processes are how an organization works at the planning level and operational processes are at the work level.

Another more prevalent view of managing processes is through what is called a “Process Architecture” or, simply, a Process Blueprint that defines how work gets done in an organization at the macro or enterprise level (see Figure 1.7).

Figure 1.7 – Business Process Architecture (Blueprint)

In this case, processes are classified in the following three areas:

1. Management Processes, which are most often executed by senior management. Example: Planning and monitoring the business.
2. Core Processes, which are the operational processes directly responsible for creating and delivering products and services to stakeholders. Example: Converting Raw Material into finished goods.
3. Support Processes, which enable the execution of the Core processes. Example: Providing human resources and information technology services.

Who Facilitates Processes?

Processes or business processes are impacted by business and organizational changes. Typically process owners and process managers act as program/project managers for specific process areas. They collaborate with other managers of professional practices impacted by process change. When a process changes, it may influences changes to organization, technology and infrastructure. Therefore, subject matter experts or managers of these professional practices are engaged by the process owners/managers to facilitate change.

Internal to the organization:

• Process owners, process managers, and process performers
• Subject matter experts (SMEs) from relevant professional practices being utilized
• Trained facilitators from process centers of excellence, who are familiar with process change methodology.

External to the organization:

• Professional consultants and facilitators in Business Process Management
• Professional consultants and facilitators in organizational change, technology implementation, and Infrastructure development.

3rd Facilitation Grouping: Learning and Development

When programs/projects are initiated to improve an organization’s products, services, or a specific value proposition—as directed by the strategies and the processes—both business and operations would be involved either for leveraging them or changing them. The employees and managers assigned to these initiatives are likely to be educated and trained to bring about the changes and also to learn the new ways of working. This triggers the need to up-skill people in competencies that include functional/technical skills or effectiveness/behavioral skills in relevant industries and professional practices.

In addition to the project-driven need, employees are generally developed for their career paths on an ongoing basis to enhance the Human Capital of the organization. The objective of Learning and Development facilitation is to transfer knowledge and skills in a way that the employees become competent and are effective in their roles, which include cooperation and collaboration with others. Learning and development constitutes several frameworks, methods, techniques, and tools. Two proven and complementary frameworks that define how competency is achieved by an individual—are described in this chapter:

• Competency Framework (Inspired by Peter Honey’s A way to enhance learning from experience). See Figure 1.8.
• 70/20/10 Learning Framework (inspired by the Center of Creative Leadership).

Figure 1.8 – Competency Framework

Competency Framework

Knowledge	Learning happens when people can demonstrate that they know something they didn’t know before. This includes facts as well as insights or realizations.
Skills	Skills have been learned when people demonstrate that they can do something they couldn’t do before, or can do something better than they could previously.
Experience	With experience, people have the attitude of applying knowledge learned, skills gained, and motivating themselves to seek more opportunities. This is also known as experiential learning. An experience is anything that happens to you, good or bad, planned or unplanned, expected or unexpected, dramatic or mundane, including lessons from ups and downs of life.

70/20/10 Learning Framework

Research at the Center of Creative Leadership has shown that four kinds of experience contribute to an individual’s development: 70 percent comes from on-the-job experience; 20 percent from others (managers, professionals, coaches, peers, mentors, and feedback); 10 percent from formal training, reading, and seminars. Learning from bad bounces of life—is pervasive throughout the learning process.

An individual’s one-to-one learning contributes to group learning, which in turn contributes to the organization’s learning—a pyramid concept, if you will. When learning programs are planned and executed, organizations become what is known as “learning organizations.” Thus, enhancing their Human Capital results in improving the performance of the organization overall. Alan Mumford, in his book Effective Learning, defines the learning organization as: Creating an environment where the behaviors and practices involved in continuous development are actively encouraged. See Figure 1.9.

Figure 1.9 – A Learning Organization

Who Facilitates Learning and Development?

Basically, two entities are responsible for this learning and development: the individuals who are responsible for developing their own competencies and the organization that provides opportunities and resources for the employees—both for the benefit of the organization and for the employees’ own career aspirations. I believe that for an individual, “self-development is self-accountability.”

There are numerous frameworks and methods used to facilitate learning and development. For example: coaching, mentoring, performance development processes, experiential learning, action learning, blended learning, brain-based or brain-compatible learning, flipped class room learning, eLearning, and more. A facilitator must become familiar with these and other emerging trends.

Internal to the organization:

• Executives, managers and mentors (their roles include providing coaching to employees)
• Subject matter experts (SMEs) from relevant professional practices
• Trained facilitators from learning and development centers of excellence
• Human resources groups and management. They establish the strategy and allocate resources, thereby facilitating an overall learning organization.

External to the organization:

• Professional consultants, facilitators and trainers in relevant subject matters
• Professional and trade organizations that provide seminars and industry expertise
• Mentors (from outside of an organization).

4th Facilitation Grouping: Cooperation and Collaboration

In organizations, strategies and solutions are created to provide direction for their initiatives. The initiatives are organized into programs and projects that use relevant processes to bring about changes and improvements. Programs, projects and processes that are impacted need skilled staff in professional practices to implement these changes and improvements effectively. Employees need to be trained and developed to ensure they gain the necessary skills and competencies to be able to perform as effective teams. Good team cooperation and collaboration results in the productive engagement of workers in relevant strategies and solutions; thus enhancing their effectiveness to deliver desired organizational performance. In this manner, the cycle of the four facilitation groupings is connected and complete.

Webster’s’ Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines cooperation and collaboration as:

• Cooperation: The action of cooperating—common effort; association of persons for common benefit.
• Collaborate: To work jointly with others or together; to cooperate with or willingly assist in common entities, etc.

Cooperation and collaboration are almost two sides of the same coin. These complementary concepts have existed from the beginning of human history—when all peoples were hunter-gatherers. They must have realized that for survival and security they would be better off cooperating to obtain sustenance and collaborating with others to face common enemies.

As societies evolved, these hunter-gatherers became farmers and engaged in food production, thereby having the need to store, protect and share food. For these activities more sophisticated organization or cooperation and collaboration was needed, which transformed tribes into chiefdoms and later into states. Various elders within the societies then played the role of “facilitating” the management of people, resources and strategies.

Human transformation carried on into the Industrial Age and beyond where cooperation and collaboration began to be recognized as a formal discipline—giving rise to concepts such a formal work groups, project teams, and so on. In recent times, this discipline has become part of organization development and design, including human change professional practice. All through history, cooperation and collaboration has been shown to improve the performance of individuals, organizations, and communities.

In this grouping, our focus is on facilitating people to promote their cooperation and collaboration for enhancing organizational performance. Typically, all organizations continuously seek to improve their ways of working, developing strategic and tactical solutions, innovating for viability and competitiveness, and solving problems to meet shifting challenges and competing priorities.

To achieve this, employees must be shown optimal methods of cooperation and collaboration that result in creating collective team contributions to effectiveness and performance. When individuals are committed to this belief, they realize their intrinsic worth, which means both the team members and their organizations benefit—a win-win for all. In India there is proverb: One and one is not two, it is 11.

High Performance Collaboration Framework (HPC)

The optimal cooperation and collaboration concept is defined as High Performance Collaboration in pioneering work done by Carlos Valdes-Dapena, a Consultant at Mars University, Mars, Incorporated. In his words: “Most people think of their teams as a collection of individuals who work for the same person, or work on related things or both. Most team members working in this kind of a mindset see their greatest value as doing their job well: If I do my job well, and you do your job well, and they do their jobs well, it all adds up to a successful team. Maybe. But, what it won’t add up to is high performance collaboration or a high performing team!”

Figure 1.10 – High Performance Collaboration Framework (HPC)

High performing teams are dedicated to figuring out how they can unlock new value for the business through the ways in which they work together. What’s more, truly high performing teams create value at three levels: for the business, for the team, and for individual team members. What are the keys to high performance collaboration?

1. High performing teams know why their teamwork, their collaboration, is essential to creating value and accelerating business results.
2. High performing teams know what is most important. They establish crystal clear priorities within their strategy.
3. High performing team members identify and commit to areas of mutual accountability and support. They expect to be held just as accountable by their leader for effective collaboration as for their individual performance.
4. High performing teams establish and follow ways of working in key areas like decision making and conflict management.
5. Teams who practice high performance collaboration continuously adapt to new realities and foster continuous learning, development and improvement.

Drivers and Enablers of Intentional Collaboration

• The aim of HPC model is to increase the levels of intentional collaboration.
• To allow this to happen, we need to be clear on the Why and the What—the purpose and intent. These are the Drivers of increased collaboration.
• Once we are clear on the Why and the What we may be clear on the need to collaborate, but not on the How or the How To Do It Better. These are the Enablers of increased collaboration.

Examples of initiatives needing high performance collaboration:

• Merger and Acquisition. A food manufacturing organization wanted to expand their market in South East Asia. They acquired a business which had complementary products and an extensive network of sales and distribution in that region. Many functions had to be combined, thus creating redundancy of roles. Organization design and human change practices had to be deployed through hundreds of employees to unify them in collaborative teams.
• Process Integration. A county college had separate physical locations for admissions and enrollment services. There were inefficiencies in the enrollment process that were compounded by the “them and us” view among the employees. A focus group initiative identified issues around mistrust, non-cooperation and non-collaboration. External facilitators were engaged to promote team building.
• Systems Integration. An insurance company initiated a large information technology systems project that is going to be developed by employees spread over several geographic areas, inside and outside the country. With several managers in IT and business departments being responsible for various activities, their teams needed to work collaboratively to ensure success. It was agreed to have an external facilitator design an approach for virtual team building and then implement the plan.

Who Facilitates Cooperation and Collaboration?

It is the responsibility of all managers to coach and mentor their subordinates and to inspire and motivate them to be good team players. As leaders, managers are expected to assess their teams and ensure that they are cooperating and collaborating not only with internal stakeholders, but the external stakeholders as well.

To create high performing teams, in addition to the latest addition of Carlos Valdes-Dapena‘s HPC Framework, there are several methodologies that have been around for some years which include: High Performing Teams (HPT), the Drexler-Sibbet Team Performance Model, and Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development. Managers must be aware of these various methods and use them as appropriate. As the managers are themselves part of the team, they typically engage facilitators who have expertise in team building methodologies. The following professionals may be called upon to facilitate team building exercises.

Internal to the organization:

• All managers
• Trained facilitators from functional areas such as human resources, organization development centers of excellence, and learning and development groups.

External to the organization:

• Professional consultants and facilitators in team building and organizational development and human change management practices.