What the Chair Can Do to Help

Here are some things a group facilitator can do to keep the group moving toward a successful completion:

1. Move the group toward selecting one or more of the options. Use the process rules discussed earlier, as well as the wide variety of techniques for achieving an integrative agreement. Listen for the emergence of the “snowballing coalition” among key members. Permit and encourage packaging and trade-offs among multiple issues or modification of the first agreement or tentative agreement reached earlier. If the decision is particularly laden with conflict, pursue a first agreement with the understanding that the parties will take a break and come back to renegotiate the agreement at a later date.

2. Shape and draft the tentative agreement. Write it down. Work on language. Write the wording on a whiteboard, flip chart, or PowerPoint that can be displayed to everyone, so that all can see it and edit it freely. Test to make sure all parties understand the agreement and its implications and consequences. Remember that the person who does the writing often has more power than others because he or she gets to write the agreement in his or her own language and may bias or selectively remember some points and omit others.

3. Discuss whatever implementation and follow-up or next steps need to occur. Make sure that individuals who have a role in this process understand what they need to do. Make assignments to individuals to ensure that key action steps are designed and executed. Schedule a follow-up meeting. Plan for another meeting in the future to evaluate how the agreement is working.

4. Thank people for their participation, their hard work, and their efforts. If the discussion has been particularly difficult or required a large time commitment, a small group celebration and formal thank-you notes or gifts may be in order. Have dinner or a party together to celebrate all the hard work.

5. Organize and facilitate the postmortem. Bring the parties back together to discuss the process and the outcome and evaluate what they might do better or differently the next time. This will ensure learning for both the parties themselves and the chair.