Two weeks ago, 9 of our Mastery in ToP Facilitation participants dove into working with not-for[-profit clients in a short term action planning project. About half of them are working towards their Certification in 2010. Our clients this year were Eureka Recycling and the MN Dept of Health, Public Health Practices Division. After an afternoon 'design' session with their 'clients', the facilitation teams worked to create their plans, produce their visuals, practice their planned facilitation. Friday morning arrived, the teams were onsite - ready to lead their groups in the 'best of ToP' - creating measurable, actionable, compelling plans and boundless enthusiasm.
The facilitators? well, I repeat the comment from one: "For the first time in 25 years, I've stepped outside of my 'house'!!!" and she liked how it looked. She has worked for her organization for 25 years, felt safe, understood the assumptions and 'givens' there. The idea of 'facilitating' an 'unknown' was scary...really scary. And she 'got' that the understanding of the methods would give her a new platform, a new safe place, and that she could create that for her clients. wow. The possibility of actually facilitating towards innovative, NEW, imaginative approaches...was possible.
