facilitation & team training * conflict resolution * approach & services * company relationship building

APPROACH

•  Facilitation approach

•  Neutrality and expertise

•  Conflict resolution approach

•  The FACETS approach to meeting design

Facilitation Approach top

Ruth's approach is to work collaboratively with clients to tailor meeting designs to client needs and objectives. She is an exceptional listener.

Her philosophy is that the process must be clear to all participants, information is shared, and dialogue and decision making are open. She focuses on thoroughly understanding her clients' needs and creatively tailoring her approach to meet those needs.

Ruth regularly employs visuals and graphic facilitation techniques to promote understanding of key concepts and processes among meeting participants.

Ruth believes that meetings built on collaboration and a desire to reach consensus result in the most complete closure and in broadly supported agreements that can be sustained over the long haul. She has a solid reputation for thoroughness. She works to ensure that people are heard, informational materials are accurate, and meetings are focused and productive.

Neutrality and Expertise top

Being a neutral facilitator does not mean being an uninformed facilitator. Ruth possesses well-rounded knowledge of a variety of environmental issues as a result of her past technical work in both corporate and government organizations and her regulatory experience with the federal government. This depth of knowledge enables her to effectively facilitate understanding of complex concepts and processes, including translation of technical jargon, scientific terms, and agency acronyms.

A significant part of Ruth's practice supports the work of environmental advisory groups. She has a unique understanding of the different needs and fears that participants bring to these committees and the challenges that they face in discussing the concepts of environmental, economic, and political risk. Ruth's meeting designs often use a combination of technical and values-based questions to help her groups understand and discuss key issues. Her belief is that environmental advisory groups are rarely effective when serving as technical review teams or program micro-managers. Rather, the most valuable contribution a citizens' advisory group can make is to identify community values concerning environmental issues and provide a forum for open and constructive discussion of how to realistically address them.

Conflict Resolution Approach top

Ruth's approach to conflict resolution begins with understanding the concerns and interests of the parties involved. This includes both technical information and private interests and values. At the beginning of discussions, she believes it is important that the parties to the disagreement be heard and have an opportunity to fully express their hopes, concerns, and fears. The next part of the discussion is focused on identifying and understanding the underlying interests behind those feelings. These may not be completely reflected in the stated positions of the parties since these positions may represent only a single alternative for satisfying the parties' interests. Often, parties can find areas of agreement once they better understand each other's interests and can discuss multiple ways to satisfy those interests.

The FACETS Approach top

Whether designing a facilitated meeting or preparing for a challenging mediation, Ruth uses the FACETS approach.. This model was developed by Ruth and Barbara J. MacKay, CPF, over the course of six workshops, including three international conferences, in 2003 and 2004. It was developed with the input of over 100 facilitators and public participation practitioners from around the world.

Focus and Flow	I. F is for Focus & Flow a. Have a well-planned agenda.     Know what you are shooting for at every     stage. b. Create good transitions.     Celebrate small successes. c. Believe that you will end up better than before but maybe not where you expected.
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Assessing the Landscape	II. A is for Assessing the Landscape a. Cultivate a complexity curiosity and continually assess the elements of complexity. b. Constantly look for new information, changing needs of participants, new factors affecting outcomes, new resources available to the group, and shifting outcomes based on new  nderstandings. c. Evaluate progress toward desired outcomes.
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Capacity Building	III. C is for Capacity-Building a. Staff for success (e.g. adequate number of     facilitators, note takers, support staff). b. Prepare and coach participants in processes     and issues. c. Secure commitments needed for project     success. Use the group to the build agenda.
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Engaging People and Perspectives	IV. E is for Engaging People and Perspectives a. Ensure all interested and affected parties are     represented. b. Do not exclude people that have different     ideas that not everyone agrees with. c. Keep senior decision-makers involved. d. Foster constructive social interactions. e. Use themes, space and visuals to shift     perspectives.
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Tools, Resources and Processes	V. T is for Tools and Processes a. Develop a versatile range of facilitation tools. b. Know your resources "I know it" / "I can get it" c. Test tools for effectiveness. d. Develop flexibility. Make contingency plans.
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Showing Courage and Caring	VI. is S for Showing Courage and Caring a. Care for and shepherd the group. b. Be a mirror. Reassure participants of the     process. Affirm their ability to succeed. c. Have the courage to articulate the "smelly     moose", the things we are afraid to identify     and openly discuss.