How can you handle resistance to the facilitation process?

In my experience, effectively handling resistance requires empathy, adaptability, and assertive communication. Identify the root causes, acknowledge and validate concerns without judgment, fostering trust. Engage the group in a solution-focused dialogue, encouraging suggestions. Be flexible in facilitation, adjusting methods while maintaining focus on objectives. Clarity and participant involvement can reduce resistance. Remember, resistance diminishes when individuals feel heard, respected, and involved in creating the path forward.

I've always labelled resistance as somebody having information about the future, and being unabled to express it adequately. I assume this can be associated with the presure of a group of people to resist changing their habits. People in a group tend to treat resistance as "negative". As a result, people expressing resistance feel lonely. Part of my task as a facilitator is to show they're not alone and "free their voice".

Nunca comece um trabalho em grupo sem saber das expectativas e perspectivas de cada envolvido. Mapeie pontos de atenção de cada um e, caso faça sentido, em um momento oportuno antes de iniciarem a reunião de trabalho, compartilhe pontos levantados fazendo com que os participantes percebam que foram de fato ouvidos. Isso reduz a ansiedade dos participantes assegurando que cada um foi considerado, independente da direção que o grupo decida para o projeto. Durante as reuniões dedique tempo para que as pessoas possam reforçar seus pontos, ainda que de forma silenciosa, anotando ao invés de falando. Essa técnica torna as discussões mais curtas e objetivas.

Addressing resistance in facilitation involves active listening, empathetic communication, and fostering a collaborative environment. Encourage open dialogue to understand concerns, and highlight the benefits of participation. Tailor the facilitation approach to accommodate diverse perspectives, ensuring inclusivity. Use persuasive communication to align participants with the process's goals, emphasizing shared objectives. Foster a positive atmosphere that values everyone's contributions. Address conflicts constructively and adapt the facilitation process based on feedback. Flexibility, patience, and a focus on building consensus are essential to overcome resistance and promote a more effective facilitation process.

Ask the client what outcome is desired and why. That helps them realize that the session is about them, not you. When they push back, ask what is causing the pushback and why.

Wenn Widerstände im Raum sind, können wir als Moderator:innen nicht einfach weiter im Text gehen: Störungen haben Vorrang. Sollte schon vor einem Workshop klar sein, dass eine große Unzufriedenheit besteht, dann kann eine Methode wie das Conversation Café aus den Liberating Structures zu Beginn helfen. Hier haben alle Teilnehmenden die Möglichkeit, in einem geschützten Rahmen ihre Unzufriedenheiten zu artikulieren, das übliche Gegeneinander in Diskussionen zu umgehen und ein ein gemeinsames Verständnis der Situation zu entwickeln. Wenn bestimmte Dinge einmal ausgesprochen sind, lässt es sich im Anschluss meist einfacher und produktiver weiterarbeiten.

In my experience, whenever an audience comes for any training/workshop, many a times they have a preconceived notion, judgement or information (humans in general like to have that) so having resistance is natural. So they must be acknowledged and validated by giving a relatable reasoning emphasizing on empathy and making them feel that they are being heard and valued.

The more you make the session about them, the better. They resist less when it's about them. Actively listen to what they are saying - it's telling you something about the resistance.

I assume resistance is partly expressing ideas which (other) members of the group don't accept themselves. A group of people always tries to split of parts of themselves they don't accept and project them on others. Call it a scape goat, chased into the desert ("deserted"). The art of dealing with this consists of enabling participants to accept their projecting the resistance to others, or, to stay within the metaphor: accept the black sheep in the flock. As a facilitator, don't acknowledge or normalize resistance. It's not you problem to solve.

Meistens bedeutet das den Widerstand ansprechen eauch etwas out-of-the-Box zu denken. Eigentlich passt das, was gerade passiert, nicht so richtig zu dem, was eigentlich sein sollte. Es ist irgendwie unpassend. Daher braucht es Mut und Kraft das zu tun. Macht Euch also keinen Kopf, wenn es anstrengend wird - Ihr tut der ganzen Gruppe einen Gefallen, auch wenn es für Euch gerade etwa außerhalb der Komfortzone ist. Es hilft allen.

Mi premisa para esto es "Toda resistencia tiene una razón que intenta expresarse". El temor al cambio, el miedo a lo desconocido, la incertidumbre frente a cómo esto impactará en el quehacer diario, la necesidad de dejar atrás hábitos, experiencia (aún aquello que ha sido exitoso) no es sencillo de digerir. Por eso, creo que es vital validar la resitencia, no confrontarla, pero sí empatizar con ella para poder habilitar espacios de diálogo, ofrecer ayuda, explicar el porqué y como los cambios favorecerán al desarrollo y la mejora al aplicarlas. Expresar que está contemplado un proceso de adaptación ayuda a "bajar las barreras de defensa". Todos necesitamos sentir-nos seguros para afrontar cambios y animarnos a dar un "salto de fe".

Facilitate a discussion about what is desired from the session so that they realize that it's all about them and they take ownership of the session. That enables them to feel better about the session and support what you are doing for them.

Use "Clean Language" to have the participants explore their perspectives, their metaphors. It's not about the resistance, but about the opinion about the resistance ("bad", "unhelping", "unconstructive", "probelmatic"....) that bother people.

Das eine ist den Widerstand, die Störung direkt anzusprechen. Das andere ist die Frage, wie weiter damit umgehen. Ich mache gerne eine Blitzlichtrunde, die alle Beteiligten die Möglichkeit gibt etwas zu sagen. Sonst besteht die Gefahr, dass wieder nur die Vielredner reden und man das Neue und eigentlich Wichtige nicht gemeinsam entdeckt.

Now comes the difficult part: creativity requires using resistance as a power for changing a situation. A group "needs" resistance to grow, deal with the tensions and the (bad) feelings, in order to break the frame with which they're limiting themselves. Avoiding the anxieties and fears associated with the resistance only keeps them trapped in a trap of their own making. See for instance Gareth Morgan's "Images of Organization" and the chapter on organisations as psychic prisons. As a facilitator, I can offer them keys, but they have to use these themselves.

There are many kinds of resistance. Silence, conflict, nonverbal. 2 situations I dealt with in the last months: 1. Hostile takeover: a participant, who sometimes plays the role of facilitator, was not happy for not being it in a session. So, he decided to take control. I called it out to the group. “I’m feeling that we are having overlapped roles here. Do you feel the same? How should we go about it?”. 2. Negative response: a few people where the only ones participating. So, I asked them not to do so in the next topic. They laughed! But someone else replied aggressively. On spot, and very openly, I tried to explain the reasoning: “Some other people might want to speak. I’m just clearing some space so that they can. Does this make sense?”

Widerstände und Störungen sind ein Hinweis darauf, wo sich die Energie gerade versteckt. Und es gibt Widerstände an unterschiedlichen Ecken: Bei der Person, beim Team, bei der gemeinsamen Aufgabe und im Umfeld. Das braucht jeweils unterschiedliche Interventionen. Menschen benötigen oft Schutz und Raum, um sich selbst zu orientieren und wieder zu finden. Die Gruppe muss oft neu beginnen miteinander Spielregeln zu verhandeln. In der Sache geht es oft darum den gemeinsamen inhaltlichen Blick auf die Sache erst zu entwickeln. Und die Umfeldfaktoren werden oft zu wenig beachtet - da hilft es gemeinsam noch einmal drauf zu schauen.

See my previous contribution. In technical terms: all processes follow the path of the least resistance, which is actually the path of the least work. Resistance is potential divided by flow (also know as Ohm's Law). When a path is blocking flow, a flow diverts, until it cannot flow anymore. Sometimes, time grinds away the blokkade. Sometimes, one needs more potential (energy) for a break through. As a facilitator, I have to judge which situation we're in.

Ich sehe das etwas anders. Ich unterstütze den Widerstand, indem ich ihm Raum gebe. Und dann darf er auch gehen. Der Widerstand ist wie Schmerzen im Körper. Er ist nicht die Ursache, aber das Symptom für etwas. Und es geht darum miteinander die eigentlich Ursache zu suchen. Da hilft auch immer wieder radikale Ehrlichkeit.

Reflection post resistance is imperative coupled with looking at participant feedback to further deconstruct the reason behind resistance. It’s important for the facilitator to not blame themselves for the resistance. Strength based lens to facilitation is all about daring to be brave facilitators and acknowledging we’re all human beings with our own insecurities and vulnerabilities. This perspective of strength based facilitation help shift focus to participants knowledge, abilities and strength instead of their lack, weakness. For instance if someone is taking up lots of verbal space one might reflect what is the behaviour of this participant telling us? What is their strength? How can we redirect their energies.

Als TZI-Moderatorin bin ich dankbar für Widerstand. Er ist in Wirklichkeit ein Geschenk für die Moderation. Er zeigt an, wo die Energie ist.

En mi experiencia personal, he aprendido mucho de las resistencias, puesto que me han brindado oportunidades de empatizar, lidiar con desafíos generando nuevas oportunidades de buscar más preparación tecnica y en habilidades de comunicación. Además, han puesto en marcha mi creatividad. Cuando hay resistencia entonces, es porque algo del mensaje ha penetrado en el receptor. Quizá aun no está listo para afrontar 100% el cambio, pero el proceso ya esta en marcha, por eso lo expresa, entonces a partir de allí se puede comenzar a construir y deconstruir a traves de una relación de confianza y ayuda. Pretender evitar las resistencias nos limita la experiencia. Creo que todo facilitador debe disfrutar de la resistencia.

One thing that I have found helpful is empathising with the team. Seeing and understanding situations and concepts from their perspectives will help in a guided and participatory session.

Navigating resistance in facilitation involves addressing the often-overlooked aspect of "Psychological Safety Calibration." Recognize that resistance might stem from individuals feeling unheard or dismissed. Foster an environment where participants feel psychologically safe to express concerns. Actively listen and acknowledge diverse viewpoints, and adapt your facilitation approach to accommodate various comfort levels. This nuanced calibration not only dissolves resistance but cultivates an atmosphere of trust, enhancing overall facilitation effectiveness.