Have you or your children ever been injured and not been sure if it’s a break or a sprain? You might have a strong feeling if a bone is or isn’t broken, but to be sure you go to a doctor or physio for assessment and diagnosis, and of course treatment.
Medical professionals use techniques similar to those I’ve been teaching in a recent Problem Solving Masterclass link to the webpage? to understand what the injury is, and what it is not. They ask the patient a number of questions and gauge responses to physical assessment. If a break is suspected they send for an x-ray to be sure.
In a similar way, a facilitator or coach knows which questions to ask and which tests to conduct to uncover answers residing within management teams and individuals. This is especially helpful during company strategic planning activities where facilitation done well results in clarity and alignment of company purpose, long term vision, medium term strategy and short-term plans.
Business owners sometimes get so caught up in the day to day that they forget to look at the big picture, and other times senior executives can be so caught up in their vision but forget to share it with their team members. Teams need to be able to relate their short-term planning with company strategic priorities and vision. Facilitated workshops can assist managers to achieve this.
Do you need help finding the answers within you?