The Art & Science of Facilitation

An Agile Conversation: The Game of Teams Podcast

As part of my recent virtual book tour for ‘The Art & Science of Facilitation’, I made a virtual stop at The Games of Teams podcast studio, which is located in Dublin, Ireland.

The Game of Teams podcast is a series of “Conversations designed to illuminate the Game of Teams from renowned Practitioners and Leaders worldwide”

Meet Tara Nolan, Podcast Host

Tara Nolan is the host of The Game of Teams Podcast, a podcast that was born out of her fascination with teams, her work with teams as a Team Coach and her interest in exploring the thoughts and thinking of others who have a role in making teams great.

As part of this podcast series, Tara interviews practitioners and leaders to hear their stories, including failures in a bid to give voice to what is happening on teams.

Many have written books on the subject. Her role is to help listeners to get massive traction to the things that matter most on teams.

The Art & Science of Facilitation

During episode 52 on The Games of Teams podcast, my conversation with Tara Nolan was centered around my new book.

We discussed many points during our conversation, here are just a few of the show notes:

Systems Thinking. Dialogue, Structural Dynamics and Agile is the thinking I use to inform my approach to client engagements.
Dialogue and Structural Dynamics enable movement towards agility.
Many teams that I work with notice the groundhog or mini groundhog day conversations with which they are engaged. Dialogue principles and structural dynamics often provide the gateway to true collaboration.
So much of facilitation is an inside game. A good facilitator gets very familiar and comfortable with the 5 beliefs inherent in facilitation.
I make the claim that 21st century leaders need to become artful facilitators and coaches of teams.

Listen to The Game of Teams Podcast

I invite you to read the full list of show notes from this podcast episode.

You can listen to the full podcast right here.

If you prefer, The Games of Teams podcast is also available through

Apple Podcast and Google Podcast

5 Good Reasons You Need To Attend Our Virtual Book Tour

It’s 2021. What a year we’ve left behind!
How was 2020 for you, your business, your team?

As a sign of the times we continue to live in, TeamCatapult is hosting a Virtual Book Tour to support the just-published ‘The Art & Science of Facilitation’ book.

While an in-person book tour, or meeting up at a conference would have been preferable to get the word out about this new book, we are thrilled to present this unique book tour to you on our upcoming Virtual Book Tour.

We are confident this experience will be unlike anything you’ve participated in!

Here are 5 reasons you need to attend the virtual book tour of ‘The Art & Science of Facilitation’ book, slated for January and February of 2021!

The Virtual Book Tour, 5 Reasons to NOT to Miss It!

1) The Book ‘The Art & Science of Facilitation’

This book is for anyone ready to lead with self-awareness and group insight, and to help their teams work more efficiently and effectively in a true collaborative environment. Whether you are a leader in the Agile space, or not, this book is for you.

Attending the Virtual Book Tour offers an opportunity to learn more about the book and how it came to be and how this knowledge can help you move forward with team facilitation.

2) Meet Industry Leaders and Facilitation Experts

Our Virtual Book Tour promises to be a wonderful place to connect with industry leaders and facilitation experts. We’ve lined up the best-of-the-best and we are looking forward to having conversations with the following experts!

Virtual Book Tour – Stop 1

“Stories of Facilitation”

Virtual Book Tour – Stop 2

“Creating a Pathway to Business Agility through Facilitation”

Virtual Book Tour – Stop 3

“Beyond Facilitation: A Conversation With ICAgile”

Virtual Book Tour – Stop 4

“Leadership is a Conversation”

Virtual Book Tour – Stop 5

“Leaders as Facilitators”

Mark Franz

3) Insights from the Author, Marsha Acker

What is a book tour without its author?

Of course, alongside our expert guests, Marsha Acker will be part of the conversations we’ll be having at every Virtual Book Tour stop.

Nowhere else will you get these insights into this book, and background info on how it came to be. Be there to learn more!

4) Trends in the Agile Industry

The conversations to be had on this Virtual Book Tour don’t stop at ‘what is’ but will continue with ‘what’s to come’. If you are a leader looking ahead; planning and strategizing for your team and business, you need to make sure to attend, listen and learn!

5) Be Inspired to Lead Agile Teams

More than anything else, we hope to inspire leaders to lead their agile teams with effective collaboration. This new year, try something new, different and possibly game-changing. If you are up for the challenge of improving collaboration and helping your team achieve greatness, this Virtual Book Tour is a must-attend event.

How To Join Us For the Virtual Book Tour

Are you ready to join us?

We can’t wait to get this Virtual Book Tour moving!

Head on over to the book website!

Next, register for one, or all Virtual Book Tour stops.

Don’t forget to share this opportunity to meet the author and expert leaders, learn more about the book and our book tour!

It’s as easy as forwarding this article to a friend via email, or sharing it on social media.

How To Gain Agility by Giving Up Control

Giving Up Control to Gain Agility

This past year, I was asked to be a guest on the Women in Agile Podcast titled ‘Giving Up Control to Gain Agility’.

Podcast host Leslie Morse and I met at the Agile 2019conference in August, where we discussed my upcoming book ‘The Art & Science of Facilitation – How To Lead Effective Collaboration with Agile Teams’

What is the ‘Women if Agile’ Podcast?

The ‘Women if Agile’ Podcast series exists to amplify the voices of outstanding women in the Agile community by telling our stories, being thought leaders and having open conversations with our allies.

I encourage you to not only listen to my interview but to learn more about Women in Agile, subscribe and download the many wonderful conversations that have gone before me and continue to be told.

Facilitation Conversation and Then Some!

I was introduced on the Podcast with this intro:

“She shares stories of working in a huge corporation and a tiny startup and the learnings she’s had – including how to give up some control to let agility emerge naturally. Her passion for facilitation was her entry point into Agile, and the need for it is as strong as ever:

“To truly facilitate requires this unbiased, neutral perspective where you’re not taking sides… When the group gets stuck, you’re helping them get unstuck; you’re not solving something for them.”

The quote the Podcast host Leslie Morse used to describe the conversation is this:

Find your own voice. “It’s not that I didn’t have it, it’s that I would have these moments of insights or thoughts, and I didn’t always share it.”

My Personal Agile Origin Story

One of the many things I loved about doing this interview was the first question asked of me.

“What is your Agile origin story?”

It’s a story we all have but isn’t often told. Everyone who works in the Agile community has this defining moment as to when Agile entered their life and career. Most of us can also pinpoint a specific meeting, conference, book or Agile moment we knew where were hooked.

Can I just say it took me a whole year to wrap my head around Agile?

Have I sparked your curiosity?

Listen to my Agile origin story first, and then learn more about why giving up control is needed to gain agility!

Enjoy!

8 Tips to Successful Virtual Team Facilitation

Remote Teams Require Virtual Team Facilitation

There is an overall positive impact of going remote for companies.

Data shows that remote work can lead to astonishing productivity, increases employee retention, decreases sick days, and increases workforce diversity, just to name a few benefits.

While remote teams have an overall positive impact on companies, remote teaming does create a few challenges.

Facilitating a virtual team successfully means adjusting what you know about facilitating team meetings and making a few changes in how you structure and facilitate these virtual team meetings.

Virtual Team Facilitation is a Necessity!

In today’s digitally-driven world, mastering the art of virtual team facilitation is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. From online meetings to dynamic online sessions, the way we communicate and collaborate has transformed significantly. With an array of online tools at our disposal, the potential for productive virtual interactions has never been higher.

Yet, the success of these online engagements often hinges on the adeptness of facilitation.

Whether you’re a seasoned virtual team leader or stepping into the realm of online facilitation for the first time, these eight essential tips and best practices will elevate your approach, ensuring that your online meetings are not only efficient but also engaging for all participants.

8 Tips for Remote Teaming Infographic

If you are new to remote teaming, here are 8 ways to start facilitating remote team meetings and achieve success!

When first starting out facilitating remote teams, you might be tempted to copy the exact facilitation formula used for in-person meetings. While that is not a bad place to start, we’ve put together a list of 8 tips of small changes to implement starting with the fist remote meeting you are in charge of!

1) Build Trust Early and Often During Remote Meetings

Make time for frequent, short activities that foster connection in remote meetings. Activities that help people get to know one another as people, not just someone they rely on for information or to help them complete a task, subtly increase the level of trust in your team. While those activities might look a bit different in a remote meeting, the same principles and ideas do apply. Traditional Agile games and learning activities can be adapted to work during a remote team meeting.

2) Create Ways for the Remote Team to Connect Outside of Meetings

Use social and professional channels to keep people in touch with one another as they work.

An example of this would be using an online application like Slack to create a sense of group unity. Slack’s motto is ‘Where work happens’. The tool is designed for intimate and direct group communication.

A second example is using a social media messaging channel or group like a LinkedIn Group, Facebook Group, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or another messaging service.

3) Design Virtual Group Meetings With Care

Think about what things really call for a team meeting, and intentionally design those meetings so people can participate actively and collaboratively.

Creating an agenda and sticking to it is important!

4) Plan The Right Amount of Time for Remote Meetings Tasks

Don’t try to cram too much into a remote meeting. Take your time, chunk it up and remember everything takes a little bit longer to do well when it’s remote.

While technology is an amazing tool, not every team member will initially be as comfortable as the facilitator using this technology. Allow ample time for the sign-on process and be aware of potential glitches and time restraints.

5) Make Time to Hear Opposition

Plan for a rich discussion with opposing views rather than trying to rush the group into agreement because of time restraints.

You might find that you need to schedule more remote meetings than what you’d expect if the meeting were in-person. Go with it, don’t force the issue trying to fit everything in.

6) Level the Playing Field

Set it up so that if some people are remote, everyone is.

No one should be ‘left out’ or made to feel they are a burden or a nuisance for having to dial into a meeting. Instead, if one or two team members need to be remote, require everyone to dial in and access the meeting remotely.

7) Let Go of The Belief That Virtual Is Never as Good as Face-To-Face

In truth, remote teams can be cohesive, thriving powerhouses, and virtual meetings can be productive and engaging. If you’ve never tried to facilitate a virtual meeting or a remote team, just know it can be done by adjusting and tweaking a few things.

8) Never Ask ‘Does Everyone Agree?’ in a Virtual Meeting

That question is hard for people to answer because asking a group for agreement is a tall order and often it’s either rhetorical, meaning the facilitator is moving on regardless of agreement or the facilitator then needs to take time to hear a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from everyone.

Instead, use effective tools and methods for exploring options and making decisions that everyone can commit to. You might say “What are we missing?” “Is there anyone who is not ready to move on?” By phrasing it this way you’re inviting people to offer a different point of view and if no one speaks then you can move forward.

Take Our Next Online Workshop Virtual Team Facilitation

We invite you to check out our next online Virtual Facilitation Masterclass to learn more.

How To Run a Time Efficient Virtual Meeting

One of the most common mistakes people make when planning virtual meetings is allocating time incorrectly.

Hint: the problem is not usually that meetings end early.

Virtual Meeting Time Efficiency Formula

To help you avoid this error, here is a handy formula you can use to calculate how long something will take in a virtual meeting.

How long would this conversation with this group of people take in a face-to-face meeting? Write it down. We’ll call that number n.
Add modifiers to n as follows:

If there is no facilitator, double n before continuing. Then hire or assign a facilitator.
If there are more than 10 people involved (not counting the facilitator):
- For 11-15 people, add 5 minutes to n.
- For 15-20 people, add 10 minutes to n.
- For 21-30 people, add 15 minutes to n.
- For more than 30 people, design pre-work to take care of as much as you can before the meeting, then add 20 minutes to n.
Will you be switching tools during the meeting? For instance, going from screen-sharing to a collaborative sticky note board, Google doc, or similar?
- If so, add 5 minutes for every time you switch to a new tool.
- If the additional tool is new to at least half the group, add another 5 minutes.
- If the additional tool requires participants to log in, add another 2 minutes.
- If the additional tool requires a download or plug-in, add another 5 minutes.
- If you don’t display clear written instructions about how to access and use the tool, add 5 minutes.
Will you be using breakout rooms in this meeting? Add 5 minutes for each time you go into breakouts.
Will the group need to make a major decision during this conversation?
- For groups up to 15, add 10 minutes to propose the decision and check for agreement.
- For groups of 16-20, add 15 minutes to propose the decision and check for agreement.
- For groups over 20, add 15 minutes to propose the decision and check for agreement, and expect a lot of follow-up questions after the meeting.
If the group is very divided about the content of the decision, add another 5-10 minutes to the decision time.
Will you be keeping a Parking Lot, and do you expect more than two Parking Lot issues to come up? If so, add 5-10 minutes to resolve the Parking Lot issues.
Look at the total you have so far. For every 60 minutes, add 5 minutes for stretch breaks. If you’re over two hours total, add another 10 minutes for a sanity break in the middle.
Remember to add 10 minutes up front for people to connect to the meeting and get their audio and video sorted out.
Remember to add 5 minutes at the end of the meeting to review decisions and action steps.

stop watch to keep time in a virtual meeting

How To Implement The Time Efficiency Formula

As an example, let’s look at a group of 14 people who need to brainstorm ideas about their next product launch, select two, and assign research leads to each idea. It would take them 45 minutes to get this done in one focused face-to-face meeting with a facilitator, so n is 45.

Add 5 minutes for the number of people (14): 50 minutes
We’ll use screen sharing and Boardthing (a sticky note tool), so we add 5 minutes: 55 minutes
Boardthing doesn’t require an account or a download, so we don’t need to add any time for that.
Naturally we will create clear, visual instructions for Boardthing and show them before we switch as well as in Boardthing itself, so we don’t have to add 5 minutes for not doing that.
We will be using breakout groups once, so we add 5 minutes: 60 minutes
The group will need to make a major decision, so we add 10 minutes: 70 minutes
The group isn’t particularly deeply divided, so we don’t need to add time for that.
We don’t expect a long Parking Lot, so we don’t need to add time for that.
We add a 5-minute stretch break: 75 minutes
We add 10 minutes at the start for getting settled: 85 minutes
We add 5 minutes at the end to review decisions and actions: 90 minutes

In order to accomplish our objectives in a virtual meeting, we need to set aside 90 minutes, including a 5-minute stretch break.

Planning Ahead Will Save You Time!

By now you’re probably wondering whether this is meant to be satire.

Nope. I’m serious.

This is how long it takes to do real work when you’re not face-to-face. If you plan for it and people are prepared in advance, the meeting will run much smoother.

People will feel great about achieving their objectives in the time they set aside.

And hey, if you’re wrong, you can always end the meeting early.

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This article originally appeared on Rachel S. Smith’s blog, Digital Visual Facilitation, under “How long does it take to get things done in a virtual meeting?” on November 15, 2016.