#130 - The Art of Great Facilitation for Better Collaboration with Marsha Acker, Founder and CEO of TeamCatapult

<p>There are 6 key qualities for great facilitation:</p> <ul> <li><p>Starting with your core beliefs</p> </li> <li><p>Maintaining neutrality</p> </li> <li><p>Standing in the storm</p> </li> <li><p>Honoring the wisdom of the group</p> </li> <li><p>Upholding the agile mindset</p> </li> <li><p>Honoring the group’s agenda</p> </li> </ul> <p>According to Marsha Acker, Founder, and CEO of TeamCatapult, </p> <p><em>“The job of facilitator is not to become the agile process police that says we have to have a daily standup and every day we have to answer these three questions…Facilitation is all about reading what&#39;s happening in a group, [and] tapping into the collective intelligence and wisdom of that group.&quot;</em></p> <p>In this episode, Marsha sits down with Erin and JH to discuss the art and importance of facilitation in group settings, focusing on the 6 key principles of great facilitation she wrote about in her book The Art and Science of Facilitation: How to Lead Effective Collaboration with Agile Teams.</p> <p>Tune in to hear her approach to facilitation, including methods, the preparation process, and how to build your facilitation skills.</p> <p>👇</p> <p><strong>Highlights: </strong></p> <p>[00:01:05] Defining facilitation: the art of leading people through a process towards a goal</p> <p>[00:04:50] Reading the room and speaking the language of others</p> <p>[00:06:08] Maintaining neutrality as a leader</p> <p>[00:14:24]Standing in the storm of conflict and handling differences</p> <p>[00:20:43] Honoring the wisdom of the group</p> <p>[00:23:25] Enhancing agile processes with intentionality</p> <p>[00:28:54] Honoring the group’s agenda </p> <p>[00:33:12] Familiarity versus externality: the pros and cons of different facilitator types</p> <p>[00:35:57] Guidelines for facilitating workshops</p> <p>[00:44:56] The importance of navigating invisible team dynamics</p> <p><strong>Sources mentioned in the episode:</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong></strong><a href="http://userinterviews.com/awkward">userin