A workshop facilitator is responsible for adjusting the energy level during the workshop activities. The workshop facilitator uses different kinds of social activities to do this. The balance between rushing too much and being laid back can be affected by icebreakers, energizers, walk ‘n talk, involvement techniques, breaks, lunch/dinner, reflection and process overview.
The facilitative leaders should be inspired by the workshop facilitator and use similar activities in the daily work with the teams or organizations. By evaluating where the team/organization are on the “Team Pressure Curve”, the right activities can be chosen and great effect on the performance will be seen.
I think that it’s equally difficult to release pressure or increase pressure in a team. And I think both should be taken very seriously. Often I experience that performance in an organization goes down when we are getting close to the main holiday seasons like Christmas and summer. But it doesn’t necessarily need to be like this. I have personally very good experience with including relevant energizer activities with teams in these periods. And together with realistic and attractive short-term goals it’s possible to achieve great performance.
Another very common trend, when deadlines are closing in, is to increase the pressure on the teams and organization way too much, resulting in a “Panic” situation. In these situations the leader need to take the needed actions to get the team back in a “Performance” state again. Taking a time out, renegotiating and reviewing plans combined with social activities if often a good way to get back on track.
So I want to encourage all leaders to take this challenge up and take responsibility for the organizations energy level. In most of the organizations that I visit, I see a great potential.
This is blog post nr. 3 in the series of “Great Leadership through Facilitation”