facilitation
How many of us really look forward to meetings? Communication evolved to help us relate to each other. Human language has nuance, layers, minutiae and mystery that helps us understand not only the intention of the speaker, but their style, mood and something of the context of their lives. When freed up, conversation can deal with many aspects of the human condition at once and propel communities forward. Yet, at work, we trap it then diminish it with agendas, forced processes and the tyranny of bullet-pointed decisions.
These things aren’t wrong - we do them for good reasons. It is unlikely that the people we need to talk to will all turn up at the same time, in the same meeting room with an intention to discuss the same matter. We have to impose some boundaries and some order. The question is - how do we do that in a way that permits freedom of expression, excursions into exploratory conversations and engagement with all the intelligence in the room?
Because it is easier (although more time-consuming in the long run) we often settle for discussion. It comes from the same root as percussion (banging together) and has us competing with each other for airtime. But where people are encouraged to sit down with the intention of hearing one another – dialogue and shared thought can emerge. At Cantle, there are a number of tools available to facilitate useful and productive meetings. From 3-day “large-scale strategic change workshops” for 300-plus participants to conflict resolution between two directors, Cantle offers cutting edge and creative approaches to enhance communication.
Contact us for availability and more information.
Cantle are first-class designers of process and great colleagues. They manage that difficult challenge of being both empathetic and powerful with groups superbly.
Howell Schroeder - Programme and Client Director , Ashridge School of Business
Cantle bring both useful tools and a strong facilitation approach to ensure we develop new perspectives on ourselves, each other, the organisation and business environment to make the most of the time we have together. Their approaches now underpin many of our core development processes, and have had a measurable impact on the attitude and commitment of people across the business.
Anthony Moore – HR and Strategy Director, Entertainment UK