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The Use of Intuition in the Art of Facilitation

"The really valuable thing is intuition." - Albert Einstein

Introduction

There are many important and valuable models which facilitators use to promote high quality learning in groups. (See Brad Barbeau, Ph.D. pre-reading on Concepts in Insight Facilitation). Advanced facilitation requires a high level of intuition to be able to track the many levels of individual, interpersonal and group dynamics, as well as more subtle forms of group energy which may lead to group insights and breakthrough. Because intuition plays such an active role in the process of advanced facilitation, it is essential that facilitators develop their intuition, respect its voice and use it judiciously and compatibly with rational models of group work.

In this article, I will use a brain research theory to help better explain the balance and interplay of the rational and intuitive functioning in the process of facilitation. In addition, I will explore beliefs and mindsets which support and hinder its effective use within the context of advanced facilitation.

Facilitator's Role

In order to be effective, advanced facilitators must operate at a high level of awareness, including levels of intrapersonal, interpersonal and group dynamics as well as themes of group development and work in completing the task. Awareness means not only paying attention to the group, but the facilitator must practice continual vigilance as to where she gets drawn into a discussion or loses the greater focus of her role.

The role of an advanced facilitator is to assist a group to:

• increase their awareness of assumptions and beliefs underlying their decisions and choices in order to make better decisions and more conscious choices
• gain new insights for increased innovation and creativity
• increase their competency in choosing effective behaviors; and
• become more effective in meeting their goals and objectives.

In the process of carrying out this formidable role, a facilitator may focus the group on the discussion content, or an advanced facilitator may interrupt the agenda and suggest the group members focus on their own interpersonal and group dynamics. Perhaps the greatest challenge a facilitator faces is the judgment used in determining when and how to focus the group's attention to assist in the group's development, while staying cognizant of the group's need to complete the immediate task on time and within budget.

How much is too attention and how much too much time? The advanced facilitator must be skilled in both structural knowledge and the use of intuition in performing his function. Let us look at a theory of brain's functioning as a way to better understand the balance required in performing the facilitator's role.

Brain Research

Nobel Prize winner Roger Sperry developed the Split Brain Theory which postulates that each side of the brain has separate and distinctly different capabilities. The left side of the brain is associated with the processing of language, mathematical and logic functions and the right side spatial, creative and intuitive functions. Although more recent research shows that this theory oversimplifies the brain's complex, integrative functioning, the simpler model can assist us in understanding the skills required of an advanced facilitator.

The logical, structural processing associated with the left side of the brain is used in managing the "context" of the meeting. This includes attending to the meeting's or event's objective, agenda, timing and deliverables. This functioning is also used in setting up the physical environment, the materials and equipment needed to support the meeting. At this point, even the most basic facilitation crosses the line between functions associated with the left and right brain. For example, in Level I Facilitation, when the facilitator's primary role is to help the group focus the discussion, there are basic questions, such as:

• "What are we discussing?"
  
• "Why are we discussing it?"
  
• "What do we want to walk away with?"

These questions come out of a logical model and might be asked at certain timed intervals or logical break points. This would be associated with the left brain functioning. However, it may take some level of intuition to know when it is time to interrupt the group and when it is important to let a seemingly chaotic discussion continue.

When the Level II or Advanced Facilitator assesses group dynamics, prompts for new insights and learnings, or refocuses the group on contextual topics such as vision and values, the right side of the brain leads the way - those functions associated with nonlinear, holistic and simultaneous processing. Advanced facilitation requires attending to subtle human dynamics - which most people have not been trained to notice. Traditionally, these dynamics have not been given voice or credibility in organizations. Corporations have been built on a machine model, which excludes the notion of or need of intuition. In the machine model, if a part (situation or person) is broken or not working effectively, it(s/he) can be fixed or replaced. If orders are given, they need only be carried out, and judgment is the responsibility of upper management. It was a purely left brain model and for the most part, it both excluded and devalued the areas associated with right brain functioning. Although this paradigm is largely dismantled or in the process of being reengineered in most organizations, the assumptions underlying this long standing tradition often remain firmly in place. As a result, areas such as emotional literacy, creativity and intuition may have a hard time gaining credibility as important data.

It is the facilitator's role to be in touch with his own intuitive function, to model its effective application within groups and to assist groups to use intuition as another source of data. Before we discuss how a facilitator can do this, let's take a closer look at the nature of intuition.

Intuition

The word "intuition" comes from the Latin word "intueri" which means "to see within" and Webster defines "intuition" as "the act or faculty of knowing directly without the use of rational processes." We refer to intuition in a number of ways: gut feel, felt sense, sensation, hunch, direct knowing, an "aha". We can also just feel an immediate sense of the familiar. Philip Goldberg, author of The Intuitive Edge states, "Intuition is an instantaneous, global experience bringing together patterns of meaning." (p117)

C.G. Jung's psychological types polarizes intuition and "sensing". Jung defined sensing as "all perceptions by means of sense organs." Jung defines intuition as " neither sense perception, nor feeling, nor intellectual inference, although it may also appear in these forms. In intuition a content presents itself whole and complete, without being able to explain or discover how its content came into existence. Intuition is a kind of instinctive apprehension no matter what the contents." As we can see, intuition is an illusive notion. It is easier to say what it is not than what it is. And although Jung polarizes how we obtain information almost by hemispheres of the brain, as brain research progresses, we find that we simply do not know how much of intuition is integrated with the rational process.

Brain research also tells us that if we are shown 20% of a total picture or data, our brains will fill in the other 80% and we will assume a complete picture. Social science tells us that when a person refers to "everyone" doing something, on average they have witnessed the same event 3 times. Our brain is "hard wired" to swiftly take stimuli and data and link them together to make meaning. This has evolved from our very early beginnings when it would not have been prudent for a caveman to wait for evidence before determining whether a large animal wanted to play with him or eat him. In order to survive, our brains have to make leaps between partial stimulus and immediate response. In American society, advertisers are betting their bottom lines that if we are shown pictures of romantic couples within an ad for toothpaste, that our brains will link those pictures and we will buy the toothpaste in order to increase romance in our lives. We become unaware of what images and concepts we automatically pair through our experience. And many times we call our pairings "intuition."

We may even unconsciously put together our "intuition" from our family and childhood environment. For example, John comes from large, happy family where chaos represented positive outcomes. When a group goes into chaos, John's intuition tells him this group is working well and he facilitates by supporting the chaos. Ann comes from a small family who prized peace and each person having her own space. When Ann experiences chaos in a group setting, she intuits that she must facilitate so that each person has more space to sort through things. Unless Ann and John have considered the source of their comfort and discomfort, John may be confused when a chaotic group is also angry and resistant and Ann may be taken aback by a group who performs best in chaos. In either case, these facilitators may confuse the group by their
intuitive direction or influence.

It is the advanced facilitator's job to help groups unravel their hard wired concepts/ "intuitions". More importantly, the facilitator must be keenly in tuned with her own hard wired concepts and do her own human homework on a regular basis to unwire them. Only then can she distinguish the group's dynamic from her own.

Observation and Interpretation

In the unwiring process, we must distinguish observation and interpretation. (See
pre read material: "Concepts for Facilitating Insight" by Brad Barbeau, Ph.D. pp5-6.) The more that we can distinguish what we observe from what we believe and conclude about what we observe, the more potential we have to tap into a reality shared by the whole group. In our attempt to unwind or unpeel interpretation from observation to get to the underpinnings of what we might otherwise perceive to be intuition, this model may assist:

"I notice when ...happened, I had a sense of (or a feeling that)...
Did anyone else have that experience?"

This formula allows the facilitator to distinguish her intuition from perception based on observation and interpretation and offers space for testing her intuitive data with the group. This formula might also be used by the group in unpeeling their own interpretation from observation.

At Level II, a facilitator looks for balance in the group - balance in: participation, diversity of styles, group reflection and output. The facilitator often moves the group toward greater balance by pointing out what is not present, by acknowledging what the group may not regard as important, and focusing on areas that are not included in the agenda. The facilitator is balancing her own intuition and structural thinking throughout the meeting.

Balance in the facilitator is achieved through experience and self reflection and development. There are a number of areas which, if explored, will support the Advanced Facilitator in self understanding and their use of intuition:

• Family dynamics and role in the family:
  These are often strong influencers in what and how facilitators pay attention to groups. For example, if a facilitator played a peacemaker role in the family, that facilitator may notice his tendency to tune into the group's conflict and his immediate desire to smooth it over. A facilitator who played the care giver role in the family may notice his tendency to focus on individuals who are not happy in the group and his natural desire to take care of that person.
  
• Personality style and development:
  Personality style predisposes us to attend to certain stimuli. For example, one person might walk into a room and notice how the room is set up and what art is on the wall. Another person might walk into a room and notice how is feels to be in that space. And yet another may notice how the noise coming from the window fills the room. If we are familiar with our own tendencies, we have an opportunity to broaden our attention or decrease our reliance on a particular modality of acquiring information. The Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator offers insight into our personality and behavior on the basis of four functions, including intuition. This instrument is highly useful in facilitator self assessment and insight as well as for a group's self assessment.
  
• Values
  A facilitator who has identified and acknowledged her values, also better understands what group values may cause the facilitator emotional reaction. A group that values stability and hierarchy may rattle a facilitator who values empowerment, innovation and change. Unless a facilitator is familiar with the culture of a group with whom he is facilitating, he may spend too much time thinking about and dealing with values differences, which will likely override the voice of intuition on issues of less subtlety.
  
• Emotional literacy.
  Each of us is comfortable with the expression of certain emotions and less comfortable with the expression of others. According to our comfort level and our conditioning, we may respond to or attend to different emotions in group members. If we have been conditioned that expressing anger is acceptable, but expressing sadness is forbidden, we may have judgment or high level of discomfort facilitating sadness that arises in a group. We may even be more attuned to sadness that is unspoken and check out our intuition that the group is sad more often than we check out other emotions. Or, we may suppress our intuition when it tells us there is sadness in the room because we have been taught: "don't go there".
  

Testing Intuition

Many times intuition comes in forms that are vague and not quite formed into articulateable wholes. For example, I might get a sense something is out of synch in a group, but I can't put my finger on what it is. I might feel tension in the group, even though people appear to be laughing and having a pleasant time. Facilitators are encouraged to test out their intuition with the group even in its most primitive form. This might be accomplished by saying, "I notice I feel tension in the room. Does anyone else feel that way?" The intention is to put data on the table and see whether the group feels it is worth pursuing. There may indeed be tension the group is not ready to acknowledge, or it may be that the facilitator feels tense and can not distinguish between herself and the group. In any case, intuition is often like a shy child who only develops when it is encouraged to come out, take its time and simply express whatever it wishes. Listening to and acting on intuition strengthens it so that over time vague sensations become familiar and trusted signals. It also sends a signal to the group that primitive forms of sensations are data and that such data has permission to come to the table.

Supportive Principles

In using intuition during facilitation, there are a number of principles that support, encourage and strengthen the intuitive voice.

• Curiosity:
  We are trained that having the right answer at the right time is a good thing. We are trained to have our hypotheses lined up for use and to be knowledgeable about our profession. It is a challenge to have a great deal of experience, to have seen a behavior and its meaning multiple times and to stay in curiosity anyway. We would ask ourselves: "What else could be going on here?"
  
• Non judgment
  If we are aware of our values, we must also be aware of the judgments that accompany them. In facilitation "non judgment" does not mean not to have judgments, but to be aware when they arise and to temporarily put them aside. One of the best ways to do this in my experience is to move into curiosity. The move might go from a thought of "this group is getting nowhere fast" to "I wonder how this group might be benefiting by dwelling on this subject?"
  
• Staying present
  Given the level of awareness required of an Advanced Facilitator, it is easy to have one of the many stimuli grab our attention and draw us into emotional responses or our personal opinions. We may even become fixated on a group member who most irritates us, disregarding the group's response to each other.
  

Angeles Arrien, author of the Four Fold Way, says regarding presence this way:

"The power of presence means we are able to bring all four intelligences forward: mental, emotional, spiritual and physical...It is easy to choose not to be present: we may drift off in our thoughts, be emotionally embroiled in a past problem, or be dreaming about future possibilities. In this case it can be truly said that "we're not all there". When we choose to show up energetically, with all four intelligences, we express the power of presence." (p23)

Staying present means staying in present time. As we spend time carefully calculating how to introduce our hypothesis about what is going on in the group, the time for its introduction may quickly slip by as the group's attention shifts and its dynamic changes. When a facilitator is processing with a group and moves too far into logical left brain thinking, intuition can be blocked and the learning in the group and with the facilitator will come to a temporary standstill.

• Mindfulness
  Mindfulness is the ability to neutrally witness one's own and other reactions to events and dynamics while simultaneously experiencing those emotions and dynamics. Mindfulness allows the facilitator to be present with the many levels of inner and outer activity without becoming attached to or embroiled in them.
  The practice of mindfulness can be done anywhere, anytime. However, the practice of breathing meditation is especially helpful in cultivating mindfulness. When a facilitator is mindful, intuition's voice is more clearly heard and distinguished from other voices which come from interpretation.
  
• Silence
  Silence is an unfamiliar and uncomfortable state for those of us brought up in an environment of constant stimuli. As a result, the appropriate use of silence in groups can be very powerful. Taking a moment of silence can allow each person to move inside themselves and become mindful of what is important to her at the present moment. It leaves space for the voice of intuition to be heard - both within the facilitator and within the group members. Facilitating after some deliberate silence helps a group focus more clearly on its priorities.
  
  
  
  

Barriers to Intuition

Intuition is a muscle that must be exercised. There are attitudes and mindset that weaken the intuitive muscle. In fact, these attitudes and mindsets overlap each other and tie into the principles which strengthen the intuitive muscle:

• Getting it right
  The notion that there is "a" right answer is one of intuition's killers. It does not leave room for possibility, many ways to see things and cuts off the primitive expression of a hunch or sense in favor of a more articulately formulated hypothesis. The attitude that the facilitator must "get it right" is passed onto the group, which then cuts off or narrows its own exploration to the walls that might look "right".
  
• Over responsibility
  Taking responsibility for the group's objective, the reactions of the group to events or exercises or the group's progress embroils the facilitator in the group's content and often blocks intuition in favor of "getting it right". Facilitators often take on the group's responsibilities to the detriment of the group's growth. For example, if the group does not like the way an exercise is going, the facilitator can take responsibility for their reactions, blame herself and restructure the exercise. This reaction fosters dependence. Any reaction belongs to the person(s) who expressed it. The most productive response a facilitator can have is to move into curiosity about the reaction and ask for more information so that the group can better understand and sort through its own needs.
  
• The speed trap
  Most corporate cultures use speed as a competitive advantage or as a survival mechanism. The proliferation and accessibility of information and technology have allowed breakthroughs in even our wildest dreams about how fast companies can bring products to market or manufacture tailored solutions for customers. Groups are bound by budget and deadline to produce results quickly. This is a trap for facilitators and it is an instant intuition killer. Facilitators must stand for balance. Research is adamant that 80% time spent helping everyone understand the challenge, the issues and what has to be accomplished and 20% time spent implementing is the most successful formula. Ownership upfront and the formulation of relationship represents the backbone that allows the solution to stand. Facilitators that get caught up in the notion that there is no time for brainstorming, reframing, questioning assumptions or "going slow to go fast" are imitating an unbalanced culture which will not represent the innovation and more informed decisions of which groups are capable.

Summary

No facilitator is without fear, personality strategy, style preferences or judgments. In fact each of us is a unique combination of these elements. Because a Level II Facilitator must be aware of so many levels and so much diverse stimuli, a very highly tuned intuition is required. In order to do that, Advanced Facilitators must distinguish intuition from their learned perceptions, their personality predisposition and their unconscious motives. There is a great deal of human homework necessary to be an effective facilitator. As we clear our filters and make a habit of self development, we become more effective in our work and in assisting group's to develop. We also fuel our own intuition and creativity in life.

© The Use of Intuition in the Art of Facilitation By Therese Rowley, Ph.D., 06/01/96

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