**Effective Community Discussion: Models, Techniques, and Resources**

**June 7^th^ 10:30 AM**

# Introduction

## Community discussion is a process, a style of community action

### There are no silver bullets

### There is no substitute for the hard work

## The community must value discussion or it will not be effective

### There are Pros and Cons

#### Cohesion and effective change vs. Time and risk

### Are you willing to hear the other voices?

## An organization or individual must act as host and lead a community meeting

### There must be a champion

### Vulnerabilities of the champion

#### Burnout

#### Ownership

# Reasons for community discussions 

## Strategic Planning

### Vision, Goal, SWOT analysis, Strategies, 

## Leadership Development

### To improve community quality of life

## Specific Opportunities or Threats

### Current issues

## Study Circles

### Members have a common interest in an issue

### They research and discuss the issue, and become specialists

### Members make valuable contributions to other community discussions

### Criticism:

####  Can be difficult to enter

#### Average person leaves saying, "So what?"

# Effective community discussions have four parts

## Developing Relationships

### Start with what you have

### Add new elements

### Break the ice

### Regroup -- Personalities (Fanning Institute), Birth order 

### Finding common issues -- common good, problems

## Sharing Information

### Lecture is not effective

### Engage all senses

### Break the molds

## Creating New Approaches

### Creativity Exercises

## Making Group Decisions

### Consensus, Compromise, Bargain, Satisfycing

# Effective community discussions have three results

## Developing and Practicing Skills

### Communication

### Negotiation

### Creativity

## Action

### Make Specific Action Plans

## Feedback

### Arrange for opinions and information on results to return to you

# Quick Tricks for Facilitators

## Know the Questions (Not the Answers)

### Planning, Preparation, Purpose

## Watch the Time

### The Facilitator does not control the discussion, but is the timekeeper

### If you've bitten off more than you can chew, help the group schedule another session

## Silence is your friend

### Count 10 seconds

## Reflection

### What I heard you say was...

## The Answer Isn't Yes or No

### Ask Open Ended Questions

### Who, What, Where, When, Why, How

## Size Matters

### A group can be too big or too small

### Suit techniques to the size of the group

### Divide up large groups to facilitate discussion

## Feel, Felt, Found

## Everybody Plays

### Circle discussion -- Statement, Question, Pass

### "Poker chip" discussion

### Mutual Invitation

## The Power of the Finger

### Selecting Group Leaders

## Write It Down

### The facilitator records what the group says, does, and decides

### A second facilitator to act as recorder is very useful

### Flip charts

### Read it back

## Follow Through

### If you say you will distribute a record (or do anything else), be sure you do it

### Contact discussion participants afterward and thank them

# Relationship Development

## Start with what you have

## Add new elements

## Breaking the ice

### Introductions

### Balloon towers

### Tower without babble

### Tangle and Trust

### Return to Childhood

### Herds and Packs

### Waiting Tables

## Regrouping -- Personalities, Birth order 

## Finding the common good

# Sharing Information -- Engage All Senses!

## Sight

### COLOR

### Computer Presentation

### Video, film clips 

## Sound 

### Voices -- Listening and Talking

### Music -- Singing and Rhythm

### Sound Effects

## Touch

### Handouts

### Notes

### Silly Putty

### Modeling Clay

### Crayons

## Taste and Smell

### Scents -- floral, vanilla, potpourri, fresh bread

### CHOCOLATE and other candy

### Popcorn, chips, coffee, tea, soft drinks

## NonSense

### Closing Eyes or Ears

### Seeing the unexpected

### Crawling and sitting on the floor

### Learning by Teaching

# Creating New Approaches

## Brainstorming

### Have a well-defined and clearly stated problem 

### Have someone assigned to write down all the ideas as they occur 

### Have the right number of people in the group 

###  Have someone in charge to help enforce the following guidelines: 

###  Suspend judgment 

###  Every idea is accepted and recorded 

###  Encourage people to build on the ideas of others 

###  Encourage way-out and odd ideas

##  Mindmapping

### Individually draw mind maps including knowledge, belief, feelings on the subject. 

### Draw a group mind map combining individual contributions 

### Each person adds their own contribution to the group mindmap 

## Forced Analogy -- Metaphor

## Idea Writing

# Group Decision Making

## Consensus

### Mutual agreement

## Compromise

### Mutual Loss

## Bargain

### Mutual Gain

## Satisfycing 

### Making a decision at the earliest point in information acquisition that the decision maker feels comfortable that he or she has made a decision to live with, not necessarily the best decision, but one he or she can live with.

# Skills Development

## Communication

## Negotiation

## Creativity

# Community Action and Feedback

## Make Specific Action Plans

## Arrange for opinions and information on results to return to you

# Conclusion

## A process, not an event

## A host and its reasons

## Four parts

## Three results

## Go forth and do good!

# Resources for Community Involvement, Community Discussion, and Effective Meetings 

### http://www.nifi.org/ National Issues Forums (NIF) is a nationwide network of educational and community organizations that deliberate about nation-wide issues. Deliberative forums provide a way for citizens to exchange ideas and experiences with one another, and make more thoughtful and informed decisions. The site provides moderator guides, discussion guides about a variety of issues, and other resources.

### [WWW.fanning.uga.edu](http://WWW.fanning.uga.edu/) J. W. Fanning Institute for Leadership the Fanning Institute's curricula and programs reflect the belief that the effective leader seeks mastery of self (self-knowledge), mastery of relationships (working with others), and mastery of action (setting and achieving relevant goals). The Institute's goal is to develop competencies within individuals that will enable them to be balanced leaders. The web site offers overviews of the curricula and programs, order forms, and links to other national leadership organizations.

### <http://www.astd.org/> American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) Founded in 1944, ASTD is both a professional association and a resource on workplace learning and performance issues. ASTD provides members with information, research, analysis and practical information derived from its own research, the knowledge and experience of other members, its conferences, expositions, seminars, publications and the coalitions and partnerships it has built through research and policy work. The ASTD web site includes specific tips and techniques for conducting effective training sessions and lists of other resources.

### http://www.ed.gov/pubs/BusinessGuide/ A Business Guide to Support Employee and Family Involvement in Education 1997 Department of Education. This guidebook is intended for business leaders and their education and community partners. Its information guides businesses that want to promote employee and family involvement in education, address workforce and student needs, and support education initiatives within communities. The material includes examples from employers who are actively participating in these efforts. Section II details a four-step process for businesses and other organizations to plan, develop, and manage initiatives focused on involvement in education.

### <http://www.ed.gov/pubs/FamInvolve/> Family Involvement in Children\'s Education - October 1997 Department of Education. This Idea Book suggests ways that schools, families, and communities can work together to build strong partnerships. Schools that are most successful in engaging parents share a broad conception of parents as full partners in the education of their children. These successful schools view student achievement as a shared responsibility, and all stakeholders\--including parents, administrators, teachers, and community leaders\--play important roles in supporting children\'s learning.

### <http://www.cced.org/Pathways.htm> Pathways: Building a Local Initiative for Compatible Economic Development "Pathways" is a publication of the Center for Compatible Economic Development, a unit of the Nature Conservancy. The Center considers "Pathways" one of the first and best tools for community readiness. It developed out of the recognition that long-term conservation will succeed only within the context of a healthy community and a healthy economy. The Center promotes strong community participation in the processes of planning and project review. Other tools are located at http://www.cced.org/tools.htm

### http://www.nwlink.com/\~donclark/leader/leadtrn.html Big Dog\'s Leadership Training Outline Page This is not meant to be a complete lesson plan, but a basic guide to get you started on a lesson plan that will meet the needs of your organization. All material on this site is copyrighted by Donald Clark unless otherwise noted. Any, educational (school, university, college, etc.), or training (business, government, organization, etc.) activity may make copies of any material on this site for instructional use, providing that no profit is made from the material and Mr. Clark is given credit within the material. Also, please email Mr. Clark, donclark@nwlink.com, to let him know where his work is being used. He also welcomes comments, criticisms, and suggestions.

### <http://nacchoweb.naccho.org/MAPP_Home.asp> Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) developed MAPP, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MAPP is a community-wide strategic planning tool for improving community health. Facilitated by public health leadership, this tool helps communities prioritize public health issues and identify resources for addressing them. On-line registration is required to use the MAPP site. 

### <http://www.epa.gov/greenkit/> Green Communities Assistance Kit The Environmental Protection Agency developed the Assistance Kit. The Green Communities Assistance Kit provides access to sustainable community indicators, community participation tools, funding and financial tools, tools to promote environmental stewardship, smart growth, civic participation and more. The Kit is packaged as a step-by-step guide for planning and implementing sustainable actions. Each of the five steps results in a specific outcome.

### <http://members.ozemail.com.au/~caveman/Creative/index2.html> Creativity Web - Resources for Creativity and Innovation Charles Cave has compiled a list of creativity techniques and information from a variety of sources. Copyright © 2001 by Charles Cave in Sydney, Australia unless otherwise indicated. Mr. Cave's e-mail address is <charles@mpx.com.au>

### <http://www.mapnp.org/library/grp_skll/grp_dec/grp_dec.htm> Group Decision Making and Problem Solving

### This site is part of the Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits, which primarily works with nonprofit organizations in the Greater Twin Cities Metropolitan Area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The site provides lists of free information available on the Internet regarding group decision making and problem solving Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, assembled the material.

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