GROUP WHISPERING Helping groups find their hidden power Carol Sherriff and Simon Wilson.

GROUP WHISPERING

Helping groups find their hidden power

Carol Sherriff and Simon Wilson

What is ‘Group Whispering’

A way for facilitators to help groups find the power to solve their own problems and create their own solutionsGroups are doing the best they can with the

resources they haveGroups have more power than the

individuals that make up the groupThe facilitator’s job is to help the group

unlock their power and focus it

Why Group Whispering

Many standard facilitation approaches result in groups feeling that things are being done to them

When groups most need to dig deep they also need to find their own way

Facilitators need to be able to focus on what really matters and avoid being drawn into the superficial

Tools and techniques

1. Reading the non-verbal communication of the group

2. Unlocking the energy of the group by working with its stories and metaphors

3. Questions that help the group work through its frustrations and benefit from its diversity

4. Helping the group understand its power over individual members

5. Introducing the group to ways of co-creating solutions and new ideas

6. Understanding your own behaviour in a group

Group Whisperer

Still your mindAllow the internal talk, pictures, feelings to fadeFocus on the group with a ‘soft’ gazeNotice what you notice

Working in pairsPerson A describes a group they have worked

with (1 min)Person B goes into group whisperer state and

senses the group describedQuick feedback and change roles

Unlocking the energy of metaphors Metaphors help groups reach deep

understanding of what matters to them A metaphor is a way of talking about one

thing in terms of another thing

Unlocking the energy of metaphors Capture the metaphors members of the

group use to describe themselves Ask the group to agree the metaphor

they want to explore Get into the Group Whisperer state

Ask open and ‘clean’ questionsMove the metaphor on – ‘what happens

next?’Debrief the metaphor – what did the group

learn?

To find out more

‘Metaphors at Work’ in the IAF handbook, Creating a Culture of Collaboration

Podcasts and resources from Riders on the Storm

Questions eBook Contact us

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