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By Allen Boivin-Brown
When facilitating DSAP as part of a team of two or more,
there are a number of things to keep in mind that will help
the process go smoothly.
1. Select Steps according to strengths. In keeping
with the principle of practicing what we preach, facilitators
should present those Steps that match their strengths. (This
is reviewed thoroughly in Tips
from the Top #1.) For example, if you are a planner, structured
and orderly, you might enjoy the more structured Steps such
as giving instructions or presenting the scripted lectures.
If you are more spontaneous and enjoy interaction with others,
and think quickly on your feet, you might do well to present
the discussion pieces or the Job Interview Role-Play and Demonstration.
2. Keep an eye on each other. Even though you will
be anticipating your own presentations, you should also be
aware of what your partner is saying. Be alert to add or correct
any significant item your partner has omitted or misstated.
This can be vital to keeping the process on track. The most
professional way to do this is to raise your hand and be recognized
by your partner. Then say, “May I add something?”
When given permission, go ahead and speak. Realize you must
cover for each other in facilitating the DSA process.
3. Segue between facilitators. Facilitators must be
clear about the connections between Steps so participants
realize there is a flow to the process. Otherwise the process
can seem disjointed and like a collection of random activities.
It is important to create a sense of continuity and direction
in the minds of the participants. Often new facilitators are
so preoccupied with getting their own parts correct they miss
this aspect of facilitating. There are a number of ways to
provide this continuity and segue between Steps.
a) When you begin a new Step, at least refer to
the previous Step. “From the Chart you have just
completed, we will now use that information to update
our list of 6-10 possible Dependable Strengths.”
If you have been attending to a previous facilitator’s
presentation (#2 above), you can actually use their words
to segue into your Step. “Bonnie just said that
Good Experiences are the raw material we use to identify
strengths. Now I will show you how this is done.”
Or, you can use a comment from one of the participants.
“Marie just said she saw a theme to the strengths in
her Good Experiences, and that is what we want to find
out about now—our own pattern of strengths.” This
reference not only connects the two Steps but also assures
the participants that you have been paying attention and
are on top of things. They will feel they are in good hands.
Better yet, periodically review the process
very briefly. “So far, we have looked at your Good
Experiences, extracted strengths from them and identified
6-10 possible Dependable Strengths. Now we will test
to see which ones truly are Dependable Strengths by using
the Reality Test.”
b) When you finish a Step, don’t just stop
and walk off. At least indicate that someone else will present
the next Step. “Now, Betty will lead us through
the next Step.” If you have more than two facilitators,
this will require that you know which facilitator is presenting
the next Step.
Better yet, you can preview what is coming
up next and connect the two Steps. “Bob will now
show us how the strengths you have just identified combine
to form patterns.” Again, this requires that you
know who is facilitating the next Step and
which Step is coming up next. As a facilitator
you should always know this information anyway to keep in
the flow of the process yourself.
Two words to keep in mind that will provide flow to the DSA
process are review and preview.
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