on the lighteR SIDE: facilitator toolbox

10/10/2007, Peter Rennie wrote:
Earlier this morning it was asked [on the afn list serv], amongst other things, in addition to the six hats are there any other de Bono tools that people find useful?   I responded via afn network and suggested that de Bono's Concept Fan was worth a try.    

I gave an example, one used by de Bono, on how you could surface surprising innovative alternatives.   The proof of a good tool however is its adaptability.  So as the recent light bulb discussion gathered momentum a question arose; Can de Bono's concept fan be used to surface new solutions?   

First let's restate the challenge posed by Joel Levin:
. . . So, if we know how many counsellors it takes to change a light bulb (one but the light bulb has to want to change)   How many facilitators does it take......?
- one but they have to use butchers paper?
- one but they have to have 30 people watching?

De Bono's first step would involve brainstorming possible solutions.   To do this let's draw on the contributions to date...

In distilled form [with the authors names acknowledged] the brainstorm looks like:

* One but they have to use butchers paper. [Joel Levin]
* One but they have to have 30 people watching.[Joel Levin]
* One if the energy in the room is honoured. [Max Hardy]
* None, important the facilitator doesn't get in the way. [Max Hardy]
* Can't say because of confidentiality  [Glyn Thomas]
* Before presenting my answer, let's take a moment & find out what some others think. Let's go round the circle. [Glyn Thomas]
* One, but only with the permission of the group [Ed McKinley]
* Need to workshop on type of light bulb... "fluoro, low voltage, LED, or incandescent bulb first!" [Jim Lord]
* Ethics of judging lightbulbs:  "Should we, or are we ethically, able to judge the light bulb just because it has ceased working to our expectations?  The light bulb may be adequately fulfilled as is and may have valid reasons for it's behaviour which for whatever reason it does not wish to illuminate to us?" [Craig Walker]
* Leave it unchanged: darkness brings its own benefits [Max Walker]
* Reframe the change in terms of Occupational Health & Safety (OH& S). [Lea Norbisrath]
* It only takes one  - just get on with the job. [Rick Summerfield]
* We help them to change themselves: "We don't change lightbulbs, we create the space in which they can change themselves. [Vivienne Blake]

Utilising the concept fan process, De Bono would next extract a number of concepts, which might look like this:
    Use their facilitation tools 
    Involve the group
    Use facilitation processes
    Group norms
    Nature of light bulb
    Why Change?
    Practice vs Theory
    Etymology of each word in statement
    Light bulb as a metaphor

Then, let's expand on these concepts and make a "fan" : 
Use their facilitation tools   
One - use butcher's paper to handle globe   
One - use the trainer board as a step ladder    
None - use light from data show projector
                One - need 30 people watching
                -    let's go round the circle
                -    need permission of group
Involve the group        
                    None -  reframe exercise into problem solving
                    What are the assumptions people make
                    eg what is the state of the bulb?
                    eg has anyone tried turning on the switch? 
                    One - honour the energy in the room
Use facilitation processes    
None - help the group find solutions
                None -  use experience to explore Kurt Lewin's B=f(P,E)                   Can't say because of confidentiality
                First clarify if okay to judge the light bulb
Group norms           
                None - establish a duty roster for maintenance       
                First clarify type of light bulb to be replaced . . . .       
Nature of light bulb        Need to determine the size eg how "heavy" the light bulb is (see assumptions in 'involve the group' above)
                 None - darkness has its own benefits
Why Change?            
None - it's an OH&S issue (also see assumptions above)
                One - get on with the job Practice vs Theory        
                One - don't make a fuss just model enabling behaviour 
Practice vs Theory       
One - don't make a fuss just model enabling behaviour
Etymology of each word in the statement         
Change - could mean change in colour (see assumptions)  eg use white board markers
The word "take" could be reinterpreted to mean a light bulb that consumes facilitators eg it takes a socket / . . . . . . . . . full of facilitators (needs work)  
Statement as metaphor    
Give light bulb space to change itself. 

You can see that the tool has produced some additional ideas / solutions. Of the new ideas my preference is: 
None - use the experience to explore Kurt Lewin's B=f(P,E) 
                 
Cheers, 
Peter Rennie
Managing Director
Leadership Australia