Day 22

I spent most of my day facilitating a planning session for the board of a local nonprofit. It was fun and interesting. However, there were a number of times during the day when one person in the group pointed out the shortcomings (as he saw them) in the process I was using. I found myself getting defensive. I knew that I could easily get drawn into a pissing contest with this person. Instead, I paid attention to what I was feeling, then I tried to hone in on what he might need. I allowed him to be the expert and guide the process at key points. I took a step back, recognizing that any perceived conflict was an illusion. At the end of the day he complemented me and the job I did as facilitator. I felt victorious in spite of avoiding the battle.