Art of Hosting

[Sandor_Schuman]

Is "hosting" the same as (or a branch of) "group facilitation?"

This video, "The Art of Hosting" is 35 minutes long (and sufficiently slow-paced that I viewed only segments of it) and looks alot to me like group facilitation of the large group/ dialogue variety.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1155394240

There are a number of other videos in this series. Does anyone know what this is about?

[Odilia_ Mabrouk]

Hi Sandor,

I'm not involved in the Art of Hosting, but I know quite a few people who are, and I would say:

Yes, you're right that the Art of Hosting is linked to facilitation in as much as it is about 'hosting' a space, group of people and that 'third element' that is more than the individuals present.

But there is lot more to it as well; for a better definition and more information you can visit: http://www.artofhosting.org/home/

Warm regards,
Odilia Mabrouk
www.seachangeconsultancy.com

[Myriam_Laberge]

Sandor,

I too watched the Art of Hosting (AoH) video with interest as I have both attended and helped to host local AoH events. For me, the contribution of AoH to the field of facilitation and the nexus for change is about the integration, design, and flow of wholistic group methods that enable and support meaningful conversations and outcomes. I admit, however, to being dismayed to see rise up again within the AoH community, a theme of wanting to somehow create a dichotomy that sets "hosting" apart from "facilitation". As I understand it, this distinction suggests that facilitation comes from a 'mechanistic view' of organizations and communities, whereas hosting comes from a 'living systems' view. Quotes from the video that exemplify this:

Ravi Tangri: "A facilitator for me stands outside of the group like a symphony conductor guiding and controlling them with various processes. A host steps into the field of the system and senses what it needs to support itself on its way forward; a host provides the minimum amount of structure to allow the living system to align and self-organize and go where it needs to go."

Monica Nissen: "Facilitation for me has more a quality of entering outside the field and ‘doing something – making things easier’, whereas hosting is actually entering into the field and inviting people into your own field – the quality with which we tend to hold these processes."

This is an issue that I have previously taken up on the Art of Hosting listserve and also in my Co-Creative Power (http://myriam-musing.blogspot.com/) blog - see specifically the post: “Facilitation and Hosting: A Dichotomy or a Continuum (http://myriam-musing.blogspot.com/2007/11/facilitation-and-hosting-continuum-or.html)” in conversation with my colleague Chris Corrigan, where I challenged this tendency as creating a real disservice to the field: (quote below extracted from that blog)

"The facilitator’s neutrality does not equate in my mind with being a mechanic; it is a role adopted on behalf of and in service of the whole system towards its greatest ongoing good. Within that role, it is still possible for me to 'lead from the emerging field' and to 'host consciousness' - in other words, to discern what is emerging, to sense the questions that need to be asked, to have the courage to name patterns, call behaviours, and to suggest changes in process direction - all in service of the group's larger health and wholeness. Up until now, I have called this "masterful facilitation", or "servant leadership"; it requires complete detachment from the outcomes, and no investment in being right, looking good, or making a difference. I am willing to also call it 'hosting' so long as in doing so, I am not agreeing to a dichotomy that I do not believe truly exists between facilitating and hosting. I suggest that a true disservice will be created Chris, by fostering this distinction in the field. Instead, I would invite you to view hosting as the endpoint of the facilitation continuum – representing the deeper intention and commitment of the goal of facilitation – to host the highest and wisest good of the whole. Along this continuum, the student starts with technique and method, and as s/he gains experience and wisdom, is increasingly able to act as a true servant leader - courageous as a warrior, gentle as a midwife - a humble host who understands one’s self as an integral and inseparable member of the larger whole."

The end result of a couple back and forth blog conversations with Chris is that he agreed with the notion of a continuum, though he also advocated the importance of charting a path of wisdom from the start, so that facilitators learn how to work as a servant leader (or host) as they acquire new methods and processes.

Perhaps a clue to some of the underlying assumptions at play in the AoH community can be found in this statement on the video by Ravi Tangri: "While a good facilitator can work with maybe 50 people, a hosting team can work with 100’s and 1000’s of people at the same time, working with them as a living system."

Now to me, as an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator who has used and blended whole system, large group interactive change methodologies such as Open Space, Real Time Strategic Change, Whole Scale Change, The Conference Model For Work Redesign, World Café, Appreciative Inquiry, Dialogue, Future Search, the Technology of Participation, and many others since 1990, this statement is very surprising and reveals a misunderstanding of what a good facilitator actually is capable of doing and how s/he works.In my world, facilitators: 1) are skilled in large group methods; 2) work collaboratively in partnership teams composed of facilitators and the client group; and 3) engage in real time redesign during sessions, as needed to respond to emerging issues and needs.

Leaving dichotomies of 'hosting' vs. 'facilitation' aside, as I continued to listen to the AoH video, the key point being made by Ravi Tangri and others which I fully agree with (though do not believe is unique to AoH) seems to be the importance of attending to the living, interactive, conversational space that is created as we blend methods and processes. As servant leaders, our intent should be to ensure meaningful conversations and real work occur around those questions that profoundly matter to the client organizations and communities we serve, such that greater health and wholeness of the system is fostered.

(Ravi Tangri, AoH video) "... it is what connects all those practices, a resonance, a life pattern, a living systems pattern – all the methods are ways or entry points of how to be different with one another."

For me, masterful facilitation is both an outer art and an inner practice. "Outer facilitation" is the art (and technology) of assisting a community of participants to achieve their stated purpose and desired outcomes, through the skilful use and blending of methods and processes in accordance with principles and other articulated norms for working together. "Inner facilitation' - which my AoH friends would refer to as 'presence' is attending to what is actually emerging in the 'living field of interaction and community', and being willing to change the design to best serve the health and wholeness of the group in the moment.

(quote from AoH video) "... it is not the methodologies, because you can use those tools out of books, but about the art of what is needed inside oneself to sense what tools to use, how to design the processes the group needs to go through, what is needed inside yourself to hold a group of people".

In response to the above post on my blog, Chris Corrigan (http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/) then asked me, ".. what are the conversations that are alive and edgy in the communities of practice you are in? What is the living edge for C2D2 and IAF at the moment? For those interested in that response, please read “More on Hosting and Facilitating (http://myriam-musing.blogspot.com/2008/06/more-on-hosting-and-facilitating-contd.html)” on my blog.

All the best,

Myriam
--------------------------
Myriam Laberge (http://www.myriamlaberge.ca)
M.A., IAF Certified Professional Facilitator (http://www.iaf-world.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3320)
Principal, Breakthroughs UNLIMITED Inc (http://www.breakthroughsunlimited.com).
Organization Transformation Services
Tel: 604-943-9133
Attend our upcoming Masterful Facilitation programs:The Confident Facilitator and The Inspired Facilitator (http://masterfulfacilitation.blogspot.com/) - October, 2008, Vancouver

[Sandor_Schuman]

Thanks for a very informative reply. I would agree that we should be wary of differentiation and fragmentation of approaches, especially where there is a less-than-fully informed view toward one or some of the approaches. At the same time, we should not shy away from criticisms that may have value. It would be useful for us to become more informed about "art of hosting," and for the "art of hosting" folks to become better informed about "group facilitation." For example, I would be interested in hearing what changes the "art of hosting" folks would propose to the IAF Statement of Values and Code of Ethics and the IAF Facilitator Competencies in order to accomodate their concerns. Thanks for taking some major steps in this regard.

[Jo_Nelson]

Myriam,
I found your response very thoughtful and inspiring.

What you describe as "masterful facilitation" is close to what I see as well -- facilitation way beyond the simple techniques of getting a group to the product it needs. Sometimes I despair that many people do not even know that that possibility exists.

I agree that there are many doorways -- that some people start with techniques and discover how to respond to the journey of a group and care for the group: other people start with care and responsiveness to the individuals and their systems and learn method later.

IAF currently measures primarily the technique level and attitude of neutrality in its certification. That is a very important start, and for many groups and facilitators it is a big step. The next big question is how to grow "masterful facilitation", and perhaps how to recognize when people have the capacity to do it.

Take care,
Jo

[Simon_Wilson]

I'm finding this a very interesting thread. At the Edinburgh IAF conference last year we had a very effective opening session facilitated by Toke Moller, who is a leading practitioner of that art of hosting. I found 'being hosted' a positive collective experience for the conference of a type that might be replicated at other IAF events. For me, the defining sense of the approach was of the 'host' setting a tone and atmposhere very personally and leading in to small group discussions via an open question. Certainly the 'host' did not emphasise neutrality or separateness from the group, but at the same time had a distinct role which I see as essentially the same as that of a facilitator.

I think that there is a lot to learn mutually here, and I am intrigued by Sandy's idea of exploring where the boundaries and distinctions between the different 'arts' may be.

[Rosa_Zubizarreta]

Simon, I'm finding this a very interesting thread also! Myriam, thank you for your post, and Sandy, for your original question...

A few thoughts: One is, it seems like it's often a tricky balance, to emphasize what is "new" about a novel approach, while at the same time, affirming the continuity and connection with what has gone before...

It seems that when we emphasize the "newness", there is the risk of polarization... whereas when we emphasize the commonality, the risk is that what is authentically different in what is being offered, can get missed as new approach becomes assimilated (in the Piagetian sense) into what we already know...

And so, I really appreciate the effort to NOT have a polarization between "hosting" and "facilitation"... AND, at the same time, my hunch is that the hosting folks may be bringing something that is authentically new, and I look forward to learning more about what that "newness" may be... of course, I agree that whatever it may be, it's clearly NOT the ability to work with large groups, as that is already present within the field of facilitation!

Maybe part of the "newness" has something to do with the "bringing in the wisdom" from the start... while I hear that this is something you already do, Myriam, I'm not sure how common that is, among what most people know as "facilitation"?

***

The second thought has to do with language, which I do feel is important...

I've been finding for a while now, that I much prefer the term "taking all sides" to "neutrality"...

And for me, it's NOT "just semantics"; it feels to me that there is a significant difference in what each term conveys...

And so recently I was quite excited to come across a term in the field of family therapy, that also points in the same direction as "taking all sides"... Here's the quote:

"Contextual family therapy encourages multidirected partiality, which is the art of consecutively siding with and showing an understanding of each member's position in order to develop trust and fairness in relationships (Bernal & Florez-Ortiz, 1991)" (from p. 87, "The Practice of Family Therapy", by Suzanne Midori Hanna.)

I am of course NOT saying that we as facilitators should be doing family therapy! And, I will continue to talk about what I do when I facilitate, as "taking all sides", as I think it's a much more user-friendly term than "multidirected partiality"...

Nonetheless, there was quite a sense of "confirmation" for me in coming across that quote! And, maybe it will have some relevance for others as well...

with all best wishes,

Rosa