GROUP FACILITATION TRAINING PROGRAM (GFTP)

The 2010 GFTP has been cancelled. We anticipate offering this program again in the winter of 2011. The 2009 description and dates below give you an indication of what the 2011 program might entail. (Scott Bristol 6/01/09).

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
WINTER 2009

OVERVIEW     <Back<

The Group Facilitation Training Program (GFTP) commences with a ten-week program taught Winter quarter (January through mid-March) each year. The twelve interns who are selected for this program receive intensive training and experience in facilitating process groups that have a strong interpersonal focus. The Winter intern training program involves you in three different activities with significant time commitments.

Required pre-application activities (see Application Procedure)
• All applicants are required to attended a t-group prior to commencing the interview process. There are a number of different local opportunities to participate in a t-group experience. (see page left).

Intern Selection Activities
• Due Monday, Oct 13, 2008: Written application – personal statement, 2 letters of recommendations, and $25.00 application fee: (see Application Guidelines pages 8-12)
Individual and Group interviews will be scheduled between Oct 27 and Nov 13.
• Individual interviews:1 hour interview with experienced facilitators, 1 hour interview with a GFTP faculty member and two other applicants. (Likely to be Oct 27- Nov 7, 2008)

• Group interviews: 5-7 applicants, one 3 hour meeting with both GFTP faculty (Nov 10-13, 2008)
• Notification of acceptance: on or before Monday, November 17, 2008

Intern Training Activities
• Evening introductory meeting (program fee due $700.00)
• An initial weekend t-group experience including co-facilitator and course team formation (off-site, Pajaro Dunes, near Watsonville, CA)
• Over the ten weeks of the course, two full-day training sessions plus 3 half-day sessions
• Evening closing meeting

Intern Course Activities
• Co-facilitating with a fellow intern nine t-group class and evening sessions.
• Co-facilitating with a fellow intern and a guest NTL facilitator a weekend t-group.
• Participating in nine weekly two hour clinics with 6 fellow interns conducted by your faculty instructor focusing on your specific t-group, your facilitation, and emergent group issues.

YEAR LONG PROGRAM
Completion of this program is considered a first step into the Stanford GFTP. The GFTP is structured to focus on individuals who are committed not only to the winter training program but to a year of development to become a t-group facilitator. During the first year after you complete the winter training program you will be given priority consideration 1) to work as a t-group co-facilitator working with different experienced co-facilitators, 2) to work with different faculty teaching OB374, and 3) to attend additional training events addressing key themes in more depth or not covered in the winter training.

T-GROUP METHODOLOGY WITH “HERE AND NOW FOCUS”
What is unique about Stanford GFTP is its focus on developing T-group facilitators. No one in the US over the past 15 years has trained more T-group facilitators than the Stanford GFTP. The T-group (“T” stands for training, not therapy) was developed by the NTL Institute at Bethel, Maine. This is an unstructured group experience where members learn about their interpersonal style through receiving feedback on how others react to their behavior. This means that it has very much of a ‘here-and-now focus’ (“This is how I am reacting to what you are doing now”). It also has an inter-personal, not intra-personal, emphasis to the learning so the speaker reports how s/he is affected by the other’s behavior; the speaker does not guess or interpret the intentions or motives of the other. Thus, the recipient learns how their behavior is influencing others. Feedback that makes interpretation as to the other’s motives or intentions is discouraged. (For a more detailed account of what a T-Group experience is like, see “A Week at Inverness” by Bradford and Aronson.)

OB374 INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS
The purpose of the GFTP is to provide quality t-group facilitators to work with GSB faculty in the delivery of OB374 Interpersonal Dynamics. Presently five different GSB faculty members teach this course. OB374 is a popular elective attended by more than 2/3s of students attending the MBA program at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.

OB374 Interpersonal Dynamics is an experientially based course with thirty-six students in each of the two faculty course sections. Each course section is divided into three twelve-person T-Groups. Two facilitators (who are interns from this training program) lead each t-group. Each course section is lead by one GSB faculty member, either Dr. Bristol or Dr. Francisco who are also responsible for all the winter GFTP activities.

Course time is divided between class time and t-group time. Each week the faculty instructor leads the class in approximately 1.5 hours of experiential activities that build on homework, readings, and core concepts aimed at improving student’s interpersonal effectiveness. Students are expected to transfer their experiential class learning’s to their respective t-groups. Each week co-facilitators lead 4.5 hours of t-group time. T-group time is divided between 1.5 hours during normal class time and 3 hours during the evening of the same day.

The experiential course activities and homework assignments build up to weekend t-group where students are expected to put their learning goals into action. This happens eight weeks into the course when each section’s three t-groups participate in an intensive weekend t-group experience (17 hours of t-group time) at Pajaro Dunes near Watsonville, CA.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT     <Back<

‘INTERN TRAINING ACTIVITIES’ TIME COMMITMENT
Starting before the beginning of the term and running parallel to the OB374 course, there is a formal intern training program for the facilitators. Because two sections of the course are taught winter quarter, the six facilitators and course instructor from each section are combined to form their own 14-person learning group.

Must Attend Training Dates Before you apply to the GFTP, make sure you review the intern training dates and confirm your availability. These dates are not negotiable. In the past people have caused themselves and others distress applying and assuming these dates could be changed. You will not know whether you will be working in Bristol's of Francisco's section till after the Dec 5-7 weekend. Consequently you need to hold both course times open till then.
 

2009 GFTP ‘Intern Training Activities’ Schedule <Back<

INTERN ‘COURSE ACTIVITIES’ TIME COMMITMENT <Back<

From a student perspective the OB374 class presents two different course structures they can enroll in: one day a week (3 hour class) and two day a week (2 one hour and forty five minute classes).

From a facilitator perspective you are expected to be available one day a week for student t-group meetings and staff clinics, the time commitment is 1:00PM -10:30 PM. During this time you will be involved in 2 hours of clinic meetings with 6 other facilitators and your faculty, 1.5 hours class t-group, and 3 hours evening t-group which ends at 10:00 PM or 10:30PM. Within this time span there is also room for dinner and meeting privately with your co-facilitator which we expect you to arrange on your own.

Course Section Decision  Date: Both Bristol & Francisco sections will participate in a weekend t-group at Pajaro Dunes. Fri 5:30 PM –Sun 4:00 PM. You will not know which course section you will be assigned to until after the initial T-group weekend (Dec 5-7).  Consequently to be accepted to the program you must be available to work in both the Monday or Thursday class time commitments until facilitator/instructor teams are formed.

FACILITATOR WEEKLY CLINIC
The most important on going learning event, separate from facilitation itself, is the 2 hour clinic you participate in each week with five other facilitators - 3 co-facilitation pairs. During this clinic, facilitators are expected to identify issues that are arising in their group. These topics are discussed by their instructor and other facilitators, exploring different ways these issues could be handled. Specific attention is paid to the ‘here and now’ working relationship of each of the three co-facilitating teams since the quality of this working relationship often reflects group issues and is the best predictor of your over all feeling of success with this learning experience.

COURSE READINGS, CLASS ACTIVITIES, HOMEWORK, JOURNALING
In addition to the intern training days, facilitators for all sections, each quarter are expected to know their sections course readings and class activities. The class activities and readings are very similar but each faculty member has their own set of readings and concepts they like best. Learning to be a GSB facilitator is recognizing that there is not just one way to facilitate a t-group. Your development as a t-group facilitator will involve learning what works best for you, in alignment with the approach to t-group facilitation we at Stanford are teaching.

Facilitators are expected to read and keep up to date on the course material being introduced by their faculty instructor over the 10 weeks of the class. You will be given a copy of the course reader and homework assignments used by your faculty instructor. Facilitator’s are also invited and encouraged to attend and participate in the experiential class activities lead by their respective instructor each week.

Students are required to keep a learning journal focusing on their weekly learning goals and their efforts to address their learning goals thorough their t-group participation. These journals are read by the faculty (and readers) and written feedback is provided.

We encourage interns to keep their own journal. The student format is a structure for you to consider. Intern journals are voluntary and will not be reviewed.


ENGAGING A CONTINUOUS LEARNING CULTURE     <Back<

WHAT INTERNS WILL LEARN
Clearly, this is a rich learning experience. You will learn from the group, from your co-facilitator, from clinic sessions, from the formal training programs and from personal contact with the senior trainer on the T-Group weekend. These specific themes will be addressed.

• The dynamics of interpersonal processes: How interpersonal learning occurs. How to engage in more direct, authentic interaction, and more congruent communication. One learns the kinds of behaviors that build and erode trust and safety. And one understands the conditions under which people can learn from their interactions with others.

• The dynamics of process groups: Stages of group development; the emergence and modification of norms; various forms of influence; and functional/dysfunctional group dynamics.

• The dynamics of diversity and difference: Our students are deliciously diverse and that diversity is a resource to be mined. In this and subsequent programs, you will learn how to name the differences in the room, and create curiosity – and safety for the exploration of difference rather than modeling silence and avoidance of the topic.

• Facilitation skills: How to intervene on the group, interpersonal and individual level; how to build a cohesive group with the appropriate learning norms; and how to help participants develop their skills. Most important, one learns that the best “facilitation” is less using a set of tools and more the effective use of one’s self.

• About your own style: Since our effectiveness is as much dependent on our own style as on any technical skills, there will be the opportunity to see what we do that is useful and what we do that gets in our way. From a number of sources, learning how our behaviors impact others; ways to expand our repertoire to include new ways of interacting.

Underlying all of this, we must learn about ourselves, the ways we are effective and how we are that undermines our potential. Thus learning is not “arms-length” (a set of skills away from oneself), but instead “close-in.” This is exciting and it can be upending.

As staff, we faculty will work to build a supportive climate where all of us feel free to explore, learn and develop.

FACILITATION AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND THE WINTER INTERNSHIP
Successful completion of your internship in the Group Facilitator Training Program allows entrance into a larger learning community that members can make use of to the extent that they want. This has several aspects:

Further Training at Stanford – T-Groups are an incredibly rich learning laboratory and to help participants gain the most from the experience, it is important that facilitators have a deep understanding of intra-personal, inter-personal and group processes (as well as a more complete understanding of one’s self). The initial training program can only provide a first cut at these dimensions. One of the exciting aspects of leading T-Groups is that the experience provides continuous learning for the staff as well. (We, the faculty, have each trained over a hundred groups and are still learning new things about groups, about change and about ourselves.)

1. Facilitating the Course: Seven sections of The Interpersonal Dynamics will be taught in 2008-09; three sections in the Fall, three in the Winter (two of which are reserved for the Facilitator Training Program) and one in the Spring Term. These other sections are staffed with alumni from the Group Facilitation Training Program. After your internship facilitators who are selected to staff different sections OB374are paid $500, $1000, or $3000, based on your experience.

The advantage of training several times in that one begins to get a feel for the kinds of dynamics and phenomena that are common to all process groups and the kinds of events that may be unique to a particular group. When we experience familiar themes and dynamics coming around again, we tend to be more confident of the territory and have an opportunity to practice and refine our facilitation skills in those areas that recur in the life of most or all groups. (One senior NTL trainer once said that it took about 60 groups before he felt like he really understood groups as a “living organism!”) Many alumni return to facilitate numerous times over the years: one person has facilitated over 20 T-Groups and continues to report good learning.

After your internship one co-trains with another – usually a more advanced facilitator, but as one’s skills develop, there is also the opportunity to co-train alone where one has the sole responsibility for the group.

2. Mini-Training Programs: The initial GFTP has a strong inter-personal emphasis (since we see that as the core process for the type of group conducted at Stanford). To broaden skills on other dimensions, there are four 2-day-long trainings scheduled during the course year and taught by OB374 faculty that you are welcome to attend after completing your internship. The three themes addressed in these trainings are: 1) Intra-personal Level Facilitation, 2) Group Level Facilitation, and 3) Facilitating Diversity Dialogue. Advanced Facilitator Training is the 4th event in which you have an opportunity to put these learning's in to practice.
 

Additional information is provided on the Facilitator Development web page.
 

THE FACILITATOR LEARNING COMMUNITY*
Completing this initial training program means that one becomes part of a larger community of over 120 alumni of the GFTP. This is a wonderful group with similar values and goals. They have their own newsletter and website where members can share expertise, help each other and provide a support network (*New web page). In addition:

All of these should be seen as opportunities that GFTP alumni may take advantage of if they are interested and at the pace they desire. Some facilitators do two or three of these a year to quickly develop their skills whereas others spread it out over an extended time

GFTP GSB FACULTY    <Back<

The Group Facilitation Training Program is conducted by Dr. Scott Bristol and is assisted by Dr. Richard P. Francisco. Dr. Bristol and Dr. Francisco are also the two OB374 course instructors for Winter quarter. Dr Bristol and Dr Francisco will be directly involved with you during all stages of your internship: application activities, intern training activities, and course activities.

Dr. Scott Bristol received his Ed.D. in Organizational Development from the University of Massachusetts School of Education. He received his training in group dynamics concurrently at graduate school and through NTL Institute. He has been member of NTL since 1978.

Dr. Richard P. Francisco who for nearly three decades has been an independent consultant, psychologist and educator, is currently a licensed psychologist practicing in clinical, counseling, and organizational psychology. He is also tenured faculty at San Jose State University and an instructor in Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. He has been a member of NTL since 1977.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES     <Back<

WHO SHOULD APPLY
The only formal prerequisite is you need to have attended within two years of application submittal a t-group. If you have you to experience participating in a T-group check out Local T-Group Opportunities.  

In terms of who should apply, we have found that personal characteristics are most important than any specific training, credentials or degrees. In terms of the former, the crucial dimension is being open to learning. This has several aspects, but central is the ability to learn.

• How much are you aware of your own issues and needs? (We don’t expect anybody to be without them but it is important to know when and how one gets “hooked”).

• How much are you in touch with your feelings and emotions? Since feelings are such an important part of the T-Group learning process, it is important to be aware of your range of emotions. And are you aware of those emotions that might be difficult for you to directly express?

• How able are you to take risks? This includes being able to self-disclose, to try new behaviors and push yourself into new (and perhaps difficult) areas. Tied in with this is an acceptance of making mistakes.

• How do you trap yourself; what are your learning edges? (It turns out that being open about your learning goals is one of the best ways to “facilitate.”)

• Your willingness to look at yourself including potential strengths not fully expressed as well as under-developed aspects of one’s self.

We do not expect perfection in the above categories so the second most important aspect is the willingness to learn. In fact, a trainer’s openness to learning is just what we want we want to model to participants. Are you will to seek and accept feedback? To move into new area that may be a “flat” or undeveloped part? And to accept not being perfect but accept making mistakes?

As we have stressed, this is not therapy. Although clinical skills can be helpful to the facilitator, the (typical) therapeutic detachment is not useful. We expect the facilitators to use their own feelings and reactions in their interactions in the group. You will not “facilitate others” but instead “facilitate yourself.”

It is not a requirement to be proficient in skills and techniques of conducting T-Groups (that is what you will learn from this internship). But it is a requirement to have participated in a T-Group. In addition, it can be helpful (though not necessary) to have one or more of the following:

• Facilitated small group interaction (team building, process consultation)
• Clinical training (including one’s own therapy)
• Course work in interpersonal and group behavior

A WORD OF CAUTION
Because of this major time commitment, make sure that other (work/family) pressures in your life are such that you can take this time without feeling pulled in too many ways. You can assume that the commitment of energy and emotion involved in this program will lead you to spend somewhat more time on this experience than we have already outlined. If work/family or other obligations are likely to pull you away, we ask that you apply another year.

It is imperative that everybody, including facilitators, commit to all the formal meeting times. Absence not only interferes with your learning but the learning of the other facilitators and the OB374 students. Attendance is especially crucial for the student T-Group meetings, and since we make it a course requirement that the students attend all of those sessions, we have to do the same for you.

This ten-week program is rich in learning but it also is demanding and, at times, even stressful. Even though we will strive to build a supportive climate with conditions that support each individual’s personal rate of learning, you will experience the internship as pushing you in many ways. Basic to the learning process is that people are willing to be open about their reactions to what is going on; that self-disclosure applies to the facilitators (and staff) as much as it does to the OB374 students. Since the feedback is built around your reaction to another’s behavior (not your cognitive interpretation of their motives), you will be urged to fully get in touch with those reactions. Central to that are your feelings and emotions (of warmth, hurt, anger, closeness, competitiveness and the like).

Since we believe you will only be as good a facilitator as you are fully a human, we link the professional and personal. You will be spending much of the ten weeks in touch with and expressing your feelings and reactions. Some of these feelings and reactions are ones that you will feel good about and others will be ones you might not. But “everything is grist for the mill” and will be ones you will be encouraged to disclose. As one top professional in the field said “the only mistake a trainer can make is not being willing to look at his/her own mistakes.”

People will find this experience more stressful if they have difficulties in self-disclosing, getting in touch with and expressing emotions, being vulnerable and needing to “look professional and show how much they know”. These difficult areas are ones they will be urged to enter. We don’t expect you will do this correctly all the time; after all this is a learning experience for everybody. What we do expect is a willingness to work on these areas (because modeling working on these issues is the best way to “facilitate” the group).

Again, we need to stress that even though there will be times of high emotionality and self-exploration, this is not therapy. Therapy is important but needs to be done elsewhere. This is a process that increases one’s ability to interact in a more open and authentic way. (For those presently in therapy, we ask that you discuss this with your therapist to make sure this would be an appropriate time for you to participate in the internship.)

THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE     <Back<

Your application should include 2 parts:

1. A Personal statement derived from the questions below.
2. Two Letters of Recommendation from people who can speak to the issues outlined.

Part 1. Personal Statement:
a) What training and experience have you had that you think would be relevant?
b) What about your style/abilities/attributions would be an asset to your facilitating and to your own learning?
c) What about your style/abilities/attributes might cause difficulty in your facilitating and could interfere with your learning? (Including difficulty in recognizing or expressing certain emotions.)
d) Are you presently in therapy? If so, have you discussed this with your therapist?

Part 2. Letters of Recommendation:
Please give the following statement to your references and ask that they mail hard copies of their letters directly to Dr. Scott Bristol. If they wish to send their letter electronically, please have them send e-mail to Paul Mattish, Assistant to Dr. Scott Bristol, at pmattish@stanford.edu . Be sure to have your references include a phone number where they can be reached for further information.

“Since you have agreed to write a letter, we will start with the assumption that it will be positive. However, you can be more helpful to the applicant if you would respond candidly. This is a demanding program and if the fit not right, you are not doing that person a service if you write an (erroneously) glowing report.

This is a program that requires the intern to be in touch with (and express his/her feelings, to deal with disagreements (and at times conflict), to be willing to be vulnerable, to be open to learning, and to not be defensive around mistakes (a tall order). What do you think he/she does well and what might he/she have difficulty with around these dimensions?

Thank you for your cooperation and your candor.”

We will try and contact you if you are missing any reference letters for your application. Please be sure to include a phone number and email address where we can reach you. Also, please feel free to contact us to ensure that your application has been received and is complete.
Send your application along with a $25.00 non-refundable application fee (payable to Stanford University) directly to:

Dr. Scott Bristol
Attention: GFTP
Graduate School of Business
Stanford University
518 Memorial Way
Stanford, CA 94305-5015

You may submit your application electronically to pmattish@stanford.edu , but make sure to send your $25.00 application fee by mail to the above address.

If accepted to the program, there will be a $700.00 fee to cover expenses for the T-Group weekends and the training program.

For more detailed information about the Group Facilitation Training Program please contact Dr. Scott Bristol at (831) 457-3117. For other questions, please contact Paul Mattish at (650) 736-1272.

The Interview and Selection Process
Your application and the letters of recommendation are due by Monday, October 15th. (We will try to inform you before the deadline if your application is incomplete.)

We will make an initial screening on the basis of your written material. We will then set up “Round 1” individual interviews the week of Oct 27-Nov 7 . Upon completion of “Round 1,” we will hold “Round 2” group interviews during the week of Nov. 10-13. You will be notified about your acceptance on or before Monday Nov 17, 2008.


SUMMARY OF 2009 GROUP FACILITATION TRAINING PROGRAM SCHEDULE      <Back<