My partner and I have been co-facilitating for about 8 years. Since we have
always worked together in other capacities as well, the flow and cooperation is
fairly natural for us. That said, when we first co-facilitated we tried clear
communication between us, but as someone else has already mentioned that
communication can seem like a secret if not completely open and then it can be
distracting as the focus goes to process not presence. Fairly quickly we
learned to use the field to guide us, knowing when to step in or step back and
knowing which lead or move to follow. It became easier and more effective to
not speak to each other and treat it as though with improv rules of saying
"yes" and moving things forward. In turn, the ability to work together with
less verbal negotiation has made our other working modalities even easier to do
together, a nice bonus. Of course if we both truly are left without a sense of
where to go, we wait or sometimes have a brief open conversation.
It seems that when one of us needs time to feel the field or wait for
inspiration, the other has something to follow or try. We almost never both
have the strong urge to want to lead at the same time and almost never both
have no sense of what to do. Again, as someone else pointed out,
co-facilitation gives much more space for the then less active facilitator to
sink more fully into the field, connect with the client, or sit back and
observe the circle.
We usually do not both step into the circle at the same time. But sometimes we
do find ourselves each facilitating in connection with different elements, like
when two elements are in dialog. Occasionally one of us might step into the
circle but be fairly quiet or passive in that moment, just checking on
something while the focus is with the other facilitator.
In general we like co-facilitating. And while we may have a unique working
partnership, it seems a robust way to go if, as someone else pointed out, that
you have great "mutual trust and respect, as well as a clear avoidance any kind
of competitive agenda or dynamic".
Thanks for raising the topic.
Eric
