Keeping on track
You will now watch and consider two videos, ‘It did take a few reminders’ and ‘Well, I can’t agree to this’.
Activity 12
Video 1: ‘It did take a few reminders’
Lisa and Alan review the interaction with Marcus and discuss Michelle.
Download this video clip.Video player: It did take a few reminders
Transcript: It did take a few reminders
LISA
It did take a few reminders about time limitation before he picked up on it, but keeping the group to time is one of the key facilitator tasks.
ALAN
And how did he take it?
LISA
He understood that we were time challenged. It’s harder getting him not to talk about things that are not on the agenda.
ALAN
I’ve always found a good way is to recap about the issue in hand, and then get them to clarify how those comments are added to that topic of conversation. Or… to reflect those comments back to the group, and then open it out for a debate.
LISA
I can see that would work well.
ALAN
The hardest person to deal with by far, though, is Michelle. And not by what she says but how she affects the rest of the group, especially Mark and Louise.
LISA
Michelle is definitely challenging, and perhaps with good reason. She needs answers and the way this group works, she has to wait a long time for them.
ALAN
Yeah, you just don’t know where you are with Michelle. I mean, she says she agrees with something, but then everything in her manner, tone and attitude says the complete opposite.
LISA
I think she’s just frustrated with the lack of progress the group has made. She doesn’t suffer fools gladly. She dislikes the flippant comments and the lack of commitment from some of the others.
ALAN
Yeah. I mean, it is easier to understand, but how do I manage her behaviour so that she doesn’t upset the rest of the group?
LISA
You have to be subtle but firm. When we had our meeting earlier in the year, a situation developed because Mark wouldn’t sign off on the desk plans without discussing it with his department first and Michelle had gone to an awful lot of trouble to make sure it was fair for everyone involved…
FADE OUT
It did take a few reminders
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Video 2: Well, I can’t agree to this
See how Lisa copes with Michelle’s frustrations.
Download this video clip.Video player: Well, I can’t agree to this
Transcript: Well, I can’t agree to this
MARK
Well, I can’t agree to this without talking it over with my colleagues. There are just far too many compromises to be made.
MICHELLE
We’re all making compromises, Mark, but you’ll see the benefits for everyone once we get in there.
MARK
I can’t just agree to it. It has to be thought through properly.
MICHELLE
It’s all been very carefully considered. We’ve been through ever possible permutation of desk arrangement there is and this is the best that we can come up with.
LOUISE
I think Mark’s just saying he doesn’t feel comfortable. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.
MICHELLE
Well, that won’t get us very far, will it? We’ve talked about this over and over again and it gets us nowhere.
GRACE
Where have you put Maria’s team? Oh yeah, over there, at the back. Well, that means that Keith will have to walk the entire length of the office every single time he wants a cigarette.
MICHELLE
If you can think of a better way, then go ahead and try it. As I said, we’re all going to have to compromise. It’s not going to be the same as we’ve got now.
LISA
Michelle, would it be fair to say that you are happy with the layout as it stands and that you’re urging everyone to accept it as the best option?
MICHELLE
You could say that.
LISA
And what is the feeling around the table? Can I check if anyone else is happy to agree to this layout, or do you want some more time to look at it in more detail?
MARK
Well, you know where I stand on this.
MARCUS
More time would be useful in this case.
LOUISE
I’m really sorry, Michelle, but I am going to need to look at this properly.
MICHELLE
Well, if that’s how everyone feels, who am I to disagree?
LISA
Michelle, I think everyone does understand where you’re coming from but the consensus here is that now that there is an actual plan to look at, they’d like to take the opportunity to look at it in more detail before they agree to the final layout.
MICHELLE
Well, if that’s what everyone wants…
LISA
OK. Well, let’s move on to the question of dates. What do people feel about the options we have here?
FADE OUT
Well, I can’t agree to this
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Reflections on Lisa with Michelle
- What was Lisa’s approach to dealing with Michelle?
- What else could she have done?
Note your thoughts in the box below.
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