Apr 20, 2022 Recipe for Group Success Reflection, Goal Setting, and Group Norms Activity

As you’ve seen in previous posts, I often compare group facilitation and teaching to cooking by exploring the key ingredients, techniques, and mindset that make it a success. Many years ago, during one of my “Facilitator’s Toolbox” conference presentations, I decided to bring this idea alive by using cooking ingredients and tools for my hook or welcoming activity to initiate dialogue and reflection on the art and science of facilitation and teaching.

I gathered various cooking ingredients and tools, including yeast, baking powder, hot chilies, icing, sprinkles, a sifter, a measuring cup, a rolling pin, hot sauce, salt, etc. As participants entered the room for the workshop, I invited them to choose an ingredient or cooking tool they thought represented an essential ingredient necessary for impactful group facilitation. Then, we used them as part of our introductory partner conversations, which generated engagement, positive connections, and insightful dialogue.

Later in the workshop, I separated the attendees into smaller groups and handed each group a recipe card. I asked them to share the ingredients or tools they chose with their group and then work together to make recipes for successful group facilitation. This activity led to creative collaboration and in-depth discussion on the fundamentals of engaging, inclusive, and reflective group facilitation and teaching. It was such a success that I have continued to use this prompt in various group situations, especially in adult learning and training and in my faculty team building and vision-setting programs.

In teambuilding programs, the prompts would be centered around a recipe for group success. For example, when working with a school faculty, as teachers enter the room, I invite them to choose an ingredient or tool that represents to them a key ingredient of an effective faculty team, telling them that this could represent a behavior, action/regular practice, attitude or mindset. This prompt cultivates discussions regarding the positive group norms and behaviors they want to cultivate within their group. The “recipes” essentially become playful and engaging group norms discussions and agreements.

Over the years, I have used this as a hook to engage/welcoming reflection and group norms focused activity with groups of all kinds – mostly in adult learning. I’ve shared this technique with many facilitators in my workshops and conference presentations. Many have shared back with me that they have used it in various ways ranging from sparking a group norms discussion at the start of a work project, setting the tone for a mission and vision conversation, and reflecting on skills development. Blending your “hook” or “welcoming activity” into a more in-depth reflection or closing later in the program enhances the emotional connection and context. In addition, it maximizes the power of metaphor to create lasting, meaningful lessons.

Recipe for Success Reflection

Materials: Various cooking ingredients and tools, recipe cards, pencils

Facilitation Suggestions:

• Display an assortment of cooking tools and ingredients.

• Invite participants to choose one to represent a specific idea such as:

• “Choose an ingredient or tool that represents a key ingredient (behavior, philosophy, approach) you think will be important as your group undertakes the upcoming project.”
• “Choose a tool or ingredient that represents a skill, attitude, mindset, behavior, or action you will commit to bringing to your group in the upcoming year.”

• Engage group members in an active, pair-share activity to reflect on their ingredient or cooking tool choices.

• Invite them to hold onto the tools/ingredients.

• Later in the group process, divide participants into groups of 5 to 8 and hand each group a recipe card.

• Ask them to create a “recipe for group success” using the tools/ingredients they brought to the group.

• When the recipes are finished, bring the whole group back together and share. There is usually a great deal of playful and insightful sharing and compelling metaphors for goals, vision setting and group norms agreements.

Excerpt from Tips & Tools for the Art of Experiential Group Facilitation, Second Edition.   For more examples of upcycling or re-purposing household or found objects for reflection, see these posts from the archives: Computer Keyboard Keys, Toolbox, Miniature Metaphors, Reflection, Keys for Success and Hooks to Engage.