Page 13 - The ART of Facilitation

Status vs. Power. There is a difference between status and power. Status is given to us. It is fluid and changes constantly. Power is based in titles, position, and responsibility. People give and take status when they defer to each other in conversation. As facilitators, and communicators, we want to focus on both giving status to participants and allowing it to come back to us.
Status changes are like a dance where the partners give and take the lead and focus. The communication superhero wears a status cape. In a well-facilitated meeting/conversation the cape passes fluidly and inclusively through to all participants.
In meetings, power or the highest title in the room often intentionally or unintentionally interrupts this flow of status. As meeting participants we often give positions of power status.
We get into trouble with status when we:
Think people who have more senior roles than us have a permanently higher status.
View people who have less senior roles than we do as permanently lower status and we try to hold onto our higher status.
Aren’t aware of physical positioning’s impact on status. Standing when our audience/client is seated around a table can influence status. It can keep you visible and connected to the audience and it can literally lead to speaking down to someone. Keep in mind that standing behind someone can immediately put them into a lower status because they can’t see you. Shirk or refuse the status given to us by our audience. This is confusing and uncomfortable for the audience.
Own your status when it comes your way as a facilitator and a meeting participant.
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