Page 317 - Mike Ratner CC - WISR Complete Dissertation - v6

facilitators, and how they interacted with those in attendance, lends understanding about how the

two dimensions or perspectives interacted in the dialogue setting.

“Initially it [the role of the facilitators] was formal and it walked right into informal

facilitation, which is what it would have to be to encourage the dialogue that we wanted to

have. They allowed you to know that they were there and the reason that they were there,

but after that it was a lot like a security system, you ignore it until you need it, which is a

good thing.” (P03FTRM)

“It [the facilitation] was fairly open and kind of let the group go where it wanted to go. I

thought it was fine. I thought it did what it was supposed to do.” (P04FW)

“[The role of the facilitator was] to get us to talk, to get us to share based on our own

experiences and background; to get us to open up, so that everybody participated and

nobody felt left out.” (P10MTRM)

“The facilitators, to me, have done a good job of stepping in if gets a little quiet and

bringing out a statement or two and then stepping back when the flow of the conversation

picks up again.” (P13FAA)

“It be good if somebody hit that hybrid man upside the head and knock some sense into

him (laughs) of course not because we have good knowing not to do that and the people

who watched the dialogue like you and the facilitators kept things in balance.” (P05MAA)

The facilitation style used for this series of engagement reflected a gentle movement in

approach that put topics in questions asked at each table with a time limited framework for each

person to talk which put participants at ease about the dialogue and I saw the circles allowed

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