Facilitative Interventions

As a padawan facilitator, I’ve observed a commonly arising decision when dealing with groups: to intervene, or not to intervene. One large part of a facilitator’s work is to establish boundaries, or at least, to lead the group to establish boundaries, so less intervention is required on the facilitator’s part. When intervention is necessary, the group understands and respects the reasons why.

This same decision is common in everyday life as well. After observing something against your sense of order, do you intervene? If so, how?

I will admit that I choose my bus seat (and sometimes stop) to avoid the practicality of intervention. I generally avoid those seats up front, so I reduce my involvement with the elderly, handicapped or impaired. I usually stay out of the back to avoid the rowdy kids and poorly behaved adults.

This also applies when one’s friends are having a disagreement, or seem to otherwise be drifting astray. When do you intervene? We’re all familiar with ‘Interventions’ in the addict sense, but the word also applies to smaller interactions. For example, if you are with a group that’s running late, it’s generally appropriate to remind them of the time. The next step might be to seek out your server and ask for the check.

Anyway, this is a topic that’s been on my mind some. There’s no real point to it.