Your questions Answered: March Q&A
Leadership: Hosting & Facilitation in a Village!
Question 1: “How does one host or practice hosting at a Village gathering?”
Before I started hosting, I attended several online gatherings (check with VillageCo for the schedule of online Villages you can attend) and I even attended an in-person gathering, to experience the way others hosted. This was super helpful for me to see that it’s not a big deal, that it’s fun, and that different hosts do their thing.
When I started hosting Village gatherings, I kept the “Run of Show” handy so I could keep track of where I was in the sequence. The included script helped prompt me on what to say next. After a few more gatherings, I created a “cheat sheet” with the sequence so I’d just know what to say to introduce and transition to the next segment.
The first few times I hosted, I was definitely nervous. I think it’s natural for anyone to want to do well and not make mistakes. That’s why I found the “Run of Show” helpful. As I gained more confidence from practice, I relaxed and could respond to attendees.
Question 2: “If you become a Village Builder, do you have to host every gathering until someone else takes on the role?”
The beauty of the Village model is that hosts rotate. After modeling how to host in the first couple gatherings, potential hosts can be recruited into hosting by first encouraging them to start off with the grounding or acknowledgement role. Offer support by guiding them through the program sequence beforehand and helping them as they need. They can even co-host with you, while you empower them to take the lead. Their fellow Villagers will appreciate their contribution.
The best advice I was given was to host two consecutive gatherings, so that I could feel good about practicing the role. So I did and it helped me gain confidence.
As a host, you are not alone. Other people lead the grounding and acknowledgement roles, providing you an ease and capacity to attend to the flow of the program.
Question 3: “Is the facilitator the same as the leader in a Sociocracy?”
This is a common question and I can see why these two roles would be confusing. Especially when the same person is both facilitator and leader. There’s nothing wrong with one person holding both roles, especially in small circles (groups). Though, it’s ideal if these two roles are held by different people when possible.
Think of the two roles as “operational” and “organizational”. The facilitator runs the meeting (operational) and the leader coordinates work outside the meetings (organizational).
The facilitator guides participants through the agenda, keeping the circle on track during the meeting, ascertains whether to progress on item or find a good stopping point, listens to room and ensures the objectives of the meeting are met. In addition to speaking in a way that is conducive to flow, they also are keen on processing objections and offering ways to integrate feedback into a proposal.
The leader, on the other hand, ensures the circle is meeting its aims and domain by making sure members are progressing well on their projects and tasks. Leaders can also work with other circle leaders and can report to the parent circle on their progress and health. The leader is also tasked with ensuring information from the parent circle is communicated to their circle members and that they are aware of relevant actions within the organization.
Question 4: “How do we find a space to host gatherings?”
Many places are available, including community spaces, apartment commons, libraries, churches, and homes. Ask around, it’s a great way to meet new people and find spaces that can accommodate a gathering.
Choosing a venue also also depends on the size of a gathering. Smaller more intimate gatherings can happen in a home, and weather-depending, a large group can gather in a backyard or park!
Over the last 5 years, Village gatherings have taken place in living rooms, parks, garages, art galleries, community common rooms, churches, and online on Zoom, Gather.Town, and Google Hangouts.
Send us your questions (meetvillage.org) and maybe yours will be featured in our Q&A issue every week 4!