See a photo of Andree, her bio, and Part 1 of this Q&A.

Q&A with Andrée Iffrig, Question 3:

Q: The objective, reportorial way you describe these peer-learning groups in “Finding Meaning in HR” (an article published in HRIA Journal in Winter 2008) reminds me of the “visiting anthropologist” role you describe in your book, Find Your Voice at Work: The Power of Storytelling in the Workplace — “like a bird in the sky who can see the big picture.” Do you play any other roles in these peer-learning groups? Did you create the concept of this storytelling peer-learning group? If so, can you briefly discuss how the concept evolved?

A: My preference as a facilitator is to provide participants with tools they can use in a peer-centred setting. Some of those tools, such as the self-directed learning groups or storytelling circles, do not require professional facilitation (in other words, they don’t need me). It is my hope that by making these tools readily available on the web, and through my book, that employees will find ways to work together productively and create friendlier workplace communities.

Other tools require, or benefit from, more formal facilitation. Storytelling Dice, which I developed, can be conducted without a professional facilitator; the success of the game is improved, however, with professional guidance in drafting topics and clarifying ground rules for generous listening. Not many people have experience of practicing generous listening.

I have studied with Rachel Naomi Remen, of the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness in California, and have adapted storytelling tools she originally developed for workshops in the American medical community. Participants use stories in the course of my workshops, but the goal is not storytelling per se; rather, I help professionals revive a dream of serve. The vehicle for doing this is storytelling.

The other influence on my work has been participatory development. Working alongside the Ford Foundation in the 1980s in Indonesia, we were using story as a way to structure case studies of effective and ineffective management practices in non-government organizations. “Development from the Ground Up,” one of the final chapters in my book, describes our use of storytelling for improving the delivery of programs in the NGO sector.

More recently, I have been working with peer groups as a result of co-authoring a book with colleague Keith Seel. Seel is the director of the Institute of Nonprofit Studies at Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta. He uses a discovery learning process that mirrors what we used in Indonesia. Remen and other practitioners are also deploying a discovery learning process: a process of reflection, discussion and discovery.

Interestingly, I am not involved in the actual peer group as it does its storytelling; I facilitate the process but I don’t participate. This is intimate sharing; only participants in the peer group hear each other’s stories and own the learning. I can tell you from long experience that this is powerful learning, transcending conventional adult learning techniques; it is non-didactic and creates a level playing field; and the process is bullet-proof—it works every time, producing amazing results.

My job is to embrace the energy in the room, create a safe place for sharing stories, and be compassionate. Chris Corrigan describes this as “The Tao of Open Space.”

About the genesis of peer learning groups:

Peer learning circles were in use more than a century ago in Sweden; you can learn a little more about their use by reading the introduction to a guide I co-write with Keith Seel, available online (p.10). Here is an excerpt from that page:

Peer Learning Circles (PLCs) are a vehicle for enhancing participatory learning

They promote a culture of learning and discovery

PLCs have been shown to overcome the inertia that many people experience when confronted by the need for change in organizations.

Field testing with this learning methodology has shown that PLCs result in the kind of higher level learning that positions participants to develop new perspectives and to jointly work out solutions to thorny problems.

Unlike more process-oriented approaches or conventional training techniques, PLCs emphasize a combination of reflection, discussion and shared learning or discovery. This is experiential rather than didactic or practical learning, and is retained by participants long after the learning

Most of us recognize the difference between a lecture, classroom-based training, and exploring ideas in a small group. PLCs fall into the latter category. The participatory approach of PLCs means that group participants have greater control over what they need and want to learn. This in turn increases their capacity individually and collectively for critical thinking, problem solving and decision making. The benefit to the organization is the creation of new learning and action plans for furthering its mandate.