(CGC*) Questions and Answers - about the Community Skillset of Micro-Facilitation
This post answers just about every question you could ask about the FREE process and Mentoring Guides available for self-paced learning the Community Skillset of Micro-Facilitation.
(*CGC is “Community Gold Connect” - a Section of my Substack that opens the door to establishing community-based social entrepreneurial mentors called Micro-Facilitators.)
Before continuing to read this Q&A article, it is essential that you have first read the FOUNDATION PHILOSOPHY behind it. Please take time to read that first.
Do you want to work with a new process at the cutting edge of understanding how effectively mentoring of individuals ideas can progressively improve individual lives, community inclusiveness, micro-economic diversity, community livability and even help to regenerate communities?
Then this message challenges traditional thinking!
Micro-Facilitation is a unique Mentoring Process for testing and facilitating community-based ideas for new business, for community improvement and for confidential, individual life-path mentoring.
At a separate level, it also the provides the foundation leadership skills needed for facilitating a broader social and economic Program of initiatives (the Community Gold Program) for regenerating smaller communities, and for making basically sound smaller communities (Rural, Island or City-based communities) even stronger.
How would you like to know, and KNOW that you know, in minutes, HOW to determine if someone’s business or project idea actually has “legs”- and if so - then know exactly where to next?
How would you like to know how to provide hope and support to someone who needs a little direction in finding and following a goal or purpose in life – a pathway to getting personal goals into perspective and seeing a way forward?
How would you like to know how to effectively lead or establish a spirit-led community group to implement a process of ground-up, community-driven social, economic and environmental regeneration locally?
Well, it’s time to see things differently - Micro-Facilitation is here…!
This article fully answers the following 13 questions:
1. What is Micro-Facilitation?
2. What does a Micro-Facilitator do?
3. Who makes a good Micro-Facilitator? What primary attributes are required?
4. Is a Micro-Facilitator and “Economic Developer”?
5. I already work in Economic Development – so why add the skill of Micro Facilitation?
6. What is the NEED out there for Community Micro-Facilitators?
7. What are the engagement and employment opportunities?
8. Can I start a business as a Community Micro-Facilitator?
9. Access to the Micro-Facilitator Guide Modules – How? – Is it expensive?
10. What learning outcomes, knowledge and skills can be gained?
11. Will there be Support for in-community Micro-Facilitators?
12. What about additional one-on-one support?
13. Great – Now how do I get started?
1. What is Micro-Facilitation?
Micro-Facilitation is a highly useful mentoring skillset which is applied to a range of Community and Economic Development and Community Social Support initiatives that contribute to improved livability and Social Inclusion under what I call the “Community Gold” Program.
Why is this so important?
· Developing the BASIC skillset of Micro-Facilitation has THREE objectives:
Firstly, gaining experience in interpreting and applying the Facilitation Guides to each idea, each of which is always completely different, so that the idea’s potential or otherwise is apparent to the person presenting it.
Secondly, gaining experience in Mentoring individuals along a pathway that addresses their idea’s identified challenges and needs – and again, this will be different for every individual and every idea.
Thirdly, gaining experience in mentoring an individual’s qualified idea from initial testing to reality (whether it be a micro-business idea or a community or personal project idea.)
· Like any skill, the more you use it, the more you improve. It is a skill that can be used in any situation where someone has an idea – in fact, ANY idea where someone may be unsure about how to determine if it is practical, or whether they should progress it, and in the process, identify key issues, challenges and needs associated with that idea.
This is supporting ideas right at the very point of conception - as I call it, “seed idea propagation”.
· No two Micro-Facilitation mentoring situations will EVER be the same – that’s what makes the process so interesting, so challenging and so rewarding. THAT is what will develop your skill – you will NEVER stop learning and improving. Micro-Facilitation is a skillset that you can provide anywhere, anytime. It is a progressive ground-up, “others-focused” mentoring process that can be used in any place or situation where individuals have ideas or challenges that need “mirror-gazing.”
In a community environment, Micro-Facilitation is a highly focused mentoring process which takes ALL ideas from community individuals seriously - not selectively. This ensures that every new business or community improvement idea or any personal idea that comes from community members has equal opportunity for unbiased testing and beyond that, potential for support.
Most important, it is a community-ground-up-driven process, not a top-down driven – Why?
· Top-down-driven, one-size-fits-all solutions only work selectively, no matter how well intended, as they cannot account for the total individuality and uniqueness of people, places and diversity of needs and ideas.
· Councils cannot cope with the diversity of many legitimate, micro-level needs in every community and never will. These need to be community-driven, and where practical, Council and/or Community-supported, providing a means of more effectively helping communities to help themselves.
The natural principle of Community Regeneration is this:
Just like growing your home garden, take care of the many, many small seeds of opportunity in the community regenerative garden and the rest of the garden will take care of itself. (By creating greater community micro-economic diversity, you create a more livable community, upon which progressively larger business and Industry can then see opportunity to viably establish.)
2. What does a Micro-Facilitator do…?
BASIC LEVEL 1 Micro-Facilitation - what is it for?
Two foundation Micro-Facilitators Guides comprise an Induction Guide, (Module 1,) and the Basic Business Ideas Assessment Guide, (Module 2.) This enables the Micro-Facilitator to provide free up-front, effective confidential testing of any ideas in less than an hour, or even in just a few minutes in many cases – giving clarity to their potential. This places a virtual mirror in front of the person’s idea - identifying crucial challenges and needs which could otherwise bring them unstuck.
As well as testing any business idea, this Level 1 skill can stand alone for those who just want to “test” ANY idea. (For example, the “idea” of changing your job, or selling your house, or moving to a new location, the idea to “climb a mountain” - do you get the drift?
Why?
Many people who have an idea can be inclined to see it with “rose colored glasses” and by testing their idea, the issues, challenges and needs become apparent. This could help them to avoid making wrong decisions which could impact seriously, economically, relationally or even physically. Many ideas are conceived in every community every year, and if you can provide this service to your community, you will be providing enormous help to those you assist and helping to make your community better.
This then, makes Level 1 Micro-Facilitation the most useful and most diversly applicable community support skill you can gain as a Social Entrepreneur who cares about other people.
ADVANCED LEVEL 2 Micro-Facilitation - what is it for?
There are 4 progressive Micro-Facilitators Guides within Level 2.
Under Module 3, if the person who has an idea which has been tested as having potential and wants to take it forward, the Micro-Facilitator can provide the option of Advanced Assessment under the Module 4 Micro-Facilitators Guide. This focuses on those primary challenges and needs identified under Module 3 and helps the person to look more closely at the idea before making a decision to progress it.
If further assistance is requested by the client, there are 3 more Micro-Facilitators Guide options. These are:
Module 4 - A unique approach to Micro Business Planning.
Module 5 - Current Situation Analysis, focused on 60 key questions
Module 6 - Micro-Business “Rescue and Regeneration.”
Beyond Level 1 Micro-Facilitation, you can choose whether you want to progressively progress beyond Module 2 to Modules 3, 4, 5 and 6.
This level required the Micro-Facilitator to ideally have good basic small business skills and/or experience. Remember, you will be a Mentor, and while you will NOT be making decisions FOR the client you will need be confident in providing the process. The Book “Think BIG…focus SMALL” (freely available in my Community Gold Connect Section on Substack) is a recommended read and re-read before deciding to progress with a Level 2 Micro-Facilitation.
COMMUNITY LEVEL 3 Micro-Facilitation - what is it for?
Eight more Auxiliary Micro-Facilitators Guides are focused of Community Development initiatives, including Project Management for Community Groups, an inclusive approach to Community Planning, Micro-Tourism Packaging and Marketing, a Life-path Mentoring for individuals, Developing Youth Leaders and more.
Under Level 3, these Micro-Facilitators Guides provide you with focused foundation tools for addressing various aspects of Community Regeneration under the Community Gold Program, which also provides 15 specific Actions Plans that focus on specific Community Regenerative needs. (See summary at the end of this Post.
3. Who makes a good Micro-Facilitator? What primary attributes are required?
· Micro-Facilitators provide their service at Ground-Zero community level. It requires individuals with Social Entrepreneurial flair who are passionate about being true Community Builders and Social Entrepreneurs with a strong desire to see others achieve their individual potential.
Therefore, consider the following characteristics - And if this turns a switch in your mind which says: “Yes – this is for me – I would like to know more” - then you will know, and KNOW that you know, that Micro-Facilitation is a skillset that YOU can use.
Here’s what communities need in potential Micro-Facilitators.
· You need to be a person of Social Entrepreneurial Spirit - with a passionate interest in people and their ideas and helping them to succeed.
Micro-Community health is the barometer of community social and economic stability, and Micro-Facilitators can play a crucial role in helping to raise the barometer level in their community of focus over time.
· You will treat all Clients and their ideas with equal value and equal interest, community-inclusive respect and full confidentiality. This, no matter how crazy the idea might initially seem and regardless of their education, financial status, culture, resources, or the apparent initial viability or otherwise of their ideas. Some of these people will be well educated while others will barely be able to read and write. There may be language barriers to cross in some instances. You will need to be encouraging and resist all temptation to judge them or their ideas. Rather you will use the Micro-Facilitation process to mentor them systematically towards drawing their own conclusions and making their own decisions. After all, it is their idea - not yours.
· You need to be willing and able to work closely within the Program Facilitation Guides and process provided. This requires patience and genuine interest in diverse, very small business and community ideas and ability to build a working relationship and be helpful without becoming personally involved. You’ll do this knowing that some of these ideas will not progress beyond testing. However, you do it knowing that those that do will bring a great level of a personal satisfaction along hope and improved livability to the community. This is the “Natural Miracle” of “new wealth”, as described by Benjiman Franklin) hope and improved livability to the community.
· You will ideally have broad life-skills, hopefully, basic or sound small business understanding or perhaps even experience. Relevant qualifications will augment that experience; HOWEVER, you will not be an “expert at everything” as nobody is. Rather, by working closely with the process, tools and support, you will be able help your clients understand their specific challenges and mentor them effectively towards helping themselves, not “doing it for them.” You will be strictly a Mentor who will play devil’s advocate – question and challenge your clients – but you will not be an Advisor as part of this process. Through the Mentoring process you will be able to determine if a client may need to be referred for any additional or special support needs.
4. Is a Micro-Facilitator an Economic or Community Developer?
· Economic and Community Development, worldwide, is a very broad-based Industry term which operates at many levels. A Micro-Facilitator is a community-based mentor whose foundation interest/passion is that of a Social Entrepreneur, focused almost exclusively on identifying and facilitating community Micro-Business ideas and individuals’ self or community improvement ideas. This strengthens crucial community micro-diversity, livability and inclusiveness.
5. I already work in Community/Economic Development/Social work – why would I add the skillset of Micro-Facilitation?
· Firstly, Micro-Facilitation is a Skillset that augments many one-on-one mentoring roles. Whatever your existing career or career goal, with Micro-Facilitation experience, you will identify many situations where the skill is highly useful. There is much you will learn through Micro-Facilitation, giving you a perspective unable to be understood or appreciated or gained through traditional top-down learning or experience.
· Secondly, this will widen/strengthen your portfolio of Community and Economic Development understanding from grassroots, natural science perspective that is largely overlooked or misunderstood at the traditional industry level. This will give you experience and value by putting you in the shoes of community members themselves – enabling you to see the role very differently from that of accepted Community and Economic Development, which traditionally is not micro/individual-focused.
· Thirdly, it will give you opportunity to learn about a totally different dimension of what is a largely unsupported community need, one which may better suit your own personality and strengthen your own voluntary or career-destiny - one in which you deal confidentially one-on-one with individuals ideas at the very point of conception.
· No matter what your existing career or community role, Micro-Facilitation will broaden your professional understanding, and you will far better know exactly how to deal with the many community micro-level challenges, needs and opportunities.
6. What need is there out there for Community Micro-Facilitators…?
· In effect, every community (even the smallest) needs access to a Micro-Facilitator. Broadly, community-regenerative business ideas alone are conceived at the rate of around 20 ideas per thousand population per year in any basically stable community – slightly more or significantly less, depending on the current level of social challenge and demographic structure. In parallel, there is also a variable level of community development and improvement ideas that can be identified each year. Some of these seed ideas may also open much larger windows of opportunity. In fact, you can be amazed at some of the ideas that can come out of even seemingly insignificant small or remote communities, ideas which have enormous, even international scope.
· There is need for thousands of individuals to be trained in this process at the community level across Australia, New Zealand and Oceania – let alone beyond. In very small communities, the process only requires a few hours (or much less) facilitation each month, which means the role only needs to be a voluntary, on-call one.
7. What kind of Community Application, Engagement or Employment roles can be initiated for skilled Micro-Facilitators?
Micro-Facilitation is a skillset that adds value to many existing employment roles.
· Primarily, Micro-Facilitation will augment your parallel Industry skills and experience – particularly for anyone involved in Community Development or Economic Development, Disability Support, Social Work or Job Service Support, Accountants that want to assist clients and others who have business ideas, Councils and Community Groups that want to test community development/improvement ideas, and those who work with individuals who may be searching for a life-path.
If you work in, manage or are an employer in any of the above roles, Micro-Facilitation is a very useful skillset addition to Staff Training.
8. Can I start a business as a community Micro Facilitator?
· The foundation level of training in Micro-Facilitation is designed to provide every community with someone who provides this role in a voluntary capacity to test ideas, particularly in relatively small communities.
Depending on your level of skill and confidence, if you want to start your own Micro-Business providing Micro-Facilitation, there is also scope for encouraging community co-sponsorship support, especially to establish the process, because Micro-Facilitation is wholly community beneficial.
You will really need to be well experienced and confident in Level’s 1 and 2 Micro-Facilitation before considering taking your role to providing fee-for-service mentoring.
A Micro-Facilitator’s role as a business can be self-grown, or it can also be partly or totally community sponsored as a part time or full time Mentoring Business over time, in a community or district with adequate, suitable population once community awareness and trust is established.
· While it does not provide and instant business (understand why*) Micro-Facilitation can be grown into a part-time or full-time, community-based personal Mentoring business progressively, providing a supplementary or moderate longer-term secure income. It is secure in that once you have established credible community awareness and trust, it is not reliant on periodic buckets of Government funding to sustain it. That being said, if you can establish a local Sponsor or Co-Sponsors, you will be able to grow that awareness and trust much sooner.
* Generally, it is recommended that you have access to a community population base of around 20,000 (or a similar but serviceable regional population base) in order to grow a full-time Micro-business over time, or proportionately less for a part-time business. The ideas are always there, but they are not all “conceived” spontaneously.
Therefore, to establish a Micro-Facilitation business, you will need to build awareness of, and trust in you and your service over time, so that those who have ideas respond as the ideas are conceived. (The Community Gold Program Guides provide some guidance on how to grow community awareness of, and trust in your service.) Growing a Micro-Facilitation business is like planting a seed and watering, nurturing it until it provides more and more “fruit” over time as the “tree” matures.
9. Access to the Micro-Facilitator Guide Modules – How? – Is it expensive?
· Under agreement to access the Program Modules, you will first acknowledge respect the copyright and usage requirements. All Facilitation Modules are accessible FREE to fully committed Social Entrepreneurs in the interest of growing stronger, more sustainable local communities; however, you will need to follow the Program Guidelines and be able to confirm your understanding of each progressive Module before accessing the next. My vision has always been to provide Micro-Facilitator Self-Training Guides FREE to anyone who is genuinely serious about being a Micro-Facilitator. Training is provided simply and efficiently via a self-paced, online Modules for the role or roles in which you wish to actively facilitate.
10. What learning outcomes, knowledge and skills can be gained?
Through the foundation Training Modules 1 and 2, you will realize that you have gained a level of understanding and learning that you have never understood before – genuine Community Gold. Consider:
You will:
· Fully understand Micro-economy’s and Micro-diversity’s crucial roles as the sustaining foundation of every community - how and why Micro-Facilitation can make an enormous difference for individuals with business or community improvement ideas or personal ideas, opportunities, and challenges.
· Be grounded with the Micro-Facilitators Induction Guide. This provides Micro-Facilitators with a comprehensive wealth of understanding of the nature of and challenges of dealing with Micro-Business/Community Development seed.
· Confidently know how to effectively test Individuals’ ideas for business as well as learn how to simply and effectively test the practicality of community improvement/development ideas. This process also identifies the key strengths, challenges and needs of the idea. You will also be able to quickly assess the community benefit or otherwise of proposed business and community ideas.
· Be well-grounded overall to begin developing your skills and experience as a Micro-Facilitator. You will know, and know that you know, that Micro-Facilitation is a skill that you can really understand, appreciate and look forward to using and one that you will improve in as you use it to supplement an existing related-industry skill or career or indeed open up a new career path.
· Through the entirely optional Modules 3-6 you may provide your clients with the option of Paid Mentoring* and know how to conduct closer scrutiny of ideas that indicate potential and help the individual understand his or her capacity shortfalls, the need for closer scrutiny of challenges and needs and the value of having a Micro-Facilitator as a guide in taking an idea from conception to reality.
* Why Paid Mentoring?
Through the free-to-client Ideas Testing process of Module 2, you assist the client to determine whether to progress. This enables you to develop a relationship of mutual trust with the client. Providing ongoing support is highly recommended, provided the client requests this. This needs to be paid mentorship so that you are not caught up in providing hours of support to someone who does not fully value your support. This will simply bog you down and make the entire process futile. The Program Modules 3 and 4 provide more explanation of this, and how to nurture the relationship towards Paid Mentoring. After all, if the client is progressing towards starting a business, the small cost of having a good mentor is extremely beneficial.
· With the addition of Training Module 4, you will know how to mentor with my unique Business Planning process. This process looks at Micro-Business Planning from a completely different perspective to the traditional top-down approach, by FIRST addressing the client’s priority challenges and needs identified.
· With Modules 5 and 6, you will know how to focus on identifying EXISTING MICRO BUSINESS client who have issues, challenges and needs. Then be able to assist them in addressing those needs.
11. Will there be Support for in-community Micro-Facilitators…?
· Apart from the step-by-step Micro-Facilitators Guides for each stage of the program, there are my reference publications - written over many years of experience and regularly being expanded. This includes the free Book: “Think BIG…focus Small” – a foundation publication for reference and direct use in Micro-Business Mentoring, along with the free “Project Development and Management Guide” - ideal for Community Groups and Councils.
· Promotional support will include CGC publications via my Substack, addressing questions and guidance in building and maintaining ongoing community awareness locally.
12. What about additional one-on-one support?
With a solid grounding and growing experience in the foundational skill of Micro-Facilitation under the available Guides and support, you can confidently grow your confidence and effectiveness over time. The Program Modules are designed as self-paced online Guides with articles in support through all of my Substack Sections. There is some limited scope for answering questions via Substack Chat as time permits.
Generally, though, it is my objective that the Program is fully self-support-serviceable freely though the Program Guides and supplementary support information. If you are really “stuck” on understanding something, contact me via Substack Chat.
I emphasize that the Community Gold Program is a MODULAR Community Regeneration Program with focused Action Plans founded on true Social Entrepreneurial principles of serving others. If you are going to be working with any of the Modules beyond the first 6, you only need access the additional Micro-Facilitators Guides that will be required for whatever Action Plans you need or wish to focus on.
13. Great – now how do I get started?
1. Be sure you have read relevant articles about Micro-Facilitation in my various Substack Sections.
2. Contact me at commnitygold@protonmail.com or via Substack Chat Message to discuss your level of interest and primary focus. Then you can review and confirm agreement to copyright and Program Module usage requirements.
3. You are then on your way – you can then download your first Module, then the second, and you will be ready to gain practical experience. With this foundation complete, you can then consider expanding your self-training in any of the additional Modules.
4. As you complete each Module, it is recommended that make direct contact again to briefly discuss your progress.
Summary of Community Gold Program Facilitators Guides (Self-training Modules) and Community Gold Program Action Plans.
The 6 Primary Modules (Facilitators Guides) for Micro-Business
· Module 1 (the Induction Module for Micro Facilitator Training)
· Module 2 provides the basics of Idea Assessment.
· Module 3 addresses Advanced Assessment of ideas, beyond the basics.
· Module 4 covers my unique Micro-Business Planning process.
· Module 5 Micro-Business Current Situation Analysis. (60-point questionnaire)
· Module 6 “Rescue and Regeneration” - for struggling Micro-Business.
The 8 Auxiliary Modules (Facilitators Guides) for Community Development.
· Module 7 is the Personal Pathfinder Program.
· Module 8 is Micro-Tourism Identification and Mapping.
· Module 9 is Framework for the Future (a unique Community Planning strategy)
· Module 10 is for Packaging and Marketing your Community Gold.
· Module 11 is the Micro-Diversity Expo for display of local community ideas.
· Module 12 is the Project Development and Management Guide for Community Groups.
· Module 13 is the three-part Youth Space Program for developing local youth leadership.
· Module 14 is the My-Inclusive-Ability Program for testing and supporting ideas and goals for those with disability and finding support to progress those ideas.
All of the above 14 Facilitators Guides provide foundation understanding for addressing the following 15 Actions Plans.
The 15 Community Gold Program Action Plans
(These are separate ACTION STRATEGIES for addressing specific Community Regeneration options.)
· Action Plan 1 – Establishing a Community Gold Program Support Group
· Action Plan 2 – for encouraging Community and Business Mutual Support
· Action Plan 3 – for taking Community Mutual Support to a whole new level
· Action Plan 4 – for assisting existing Micro/Small Business
· Action Plan 5 – for potential Micro/Small Business Start-ups
· Action Plan 6 – for all local Community Organizations
· Action Plan 7 – for broader Community Support of Local Organizations
· Action Plan 8 – for Micro-Tourism Development
· Action Plan 9 – for Confidential Life-path Mentoring.
· Action Plan 10 – for a Micro-Diversity Expo - identifying and propagating ideas from the Community “Seedbed.”
· Action Plan 11 – for continual Development of Community-based Leadership
· Action Plan 12 – for inspiring and growing Youth Leadership
· Action Plan 13 - for Entrepreneurship - Disability Support
· Action Plan 14 – for Packaging and Marketing your Community Gold.
· Action Plan 15 - for a Community Framework for the Future Plan
Depending on the specific role you are working in or plan to work in, beyond the first three essential foundation Modules, you can choose the specific Primary, Auxiliary Support Modules and Action Plans that you need.
Micro-Facilitation is truly like no other form of Business and Community Development Mentoring in that it is largely focused on the community and individual level of the Micro-Economic/Social/Environmental sector, and with good reason.
I look forward to having you come on board as part of Community Gold Connect and see you grow in confidence and effectiveness as a Community Micro-Facilitator.
Community Gold Program Developer - Bob Neville.
