What can Facilitators learn from Opticians?

Its that time of year again for me to look through a series of different lenses and see what emerges in front of my eyes, only today I am not facilitating a group, I am at the Opticians for my annual check! Instead of my regular reliable (although increasingly unreliable at close quarters!) set of lenses, I am offered the chance to see the world in a whole new way through different thickness of glass, blurring some boundaries and offering clarity to others; bringing some things up closer and distancing others. Then I stare into bright lights, focussing on one part of the whole before looking left, right, down and up for a different view and perspective. Now transfer this to your facilitation practice… What lense do you typically look through when you are facilitating with a group or transacting with a client? What might you be paying too much attention to and therefore missing in the process? What other lenses might you use to help you to focus on different data emerging from the group? As facilitators we need to be aware of what we are paying attention to and to help groups look through a variety of lenses, to hone in on some things, to move away from others and be sure to help the group to filter and to focus on the data that will help them see a way forward, rather than blinded by the light.