The, "5P's," of a Masterful Facilitator

Facilitating a meeting is an art when done effectively. Let’s face it. We have all been in meetings that went well, and some that didn’t. Often the success lies squarely on the shoulders of the person facilitating the meeting. Let’s take a look at 5 elements that contribute to your meeting success.

PREPARATION: What happens before the meeting is just as important as what happens during the meeting. Determine what you want your ultimate outcome to be. Plan your content and activities accordingly. It is helpful to know that 70% of adults are visual learners. So make certain you have stellar visuals in the form of Powerpoint and handouts. It is essential to host your meeting in a room with state-of-the-art audio visual capabilities. And always test your A/V equipment well in advance so there are no last minute surprises. Other learners include auditory and kinesthetic which is hands-on learning. It is helpful to engage all types of learners. Keeping this in mind as you prep will contribute to learning success.

PERSONALITY: A great facilitator isn’t afraid to let their personality shine through. To be effective, you need to have a balance of the business level and the human level. What that means is you accomplish the business at hand, yet, at the same time, you can use humor and stories to make things fun in the process. This creates a comfortable environment that is productive and enjoyable.

PUNCTUALITY: Start on time even if everyone is not there. It sets the standard that punctuality is important and it honors those who are there on time. You also want to be punctual about breaks. Some facilitators are so absorbed in their agenda, they wait too long to call a break. This frustrates your participants and they will mentally check out. Make sure your meeting room is equipped with comfortable chairs as this helps folks maintain between breaks.

POISE: There are times it becomes necessary to navigate negative behavior or comments. The way to handle this is to remain poised and empathize with the person’s viewpoint if possible. You can make statements like, “I can see you feel strongly about this,” or, “I understand the situation may be frustrating.” Avoid using the word, “But,” as it cancels out the empathetic statement you just made. Follow the empathy statement with a question such as, “What are some positive steps we can take to remedy the situation?” Another question can be, “What is the best way to turn this around?” You may also defer to the group to effectively handle negative viewpoints and get some ideas.

PERSPECTIVE: One thing that is critical is to remain open-minded as people share their opinions. A masterful facilitator can take those comments and weave them directly into the content. If you don’t know an answer to the question someone poses, commit to finding out for them. You want to avoid jumping on the complaining bandwagon. I have seen this happen and it becomes a run-away train. Have answers prepared in advance for any tough questions you may anticipate arising. Practice these, “5 P’s,” and you will be a star facilitator that hits the ball out of the park!

Excitement Abounds in Atlanta on Memorial Day Weekend!

Memorial Day, a federal holiday in the United States, is observed on the last Monday of May each year. Originally established as Decoration Day, Memorial Day commemorates members of the United States military who died while serving their country. Memorial Day weekend is observed throughout the Southeastern United States with many patriotic ceremonies, concerts, festivals and performances.

Memorial Day weekend is also unofficially recognized as the beginning of the summer travel season, making the long holiday weekend one of the most popular of the year for beach getaways, mountain escapes, shopping trips and other weekend destinations.

Atlanta has some fantastic Memorial Weekend holiday festivities in store. Check out Stone Mountain for the debut of their 3-D Lasershow. The state's No. 1 attraction announced Monday that its most popular draw is being enhanced with digital, multidimensional projection that adds 3-D-like effects without the glasses. The Lasershow Spectacular, Mountainvision, as it's being billed, will debut Memorial Day weekend. Free admission for active duty and veterens May 28 – 30^th!

You can also check out The Atlanta Jazz Festival! In 1977 organizers of the first "Atlanta Free Jazz Festival" wanted to host a celebration where the music would be a liberated art form at no cost to the community. Only the best jazz would do. Now more than 30 years later hundreds of acts take the stage each year during a month long celebration of Atlanta jazz before coming to a close each Memorial Day weekend at the historic Piedmont Park. The weekend features numerous nationally-acclaimed artists and is FREE and open to the public. Explore the park and visit vendors displaying some of the city's finest arts & crafts, food & drinks, and merchandise.

Tickets are half-off on Memorial Day at The Renaissance Festival in Fairburn, GA! The multi-acre kingdom is a re-creation of a 16th-Century European Country Faire where you can shop, eat and revel with a cast of nearly 1,000 colorfully costumed characters. Ten stages of music and comedy shows are set against a permanent backdrop of Tudor homes and enchanting cottages! Cheer your champion knight at the Royal Joust Arena. Feast like a King on the hearty food and drink of the period, shop for fine handcrafted treasures and watch demonstrations of the time- honored arts of weaving, coin minting, spinning, sculpting, glass blowing, and leather crafting and enjoy games and rides for all ages.

So whether you take advantage of the many activities our city has to offer or having your own barb-b-cue bash, enjoy the weather and folks you love. And remember to be grateful for the many brave servicemen and women who protect the United States of America!

Enjoy the Sights & Sounds of the Geranium Festival in McDonough, Georgia!

This one-day festival is a highlight of the Spring Season in downtown McDonough, GA that offers an exciting day of arts, crafts, entertainment, music, food, and community. Annually, over 300 vendors are on hand and more than 25,000 people will attend.

The Geranium Festival features "Arts & Crafts" from all across the southeastern United States with the most unusual and creative booths. This year live demonstrations have been added as guests can see up close and personal how many of the artists create their work. Pick up something unique for your home or a cool gift for someone special. You can also purchase geranium plants for your own yard to add a splash of vibrant color!

You’ll enjoy live music as you stroll around the festival. Everything from Jazz to Gospel will fill the air. There’s such a happy, relaxing environment with local groups to school bands and soloists performing. In addition you will want to do some taste testing of the many festival foods on hand. You will have your choice of a large variety of culinary samplings sure to make your day complete!

Come early and stay late to enjoy all the interesting facets of the Geranium Festival. Downtown McDonough has something for everyone. The 34th Annual Geranium Festival will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2011 in and around the McDonough Square in McDonough, Georgia. The festival begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m. Admission is free and so is parking! Come on over Saturday! The sights and sounds of the Geranium Festival await you!

Learn About Henna Parties

Henna painting is a wonderfully relaxing and luxurious process. Loved by young and old, henna can bring a variety of people together at any occasion. Henna is an ancient form of temporary body art dating back more than 5000 years. It has been used across many cultures. Traditionally, Muslims and Hindus decorate the skin of those participating in special ceremonies, such as a wedding or circumcision, in places like Indonesia and India. It is said that the bride’s honeymoon will be however long her henna tattoo lasts! These days, Henna parties are used by many folks to celebrate a variety of events in a creative, unique way.

Henna gives a coffee brown to red brown color which reflects the pigments in each individual’s skin, a more elegant result than other temporary tattoos. Henna is the longest lasting safe body paint. You can expect a henna tattoo to last for up to four to five days. In addition to contemporary tattoo style designs, henna has its own tradition of designs that can vary from region to occasion.

You can book a henna artist to professionally create the design of your choice for each guest. Or you can do it yourself by purchasing a henna kit, practice before the party and produce henna designs for yourself and friends.

Depending on the fineness of the paste, you can apply henna with a tube, like icing a cake. With a lot of coordination and care, people can achieve intricate designs full of scrolls, swirls, paisley outlines, and dots. Henna tattoos create temporary bracelets, motifs, emblems, or words.

Send out cards with henna designs on them for fun invitations. Encourage folks to bring and Indian or Middle Eastern dish like curry or hummus and serve Baklava for dessert. Add some Eastern music and you will enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of your henna party, creating an exotic experience that will be remembered for years to come!

Host Your Own Cinco de Mayo Party

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is not a Mexican holiday—it is an American Civil War holiday, created spontaneously by Mexicans and Latinos living in California. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday held on May 5 that commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having parades, mariachi music, folk dancing and other types of festive activities.

To host your own Cinco de Mayo party, decorate with vivid colors particularly red, green, yellow and black. Use Sombreros, colorful blankets or ponchos, and Mexican flags to create a festive environment. You’ll need the perfect Margarita!

Here’s the classic Margarita recipe.

1 1/2 oz Tequila
1/2 oz premium triple sec (preferably Cointreau)
1 oz lime juice

Rub the rim of a cocktail glass with lime juice, and dip in salt. Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into the glass, and serve.

Tacos should be on the menu for your Cinco de Mayo party. Here is a fresh recipe from Better Homes and Gardens.

Margarita Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh or frozen swordfish, halibut, or mahi mahi steaks, cut 1 inch thick
• 1/2 cup margarita drink mix (no alcohol)
• 1 teaspoon Jamaican jerk seasoning
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 large mango, seeded, peeled and chopped
• 2/3 cup chopped seeded tomato (1 large)
• 2 to 4 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion (1)
• 1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder* or regular chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 8 6-inch flour or corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded fresh leaf lettuce or spinach

Directions

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish, pat dry with paper towels. Cut fish into 3/4-inch strips. For marinade, in a shallow dish stir together margarita mix and jerk seasoning. Add fish strips, turning to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, turning fish once or twice.
2. Meanwhile, for salsa, in a large bowl stir together the beans, mango, tomato, cilantro, green onion, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, ancho chili powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Drain fish, discarding marinade. In a 10-inch skillet cook fish in hot oil over medium heat for 2 to 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily with tested with a fork, turning fish occasionally. Meanwhile, heat tortillas according to package directions. Fill tortillas with lettuce, fish strips, and mango salsa. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
4. *Note: Ancho chile powder is made from ground ancho chiles (dried poblanos). Find it with the spices in your supermarket.
5. Make-ahead directions: The salsa can be made ahead and chilled for up to 2 hours. If chilled, it should be allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving for best flavor and so it doesn't chill the fish when you add it to the tacos.
6. Fish Tostadas: Prepare as above, except substitute 8 corn tostada shells for the flour tortillas. Top tostada shells with lettuce, fish strips, and salsa.
7. Serving suggestion: Prepare a boxed Mexican or Spanish rice pilaf mix to serve with the fish tacos.

Fish Tacos, the perfect signature dish and tantalizing Margaritas will get people in a festive mood. Put on some mariachi music and you got yourself a Cinco de Mayo party. People will more than likely wear the sombreros in pictures, so have your camera ready to capture the fun!