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Setting the stage

Joe Bryant was running for mayor of Pine Bluff, AR, in January 2000 and we met at his headquarters there. I was an hour late heading on towards noon-time, but called ahead. He was very nice about it and said that it wasn't any trouble, really. I introduced myself and where I came from. I found Joe to be very friendly and open, and full of humor, and seeking to help me in my problems (given as examples and part of the sharing process). In order to elicit his facilitation skills, I used my own difficulties in facilitation as a baseboard for Joe to share with me his insights, advice and thoughts about group facilitation. The more I shared and opened up to Joe, the more he did so with me. He mentioned near the end of the interview that he wouldn't have been so open and honest with me, if Jim hadn't introduced me to him, a man he trusts and so, Joe said, he could trust me. We finally got to what is important when facilitating. This was the most engaging part of the conversation for both us. Joe believes very strongly in his faith and is most clear on this point.

Formal experience in facilitation

Joe was involved with the national Kellogg Grant called "Integrated Farming Systems", which was later called Integrated Food and Farming Systems (aka IFFS). He was one of six farmers in the Delta region who was conducting on-farm research on various sustainable agriculture issues. Each of these six farmers was supposed to recruit to join them and thus form six teams of seven people each. Each team was supposed to be growing the same kinds of crops. The teams spanned the northeast, northcentral, southeast and southern Arkansas.

Joe said that the Project Director of his part of the grant told each of the six what they were to research from a number of problem areas that had already been identified by another process. Together they would connect our problems and share in the problem- solving process. "Our solution would be greater when we came together." "There was interest by farmers to participate in this long-term and collaborative study as farm profits were decreasing from traditional crops and production techniques.

Joe's team spent three years starting in 1993 on the first research topic, which was incorporating composted poultry litter improves the nutrients with the soil with an eye on replacing chemical fertilizers, and secondly, improves the overall soil health. All the farmers in this group met together four times a year and gave presentations. The project director maintained the focus of the groups, but the groups had autonomy to develop their own research and action plans.

Joe found that by working with a group in doing on-farm research, he could feel more certain about the results he was finding, for example, with composted chicken litter. He notes that the seven of them met once a month and "exchanged thoughts on the test plots." Together they found that not only was composted chicken litter cheaper than chemical fertilizers (NPK and liming), but that the litter gave "more expeditious results." After three years, Joe noted, the soil was restored.

With Joe's group, they took note that none of them were getting the full amount of the loans they requested and this "meant we were either always working with limited resources or couldn't take the loan because we didn't have the all the money we needed to make improvements or buy equipment that could improve our overall incomes." They presented this to the group and the project director , and ended up presenting to various agencies and eventually, along with other reports/studies ended up going to the federal government and the black farmers lawsuit. Joe said that the lack of access to sufficient funds was suffered by all small [acreage] farmers, and that the lawsuit could have included both black and white. Joe noted that since the lawsuit and his group of black farmers was focused on race and not socio-economics, everyone has suffered as a result: white smallholders problems have not been recognized, affirmed and addressed, black farmers (majority of whom are smallholders? can we back this up?) got "favored" treatment, and the misdiagnosed problem has lost an opportunity to improve race relations and has instead furthered a perception nationally of stereotypical south that hasn't changed at all. (HELP with this last statement, uggh.) Joe said that during the Reagan era there was a push to get out small farmers, and it was only because a majority of blacks were in this category did it come to appear to be race-related.

Growing up in East Arkansas

Joe grew up on a farm. He was an agriculture teacher at a high school when integration came to Arkansas. Joe notes that this "forced" integration just meant that segregation and ability to access went from being public and in separate domains to being in one facility. Thirty years ago Joe left teaching and went to work for the railroad.

"There was a culture of perception", Joe notes, that the races couldn't get along. Either the whites had an attitude or the blacks did, when really we're the same inside with the same needs and desires and values." That first day at the railroad, Joe said, I was greeted with "I may have to work with you, but I don't have to eat with you." Joe noted that the whites ate separately and were unfriendly to any of the black workers (I'm being nice), and perhaps as a result, the blacks took on the same unfriendly, separatist attitude. Joe perceived this situation and "realized that if I took on the same attitude, then I'd have to live with that attitude, but I didn't want to do that I didn't want to become that kind of person." Although Joe is none too crazy about talking about his techniques, he does not his attitude and mental resolution to "start looking for ways and opportunities to be accepted by the white folks." "You can greet someone with a stick or with open arms, and I chose open arms."

Preacher/Farmer to Facilitator

Joe is a church pastor for the last fourteen years. This has been important to him in vocalizing and working through his present situations/conditions in accordance to his values.

Last year, Joe had a severe stroke. He needed to relearn how to talk and walk, and his prognosis was poor. He had a stroke of intervention, which told him to run for Mayor of Pine Bluff, a town of nearly 60,000 people and where he grew up and went to college. I met him at his headquarters in Pine Bluff. "I want to help bridge the gaps between people, between the races, between the rich and poor ." (not confident how he put this, but it's one of his platforms." "If we've got problems, then we have got to deal with them, otherwise they're not going to go away."

He was been farming for the last 28 years and beams when he talks about growing. "There's nothing better." But, he notes, "you can't do it totally your way on anything, you need other people's input in order to avoid mistakes, some of which can be very costly and may cost you the farm .You need the experience of other people, not just farmers, and your farm can be very profitable if you just listen." "That's how we farmed benefiting from the experiences and input from other people."

"Good facilitators become facilitators because they had to they had the fire in the gut and had no other choice." "It moves upon a person and it comes out of your gut. Inner peace comes as you're getting it done." "You do what you do, because you have to, because it comes from within."

Joe continually keeps an eye on the long-term and a sense of potential about him. He's optimistic and loves people and believes in their innate goodness and their ability to change, learn and grow. "Our freedom is managing our lives and our leisure." Creative questioning Joe puts forth questions which serve two purposes, 1) identify basic values, and 2) affirms that these values are good and to be the basis for any decision-making process.

Joe is very much, "whatever is good for you" kind of presenter. He says that he may not agree with another person's decision, but as long as they are making a decision that sits well with their conscious and gut-feeling (sense of right and wrong), then Joe takes a humble position, "who am I to judge? It's between you and god." Joe also is supportive and encouraging of those who are trying to understand and work through issues. With him there is nothing to be embarrassed about, and his presence, body- and verbal- language create an atmosphere that there is nothing to fear from him and that honesty and openness is and will be respected by him. He integrates people's spirituality with their daily living and long-term goals in a very positive and empowering way.

Group development and evolution: In ensuring that a group project/venture/enterprise continues, Joe advises that the facilitator/leader find other leaders, potential or realized, to join in the group. "Are you capturing the person to catch the same vision? You have got to have new people come into a group periodically. With their new energy they keep the process dynamic and fresh." Otherwise, "it will stop unless another person is coming to lead the group."

Joe has a strong and non-judging faith. He doesn't dwell on the negatives, but looks for the positives and the opportunities in any situation, keeping focused on how can we work together better toward our goal. Joe believes strongly in taking small steps toward a goal and celebrating as each one is accomplished. "A group need to have openness and trust, but these take time to develop among members." In his interaction with this interviewer, Joe was very respectful, animated and warm. He responded to and encouraged eye- contact and he was sensitive to facial expressions and what they were telling him, including as I leaned out or away.

Joe addressed the issue of getting hurt and dealing with the pain of 'failure' and 'betrayal'. In his experience, there are two types of response from group members, including leaders/facilitators; first is getting defensive and lashing out at those who caused the pain or betrayal, and second is to distance oneself from any situation which might put them at risk of being hurt again. This can include the perception that the group process failed for whatever reason. "What you're doing is the first step you think that if it don't have an affect right away, then you've failed. And if you see you had an affect ten years later, than you think "I should have done better." But, no! You did what you had to do then, and what you could do at that time. You were the first step in a process that has got to involve more people than just yourself", if it is truly to be a group effort.