worksheet
The Power Flower

power relations between involved actors




Source: Arnold, Rick, Bev Burke, e.a., Educating for a Change, Between The Lines, Toronto (1991)



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© 2001 Stichting ZHABA facilitators collective
(parts of) this worksheet may only be copied or used in other publications after previous written consent of the
Stichting ZHABA facilitators collective.
2 Source: Arnold, Rick, Bev Burke, e.a.,
Educating for a Change, Between The Lines, Toronto (1991)
Why use it? •••• To develop an overview of our target-groups (participants, and organizers /
facilitators)
Time it takes •••• 90 minutes
How to do it 1.Make a large drawing of the Power Flower
Fill in together the factors of power that might play a role during the process
of this workshop.
2.Fill in together the outer petals of the flower with descriptions of the group
they expect to visit the workshop. Use characteristics as "high", "middle" and
"low" and then indicate the amount of people that have that characteristic.
3.Fill the position of the organizers / facilitators in (each in a different colour?)
in the inner petals.
Take a look at the position of the organizers / facilitators in the group. Look
at:
••••Where will our position be different; which factors can be shifted or
changed?
••••How can our position influence the group process?
4.
••••Which facilitators need extra support or extra training of certain
skills?
Take a look at the division of power within the group of participants. Look at:
••••Will there be people with a very weak position in the group?
••••Will there be people with a very strong position in the group?
••••Can we expect tensions during the workshop?
During the planning of the programme the Power Flower can hang on the wall
and be used for reference. Especially when the first draft of the programme is
ready, it is very useful to have another look at the Power Flower and see,
whether there are any troublesome moments within the programme. Think of:
- moments which are boring for a part of the group;
- moments, where a part of the group can not participate actively , because
others overshadow them;
- moments where a part of the group will feel uncomfortable;
- parts of the programme, where one of the facilitators will need extra
support, because she/he is in a postion of low power (low authority)
- etcetera