Facilitator
A Facilitator is someone who skillfully helps a group to reach a consensus on a topic without themselves taking any side of the argument.
The role has been likened to that of a midwife who works hard to assist in a process of creation but is not the producer of the end result.
The basic skills of a facilitator are about following good meeting practise of following an agreed agenda, timekeeping and keeping a clear record.
The higher skills are about watching the group, its individuals and their process and knowing the art of intervening in a way that adds to the group’s creativity rather than lowering it.
The qualities of respect for others and a watchful awareness of the many layers of reality in a human group are key to a successful facilitator.
The International Association of Facilitators was founded in 1993 to promote Facilitation as a profession.
What a facilitator does
- Some of the things Facilitators do which can assist a meeting:
- Reminding the group of the amount of time remaining
- Helping the group decide what ground rules it wants to follow and reminding them of these where they are not followed.
- Reminding the group of the objectives of the meeting or session
- Setting up a safe environment where members feel comfortable contributing ideas
- Tentatively paraphrasing individual contributions to check understanding and ensure they are heard by the whole group
- Tentatively summarizing a recent part of the discussion
- Recording agreements reached in large script on the wall so all can see and agree the wording
- Recording the current issues within the group in large script on the wall using phrases agreed by the group.
- Offering a possible wording for an unspoken question that may currently beset the group
- Ensuring the group doesn’t settle for the first thing that they can agree on because they find it painful to go on disagreeing with each other.
- Offering opportunities for less forceful members to come forward with contributions
- Ensuring that actions agreed by the group to carry out its decisions are written up in a large script on the wall for all to see and are assigned to individuals.
- Some things which Facilitators don’t do.
- Back a particular opinion voiced in the group
- Offer their own opinions
- Let the group unconsciously shy away from a difficult area
- Lead the group towards what they think is the right direction
References
Roger Schwarz (Author); The Skilled Facilitator; Jossey-Bass ; ISBN 0-7879-4723-7 (New & Revised July 2002)
