What is facilitation

Facilitation is helping people achieve objectives by deliberately intervening in the process.

Facilitation is guided by intended outcomes or goals: a facilitator helps not by contributing ideas and proposals but by managing and influencing the process by which the group is addressing its task.

This involves intervening directly in the process in “real time” i.e. while it is happening, although there can be a valid role of observing a group and later giving feedback.

How does facilitation differ from training?

It is primarily a matter of purposes. Generally, facilitation is directed at accomplishing some team or organisational goal while training is concerned with individuals learning something.

Experience

• A management team deciding on its core values.
• A working group developing a quality action plan.
• A project team who are implementing a new computer system.
• The Council of a professional institute developing a strategic plan.
• An Awayday for all 50 members of a Department to increase mutual understanding and corporate identity.
• A workshop to evaluate proposed job and process designs.
• A Trade Association member committee developing a strategy.
• A Departmental meeting to agree priorities.
• An inter-departmental meeting to improve relationships and promote cooperation

Key principles of facilitation

These principles underlie our approach and are embedded in the training we offer:

• Be present in the moment.
• Focus on the process not the content.
• Be clear about your intention when you intervene.
• Be aware that timing is critical: get it right.
• 'Hold the ring'.
• Remain in role: Stay detached from what is going on.
• Be prepared to confront anything which is getting in the way.
• There is no one way.

Principles of workshop design

A productive workshop or event needs a good facilitator, but it also needs to be properly designed. We identify four key principles:

• The programme needs to have a sense of progression and an overall logic.
• Use a variety of methods and processes.
• The event should be designed with an overall "dynamic" in mind.
• Manage the constraints of time and resources relative to the number of people involved.

or complete an enquiry form and find out how we can help you with facilitation in your organisation.