​What does a facilitator do?

A facilitator is “one who contributes structure and process to interactions, so groups are able to function effectively and make high-quality decisions.” (Ingrid Bens)
 
A facilitator will assist you when you want to:

• Clarify challenges, solve problems and make decisionstogether in a group
• Improve meeting or team effectivenessand deal with group dynamics
• Create plans that are agreed by consensus 
• Get commitment for actionby the participants and 
• Have an independent person to guide a group

 
Facilitators can save you time and money with their process and group management skills and are used in, for example:

• Engagement meetings: to gain staff or stakeholder input on projects
• Conference workshops: as a guide to enable participant discussions
• Focus groups: to get responses on a specific topic
• Strategic planning: to generate a way forward and commitment 
• Issue resolution: to solve a problem and gain agreement 
• Team meetings: to improve meeting performance and effectiveness

 
Who is facilitating for?
 
Facilitation services are frequently used within all types of organisations at team, department or organisational level. These include:

• Universities, research institutes and research funders
• Companies in any sectors, both large and small
• Learned academies and professional bodies
• Schools and colleges
• Charities
• Government departments and public sector bodies.

 
Benefits of using a facilitator
 
A facilitator will enable the group to:

• Use their expertise to achieve the results they seek in the time available
• Participate fully in any discussion allowing all members of the group the chance to express their views 
• Move towards their desired outcome more efficiently whilst allowing a flexible approach, based on the outputs expressed in the session(s)
• Handle disruptive behaviour in a professional manner and 
• Take accountability for the outcomes and actions agreed.

 
Here is another of my favourite quotes from Ingrid Bens that describes a facilitator.

​"A helper and enabler whose goal is to support others as they pursue their objectives.” 
 
If you would like to know more about how Mazamo can support your team or your organisation with facilitating, please contact us by clicking the button below.
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Author

Mario Moustras PhD CSci CChem FRSC is a leadership and talent development coach. He is a members of the International Coach Federation.
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