Facilitation is a process in which the facilitator enables a group of people to work cooperatively when involved in various tasks such as meetings and discussions and use creative thinking, critical thinking and decision-making effectively. Facilitation is highly a valuable tool in helping people work together as people come from diverse backgrounds, with different capabilities, interest, opinions and mindset. If people are to work together effectively, it is essential that people are aware of, agree with, and make goals/decisions that are common. The role of the facilitator is to make this possible.
Facilitation enables the group to stay focused, give equal chance for participation in the group, make cohesive decisions and set goals for accomplishment. The facilitator is not someone who controls or makes decisions for the group. The facilitator asks powerful questions that facilitate the group probe deeper into the subject matter under discussion and arrive at result-oriented solutions. In short, facilitator helps others in working effectively and cooperatively.
Why should you hire a professional facilitator?Facilitation is a fast growing field in various industries especially the corporate businesses because of diverse workforce with different viewpoints. Many meetings and discussions fail because of biases, rivalries, egocentrism and favoritism existing within the group. This distracts the group’s focus on the agenda of the meeting/discussion thereby making less productive plans resulting in less effective outcomes.
As an outside professional, a facilitator serves as a neutral third party who facilitates open discussion by creating a safe and non-threatening environment. This enables participants feel non-intimidated and address issues without biases. The facilitator is an expert in bringing out the best from everyone in the meeting thereby enabling the group in addressing the agenda of the meeting. He/she also provides insight into objectives of the meeting and help in making workable action plans for positive results.
The process of facilitation is successful when carried by an expert who is well-versed with skills and knowledge of group dynamics and processes.