38. Facilitation

Introduction

It is most effective to facilitate change rather than try to handle and/or manage and/or ignore and/or resist change.

Facilitation is a process that helps people work together effectively and productively, ie find answers and solutions that they would not achieve on their own.

The facilitator's role is not to provide answers or solutions but to encourage participants to go through a process so that they find the most suitable answers or solutions to their challenges. As a result, they have ownership (get buy-in).

Successful facilitation creates

"...a sense of community amongst participants......and the community shares responsibility for learning and enjoyment..."
Bob Dick, 2019

As a facilitator you need to keep in mind the following issues
"...- Who are we, individually and collectively? What do we bring to this endeavour?
     - Why are we here? What is our purpose? What outcomes do we want?
     - What topics will we explore? What process will we use to do so?
     - How will we share responsibility for those outcomes and processes? How will we keep track of how we are going?
     - If relevant, who else has a stake in what we are doing? How will we take their legitimate views and needs into account?
Bob Dick, 2019

Need to recognise the difference between content and process, ie
"...Content is what we discuss. The process is how we discuss..."
Bob Dick, 2019

For example, SWOT is a process while the content is the information recorded under the 4 SWOT categories, ie strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Generally, people are usually more interested in the content. Thus there is a need for someone to take responsibility for the process, like the facilitator.

During the process there can be high levels of self-disclosure which are best facilitated in a non-threatening environment.

Active listening is an important part of facilitation (for more details, see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base)

Some Guidelines for Facilitation

- no ranks or hierarchies, ie everyone is equal and has the same opportunity to express their points of view

- sometimes people get pushed 'outside their zones of comfort' (if this happens and you want to leave, you are welcome; it is not a talkfest)

- keep to the agenda and timetable

- it is not an AGM, ie not 'putting up' motions and then debating and voting on them

- focus on the big opportunities ('look at the forest and not the trees'; 80:20 rule, eg 80% of your problems come from 20% of the staff, 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your clients, etc)

- speak freely and respect each other's opinions and views

- leave your egos and hidden agendas outside

- if discussion becomes one-for-one, or personal, facilitators reserve the right to step in

- relaxing atmosphere with KISS principle, ie 'keep jargon out'

- facilitators are process consultants (not here to give you answers)

- teamwork is important as working in groups (when selecting groups, make groups as diverse as possible on gender, positions, experience, background, etc)

- as interactive as you want it to be but with one person talking at a time

- all output is recorded on flipcharts/PowerPoints, etc as a basis for writing up the findings, ie having a record of what happened

- form discussion groups and alternate the scribe from each group (scribe should be the presenter)

- sequence of presentations (presenter presents, followed by other members of his/her group who wish to comment on the presentation, then open discussion for all attendees)

- use the concept of a 'floater' (usually the most senior manager is not in a group but is available if a group wants his/her inputs)

- if an idea comes up that the whole group is not ready to discuss, it is recorded, ie parked, and discussed when appropriate