Facilitation

Facilitation means ‘making easy’. The role of facilitator is to help groups to achieve their tasks on time, without unnecessary conflict, so they can then either adjourn and go out of existence or move on to other tasks. The facilitator concentrates on the process or ‘how to’ aspects of group working – the group dynamics – while the group itself concentrates more on the content or ‘what’ aspects of group working.

The facilitator also helps the group to realise how important to effective working it is to focus from time to time on the process sides of things. When groups are capable of self-facilitating then it is time for the facilitator to withdraw and let them get on with the work themselves.

Facilitation is particularly helpful when a group is forming or when a significant change in the composition of the group takes place or when it is moving onto a new or difficult piece or work or when it is ‘stuck’ in terms of its development or when there are underlying conflicts that have not been surfaced and that are impeding group effectiveness.

Facilitation can also be very helpful for once-off group events such as a significant review meeting or a team-building event or a strategic planning session or an ‘open confrontation’ meeting where a group wants to address some thorny issues or underlying conflicts or differences.

As well as providing an external facilitation service I have trained more than fifty workplace facilitators to FETAC Level 6. This training covers theory as well as practice. The focus is, however, on putting skills and techniques into practical application through role plays and group exercises. Areas covered include: the role of facilitator, group dynamics, communications, facilitation tools and techniques, and handling conflict in groups.

Assessment for accreditation includes a short written piece in essay or ‘learner journal’ format, as well as practical skills demonstrations in facilitation and communication.

Other pages in this section provide details on Small Group Facilitation, Strategic Facilitation and Workshops and Conferences.