There isn’t a single answer to the question – Should I hire a facilitator? – because it requires a few additional questions to determine the best answer.
What type of meeting are you having?
Typical meetings – where general information is presented, exchanged, discussed, and followed by straight-forward decision making – do not need a facilitator.
On the other hand, complex meetings could use a neutral facilitator to bring objectivity and balance. This might include a meeting with:
- Multiple and inter-related topics, where the group jumps back and forth between topics to make complex decisions
- Opposing or contradictory points-of-view, often needing someone to manage conflict
- People who bring their politics such as personal agendas
- People who overly dominate the conversation
- Heightened emotions, or participants with a lack of emotional intelligence
- Limited time: decisions need to be made, and someone needs to “crack the whip”
What’s your role in the meeting?
Sometimes a senior executive will try to facilitate their own meetings. Generally, they shouldn’t.
They need to:
- Set the objectives and expectations, and ensure they’re followed
- Focus on what’s being said, and not said
- Listen – for issues, politics, future problems, insights, ideas
- Encourage constructive discussion and debate
- Influence where necessary, but not to the point they dominate the outcome so participants minimise their involvement or commitment
As someone who’s facilitated for much my career, trust me on this. It’s impossible to properly lead and properly facilitate.
What do you want the participants to do?
In complex meetings, a neutral facilitator helps thefocus on their roles, such as:
- Actively participating in discussions, debates, or idea generation
- Listening and encouraging strategies, concepts and ideas
- Clarifying the purpose and direction of the meeting or brainstorm
- Helping the group come to a just decision
What do you want the participants NOT to do?
At the same time, facilitators can perform tasks which minimize distractions and coordinate meeting logistics which should remain in the background. Again, this allows the participants to focus.
Here’s what a good, flexible facilitator can do to help:
- Focus the group in positive ways on the problem, issue or need
- Create a no-risk atmosphere, including freedom of speech and dissension
- Ensure everyone contributes in their own way, particularly to balance extroverted participants with introverted ones, or to engage less-than-attentive people to the conversation and debate
- Inspire all participants to generate ideas across a full spectrum
- Introduce and conduct brainstorm exercises
- Keep the group – if not individuals – energized and engaged
- Minimize
- Keep distractions at a minimum
- Act as the secretary, writing down ideas on flipcharts
- Keep an eye on the clock
Finally, here’s what a facilitator should never do:
- Sit down
- Give up the pen
- Offer their opinions
A good experienced facilitator can make or break a meeting. When has a good facilitator helped a meeting? What else should a facilitator do to help make a meeting productive? Please add your thoughts and comments below.
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