Facilitation in business, organizational development and consensus decision-making refers to the process of designing and running a meeting according to a previously agreed set of requirements.

Facilitation concerns itself with all the tasks needed to reach a productive and impartial meeting outcome that reflects the agreed objectives and deliverables defined upfront by the meeting owner or client.

Facilitation involves leading a meeting on behalf of someone else. This is what distinguishes it from meeting science, which aims to develop the autonomy of meeting initiators and leaders. Nonetheless, facilitation applies many concepts and tools widely used in meeting science such as icebreakers.

Areas of application

Facilitation is "used in a wide range of situations and occupations, including workplaces, leisure and health activities, organizational planning and community development". Facilitation serves the needs of any group who are meeting with a common purpose, whether it be making a decision, solving a problem, or simply exchanging ideas and information. It does not lead the group, nor does it try to distract or to entertain. A slightly different interpretation focuses more specifically on a group that is engaged in experiential learning. In particular this is associated with active learning and concepts of tutelary authority. This is covered in-depth in the research work of John Heron at the University of Surrey and the International Centre for Co-operative Inquiry.

Competencies

The International Association of Facilitators has defined a range of core competencies compiled into a Core Facilitator Competencies framework that includes 6 main competencies and several sub-competencies that underpin a wide range of facilitation dynamics.

Dynamics

; Setting ground rules: Often disregarded by those untrained in facilitation, setting ground rules is a key component of the facilitation process especially in meetings convened to discuss difficult problems or for training. These rules are usually reiterated in some form at the outset of a facilitated meeting or workshop to ensure participants understand the various roles being employed and the responsibilities accorded to each. Certain aspects feature highly such as:

:* being open to suggestions

:* building on what is there, not knocking down ideas

:* allowing others space (to speak or express themselves)

:* mutual respect

:* that the facilitator does not own the topic under discussion and the identity of that owner is clear

:* rules of engagement such as time-outs and procedures that will be adopted

:* how unresolved issues will be captured and dealt with

:* Finally it is key that, during the meeting, it is clear that the owner of the topic is not expected to intervene to impose ideas beyond setting out parameters for consideration or to give insight. The facilitator in this respect owns the process of the meeting.

These are all closely associated with the idea of facilitation as a tool of (workplace) empowerment.

See also

  • Decision conferencing
  • Dialogue mapping
  • Gradients of agreement scale
  • Graphic facilitation

References

Further reading

  • Bens, I. Facilitating with Ease!, (New & Revised Feb 2005) Jossey-Bass
  • Hogan, C.F. (1999), Facilitating Learning, Melbourne, Australia: Eruditions,
  • Hogan, C.F. (2000), Facilitating Empowerment, London: Kogan Page,
  • Hogan, C.F. (2002), Understanding Facilitation, London: Kogan Page,
  • Hogan, C.F. (2003), Practical Facilitation, London: Kogan Page,
  • Hogan, C.F. (2007), Facilitating Multicultural Groups: A Practical Guide, London: Kogan Page,
  • Kaner, S. with Lind, L., Toldi, C., Fisk, S., and Berger, D. Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making, (2007) Jossey-Bass
  • Kayser, T. Mining Group Gold, (3rd Edition 2010) McGraw Hill
  • Schuman, S. (Editor). The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation: Best Practices from the Leading Organization in Facilitation, (2005) Jossey-Bass
  • Schuman, S. (Editor). Creating a Culture of Collaboration, (2006) Jossey-Bass
  • Schwarz, R. The Skilled Facilitator, (3rd Edition 2017) Jossey-Bass
  • Josef W. Seifert: Visualisation - Presentation - Facilitation: Translation of the German Classic Gabal, Offenbach 2012.
  • Spencer, L. Winning Through Participation, (1989) Kendall Hunt Pub. Co.
  • Salas, Tillmann, McKee Visualisation in Participatory Programmes, (1999) Southbound, in association with UNICEF Dhaka,
  • Wilkinson, M. CLICK: The Virtual Meetings Book, (2013) Leadership Strategies Publishing
  • Wilkinson, M. The Secrets of Facilitation, (2nd Edition 2012) Jossey-Bass
  • ATD: What Is Facilitation?