A good facilitator…
…is a powerful thing. It is someone who can help bring the best (or worst) out of a group of people for their own benefit. It is someone who cares about people, invites people to challenge themselves, and manages the risks of the activity and environment. Now, to discover what makes a facilitator good at his or her job, let us first have some working definitions.
Facilitation — The art (and science) of skillfully using the techniques and principles of Experiential Learning to help a group of people reach their goals. *
Facilitator — A neutral person that uses facilitation to help a group of people meet their goals.
I recall a conversation I had with a mentor when I was new to staff training. He served in the challenge course industry for decades, and I eagerly sought how to impart his wisdom to the 19-year-old camp staffers I instructed on the ropes course. After two hours of me grilling him for his insights into hundreds of trivial details, he stopped me abruptly.
“Mark, when I go home after a training, what I really want to know is that the facilitator won’t kill anybody.”
After the initial shock of the statement rolled over me, I realized just how right he is. It doesn’t matter how good a ropes course facilitator’s soft skills are if someone falls 50 feet because of bad belay technique. So assuming we have put in the time to take care of threats to life safety, what else matters?
Over the years I have trained hundreds of facilitators. In each training I find myself saying short axioms at teachable moments regarding what attitudes and behaviors make a good facilitator. This list is not exhaustive or in ranked order. It is just an attempt to capture the answer to the question, “What does a good facilitator think and do?” I would love to hear from other professionals where you would rank these ideas or what might be missing from my list. Episode 05 of the WorkPlay Solutions Podcast expands and explains some of these concepts in greater detail.
A good facilitator…
Is always assessing the group
Is always managing risk
Makes sure people are heard
Maintains ground rules
Is accountable for physical and emotional safety
Keeps goals and outcomes of the group front and center
Is comfortable with silence
Is comfortable with failure
Varies facilitation techniques
Uses reflection (processing) tools and activities
Maintains the meeting or event agenda
Allows for individual expression
Has to balance the needs of the group and the needs of individuals
Is good with logistics
Is attentive to personal / self-care
Is capable of first aid and CPR
Remains confident in an emergency
Understands human nature
Understands change management
Understands learning / experiential learning
Doesn’t have all the answers
Is not the center of attention
Understands people are different
Can adapt to new information or situations
Knows their own beliefs and values
Can do a lot with a little
Often knows what is going to happen ahead of time
Can anticipate problems
Is technically sound
Role models expected behavior
Is likable
Knows the difference between the client and the participant (and their responsibility to each)
Is aware of the weather/environment
Can read body language
Varies communication methods
Listens for what is not said
Is attentive
Never stops learning
Reflection and Action:
What items on this list did you resonate with?
What is missing from the list?
What should be removed from the list?
Assess yourself.
What are your top three attributes from the list?
What are your bottom three?
Make your own list of core skills and competencies for your role or for someone you lead.
*I want to thank my colleague John Losey for our conversation regarding the limits of my definition of facilitation. He correctly states that “There is a whole world of facilitation that goes beyond experiential methods.” For the sake of clarity and simplicity in this post, I will leave the current definition in place while I reflect on a better way to express the concept of facilitation. Thanks, John! (Updated: 10/28/21)
