Hiring an Effective Facilitator: What You Need to Know

Facilitators act as neutral third parties. They assist organizations, businesses, and communities with:

• Team-building,
• Strategic Planning,
• Restructuring,
• Problem-solving,
• Conflict resolution,
• Creating organizational culture,
• Meeting facilitation
• Assessment of organizational issues

Most people hate meetings. They find them a complete waste of time. Much is discussed, but nothing ever seems to be accomplished. This undermines management and leads to an unproductive and often hostile work environment.

Facilitators have the capacity to exponentially increase the productivity of a group. A well chosen facilitator will move a group forward. The group will be excited about their vision, leave meetings satisfied that their time was well-spent, and look forward to the next step in the process. A poorly chosen facilitator will frustrate the group. The group will feel that their time is being wasted. No progress will be made, and this impasse will cast a lasting shadow on the effectiveness and profitability of the business.

Understanding what to look for in a facilitator, and the key questions to ask before you hire one, will determine whether your associates are happy with the outcome, or wish they’d called in sick!

Effective Facilitation:

The following are key factors to effective facilitation:

• Process Design: facilitators know the questions to ask and have the tools to design the most effective process to assist you in reaching your stated goals.
• Results Oriented: facilitators make sure that the goals articulated by your group are achieved.
• Leadership of the Process: facilitators “manage” the process, focusing on the goal you want to achieve while ensuring that your group gets there in a way that creates support for the outcome.
• Neutrality of the Content: rather than being content “experts,” facilitators are neutral regarding content. This allows for the natural expertise in your group to emerge.
• No Vested Interest: facilitators ensure that the group’s goals are achieved, but are not invested in the particulars of the outcome. This makes them ideal for overseeing the process.
• Group memory: facilitators maintain the history of ideas and thoughts in the group, allowing individuals freedom to generate innovative ideas.
• Group Ownership: facilitators structure a process that allows the group to come up with their own answers. This achieves buy-in among all group members, ensuring an easy, effective, and profitable implementation.
• Herding cats: facilitators make sure there are clear ground rules and a facilitator’s presence ensures that everyone takes ownership in “enforcing” them. This allows everyone in the group to participate in ways that are respectful to all.
• Balancing Power: facilitators create a space where everyone feels safe contributing. This allows all ideas to be heard and considered, and the best ideas to be adopted by the group.
• Creative Problem Solving: facilitators assist with the generation of ideas by using tools to loosen up the group when a perceived impasse occurs.
• Resolving Conflict: facilitators help the group move through historical conflicts and challenges, freeing up the group’s attention to be focused on the most effective way to achieve the goals.

When do you need a facilitator? If you believe your group would benefit from even two of the factors listed previously, you should hire one!

Hiring the Right Facilitator:

Effectively interviewing a facilitator ensures that you have the right person to guide your group to success. Key questions include:

• What is your style of facilitation? Styles vary. Some facilitators take a “back seat” approach, allowing the group time to contemplate and explore. Others are more forceful as they move the group toward the goals. The best facilitators constantly adapt their style to meet the needs of a group. A good facilitator will not only be able to articulate their style, but will be able to assist you in determining what style would be most effective with your group.
• What are your initial ideas about the process? Once a facilitator feels they have enough information, they should be able to brainstorm with you about the best process design to meet your goals. A good facilitator will give you an initial idea of the content, and, depending on the scope of the project, will follow up with a written proposal detailing their ideas about how best to design a process for your group.
• What do you see as the timeframe? Again, once the facilitator feels they have enough information, they should be able to offer a timeline. A good facilitator will offer an initial timeline, and, depending on the scope of the project will follow up with a more detailed timeline in writing.
• Who should be involved? It is crucial to have the right people at the table. This depends on: the articulated goals, and the organization’s size and culture. A good facilitator will ask you who you think needs to be involved, and will share their thoughts on who to invite to ensure the most effective planning and implementation of your goals.
• What kind of ongoing support will be necessary to ensure long-term success? When offering any kind of facilitation, strengths and weaknesses within an organization will be identified. Facilitation begins a process, but ongoing support is crucial to ensure a successful final outcome. A good facilitator will note where your group may need additional facilitation, training, and support, and will work with you on ways to offer ongoing support so that your success can be best ensured.

Working Effectively with a Facilitator

Finally, how you work with a facilitator is as important as which one you hire.

• Be clear about what your group needs, and any budgetary restrictions.
• Make sure you are hiring a facilitator you trust, and be open to their ideas.
• Be transparent, offer all the information you can, whether you feel it is relevant or not.
• Be prepared to discuss ongoing support to best ensure your group’s success.

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