The Seven Separators of Great Facilitation Workshop Program
By Michael Wilkinson, CMF
Managing Director, Leadership Strategies, Inc.
What is it that separates great facilitators from good ones? Sure, every facilitator needs to know about establishing ground rules, using the appropriate tools and maintaining a safe environment. But are there a set of skills that seem to distinguish the best facilitators from the rest of the pack?
We say, “Yes!” As facilitators and facilitation trainers, we have had the opportunity to work with and train over 3000 facilitators since releasing our training class The Effective Facilitator over a decade ago. While some facilitators were beginners, most were experienced, and many were very experienced. It is through working with this wide variation in proficiency that we have identified what we believe are the seven key skills that seem to separate the “top” facilitators from the “good” ones.
1. While good facilitators open by reviewing the agenda and ground rules, great facilitators know that it is important to establish and maintain a high energy level right from the beginning.
2. In every facilitated session, there are specific times when the facilitator stops speaking and is looking to the group to say quite a bit. Good facilitators figure out what questions they want to ask. Great facilitators ask starting questions that draw a vivid image to generate quality responses.
3. Good facilitators accept the responses given by participants and summarize when necessary. Great facilitators quickly analyze responses given and have a full toolkit of follow-up question types to apply to a variety of situations.
4. Good facilitators record the gist of what participants say. They may change the wording to clarify or may record what the person “meant.” Great facilitators recognize the “power of the pen” and understand how abuse of the pen disempowers individuals and can cause dysfunctional behavior.
5. While good facilitators step a group through the agenda, great facilitators carry the group through the process. Great facilitators use checkpoints, examples and clear direction-giving processes to connect all parts of the meeting and to ensure smooth transitions.
6. Good facilitators understand the importance of remaining neutral and therefore allow the discussion to go where it will as long as it stays on topic and the ground rules aren’t broken. Great facilitators separate neutrality from passivity. They challenge assumptions and seemingly questionable points. They may float alternative ideas in order to get the group to consider a different course of action.
7. Every facilitation situation is unique. Yet great facilitators know how to design customized processes to address a group’s need.
In this workshop, you will work with the author of The Secrets of Facilitation as he takes you through the Seven Separators of Great Facilitation. You will have the opportunity to practice the techniques and receive detailed feedback from one of the top facilitators in the country. Don’t miss this opportunity!
