Companies often use outside facilitators for various reasons, however,
it’s important to get the right one for the job
The word ‘facilitator’ is often used when bringing external expertise
into an organisation. However there are a number of roles a facilitator
can play and it might be helpful to clarify these so that you get the
right skill set for what you need.
There are many reasons why organisations, large and small, corporate and
public sector, use external facilitators. Sometimes it is to bring
specialist knowledge into their organisations as part of their strategic
training and development program for employees.
Other times, an external facilitator is brought in as part of a change
management program or to help solve problems or assist with strategic or
business planning. External facilitators are also used to get feedback
from staff or customers or facilitate a discussion of difficult or
contentious issues with various stakeholders.
Different skill sets
These different reasons for facilitation require different skills. There
are four different types of facilitator.
1. Neutral and judgmental
A neutral and judgmental role is the part played, for example, by
magistrates and judges.
2. Judgmental advocate
Managers and participants usually fit into the judgmental and
advocate’s role.
3. Non-judgmental advocate
The non-judgmental advocate is the person who presents information
and learning experiences so individuals can learn.
Speakers and trainers are this kind of facilitator. For example, if you
want to bring specialist knowledge into your organisation about
leadership, networking, time management, selling, business writing and
so on, you will be looking for a speaker or trainer with demonstrated
expertise and experience in this area. One who has a successful track
record of being able to change the behaviours and attitudes of the
target audience in your organisations.
This facilitator will be non-judgmental but will
be advocating a particular approach.
Organisations such as the National Speakers Association of Australia and
the Australian Institute of Training and Development accredit their
members at various levels, according to their experience and expertise.
These are good places to start looking for these sorts of facilitators.
4. Neutral and non-judgmental
The non-judgmental and neutral person is someone who helps a group or
team to work together in a collaborative way by focussing on the
process. Here you are looking for someone who is neutral, as well as
non-judgmental. The role of this facilitator is to enable the
participants themselves to come up with their own answers and solutions.
The facilitator is there to focus on the process, not the content - the
how not the what. This facilitator is not a performer, is interested not
interesting, is questioning not advocating, is a synthesiser not a
provider of ideas, and is totally flexible.
An expert in many things
This facilitator should be an expert in designing structured activities
and processes, confronting others, managing differences, collaboration
and being able to detach themselves from, and relinquish, control over
the results. They must be able to recognise the symptoms of process
problems, diagnose underlying patterns of behaviours and attitudes,
intervene in group processes, keep the group focussed on the task and
push for action outcomes.
At the moment, I am not aware of any separate professional membership
organisation for this kind of facilitator, so track record, credentials
and referrals would be a valuable way of sourcing such people.
If someone is a skilled training and development facilitator, there is
no reason why they cannot shift from the non-judgmental advocates role,
to the non-judgmental neutral role, as the circumstances change. Being
one kind of facilitator does not exclude one from being another.
External facilitation is invaluable in helping individuals and groups
get to an agreed or desired outcome. Being clear about the kind of
facilitation that will best serve your desired outcome is a sure step
along the way to getting it.
|
