Thorne Partners

Facilitation

What does it mean?

To make easy or more easily achieved...according to my dictionary. Professional facilitators are inevitably working with a group of people - otherwise I guess you are called a coach, a mentor, a mother, a father or a friend to an individual.

Facilitation - a set of skills & processes

While many of us 'fall into facilitation' because we have learnt how to chair a meeting or deliver a training course, it is important to know that facilitation comes with its own set of skills and processes, theories and resources. Like many people, I started facilitating meetings before I knew what I didn't know. Now, I am on a continuing learning journey - there is always more to learn, understand and reflect upon.

Reflection is always valuable - even though embarrassing at times to look back at one's past practices; so a couple of examples of what I used to think and do:

Ask the most important questions first
Keep people in one group as much as possible as I wanted to be part of the conversation (all about me)
Assume that everyone would talk openly if I invited their views
Quietly think that some people were being difficult when they wouldn't move off their point

Oh, the things that we learn along the way. I thank Bob Dick for teaching me (amongst many other things) about good process: that good outcomes rely on the relationships that are built early in the workshop or meeting. I thank Glen Ochre for opening my eyes to the impact of rank in silencing people within a group and the knowledge and skills of how to create safe spaces for people to speak within a group. There are some great facilitation training courses available.

Roles of a Facilitator - planning and in the moment

A facilitator can advise you on the best process to use to achieve the goal of a meeting. There are many models to choose from: some have names and set processes like Future Search, World Cafe, Open Space and Appreciative Inquiry. Others rely on the knowledge of the facilitator to design the process. At the meeting, and in the moment, the facilitator provides a range of skills from simple time keeping through to keeping the focus on the topic for the day and working in situations that involve strongly held viewpoints and high levels of emotion.

Kimbra White of THORNE Partners is a skilled facilitator who can both design the process or agenda to meet your goals for the meeting and will lead and manage the group on the day. She is experienced in facilitating community engagement events, strategy meetings and meetings to make decisions. She works with community groups, project teams and boards of directors.