Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who will argue with you.
John Wooden
Winston Churchill
facilitate
[fuh-sil-i-teyt]
1: to make easier or less difficult;
2: to help forward (an action, a process,etc.)
3: to assist the progress of (a person).
Why Use a facilitator?
An experienced facilitator should, by definition, make whatever you are doing easier... driving better outcomes that are well defined, actionable, and aligned. He/she will bring:
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Structure and Process, to maximize your time so that it is effective, efficient, well paced, complete (and fun).
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Group Management Skills. The ability to manage group dynamics and personality styles so that people feel engaged, heard and safe, while problem behavior is kept to a minimum.
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Objectivity. The lack of bias draws out a full and healthy discussion and allows all team members to participate fully so no voices are lost or compromised.
What I do best.
Over the past 18 years I've facilitated almost every kind of conversation imaginable. What I do best are:
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Strategic Conversations (annual and interim)
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Team building/development (for both high functioning and problem teams)
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Group Problem Solving (challenges, opportunities, fixes).
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Conflict Management (when the stakes are high and people are in conflict).
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Critical Organizational Conversations (those that require objectivity and a strong process).