Running team-building events is partly an exercise in facilitation.

Years of experience have given us at Events Made Simple the knowledge to know when to step in and when to let the group progress on its own.

But what is effective facilitation, what is it useful for, and how do you learn to facilitate effectively?

 What is facilitation?

 Facilitation is defined as the act of helping other people deal with a process or reach an agreement or solution, without getting directly involved in the process or discussion.

It comes from the Latin facilis, meaning ‘easy’. The facilitator's role is to make things easy and support the group in progressing towards its goals.

The facilitator oils the cogs of conversation, manages conflict, increases participation and engagement, but doesn’t express their own opinion or bring their own ideas into the discussion.

  How is facilitation used in business?

  One of the key areas where facilitation can be vitally important is in meetings.

We’ve all sat in meetings that don’t go anywhere, that are dominated by one or two voices, or could have simply been dealt with by email. 

An effective facilitator builds rapport, encourages involvement, breaks down communication barriers and stimulates collaboration.

In short, they make it worth attending the meeting. 

When people feel heard and respected, they're more likely to share ideas and take risks. This feeling of psychological safety sparks creativity and innovation.

A skilled facilitator can help a team tap into its collective intelligence, solving problems and finding solutions that might not have been obvious to individuals. 

It's like assembling a puzzle where everyone brings a piece to the table.

Facilitating a meeting

In the context of a meeting, there are a variety of actions and techniques that come into play.

This work starts long before the meeting. 

A professional facilitator will:

• Plan in advance - have a structured agenda with clear goals or progression for the group to achieve.
• Encourage participation from everybody by managing the group dynamics.
• Ensure that everyone understands difficult concepts or questions by rephrasing or reframing them.
• Manage conflict—but not avoid or deflect it.
• Be flexible and adaptable -  aware that things don’t always go according to plan.
• Guide conversations and support decision-making.
• Unite the group in progressing toward a common goal.

But facilitation is more than just running meetings …

Using facilitation skills

Facilitation skills can come in useful in a range of circumstances, but you don’t need to be a professional facilitator to utilise those skills. As with any skill, practice makes perfect.

Whether in a brainstorming session, problem-solving meeting, or a team-building exercise, good facilitation can make a significant difference to the quality of the outcome.

What skills does a great facilitator need?

The list of skills that a facilitator might need to draw on is extensive, but the most important, in our opinion, are these:

1. To be a master of active listening and able to reflect on, paraphrase, or summarise an idea clearly.
2. Able to pay close attention to what people are saying, while also reading the unspoken messaging in their body language and tone. 
3. Understands different perspectives and builds consensus while withholding judgement.
4. Asks the right questions to draw out ideas and develop discussions.
5. Guides conversations, keeps discussions focused and ensures everyone is able to contribute.

Effective facilitation questions

Asking the right questions is a key skill in facilitation. We all know that to get useful answers, you need to ask open questions. So, questions that start with ‘what’, 'why', and ‘how’ are particularly useful.

• What do you think about…?
• How did … make you feel?
• What went well?
• What might you have done differently?
• How could we improve?
• How else might you have responded?

You can also use phrases such as ‘Tell me about…’, 'Describe…', or ‘Explain to me…’ to encourage fuller, more complete answers.

Facilitation skills for line managers

The importance of facilitation skills for line managers cannot be overstated. A line manager will often have to manage a range of personalities and facilitate a variety of processes.

As a line manager, it can be difficult to remove yourself from a process entirely, but some positive steps you can take are:

• In a discussion or meeting, ensure that everyone talks before you do.
• Demonstrate active listening techniques to help validate your team's opinions
• Use appropriate questioning techniques—keep your questions open, but also probe to encourage critical thinking and deeper consideration.
• Trust your team and encourage them to trust each other—they often have the skills to achieve great things.
• Stay objective, non-defensive, and non-judgmental. This is the hardest one, but if you lose objectivity or become defensive, then you stop listening to the message your team is trying to deliver.

These skills can be useful in team meetings as tools to help develop team cohesion, or in performance reviews to engage an individual's involvement and buy-in. 

But, a line manager’s most vital use of their facilitation skills is often in managing conflict within their team.

Managing conflict positively

Conflict happens in most workplaces, but how it's handled can make or break a team. 

Facilitators excel at managing conflict by creating a safe space for open dialogue. Managed conflict can be a really good thing, as this is often where the best ideas come from.

A good facilitator will help team members understand each other's viewpoints, mediate disagreements, find compromises, and move forwards together. 

By defusing tensions and strengthening collaboration, great facilitators can cultivate a positive and productive work environment.

Facilitating decision making

In addition to managing conflict, facilitators play a crucial role in decision making.

They can structure discussions to ensure all options are considered, and help a group reach a consensus that everyone can support. 

By guiding the process and making sure everyone's voice is heard, facilitators empower teams to make informed and effective decisions.

Ultimately, facilitation is about building relationships and creating a sense of community within a workplace. Facilitators can help teams achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

Facilitation skills are essential for business success.

Whether you're leading a small team or a large organisation, the ability to bring people together and harness their collective energy is invaluable. 

It's not just about getting things done; it's about doing them well, together.   

That’s why the importance and value of good facilitation skills are increasing in the workplace every year.

Why not let us facilitate your next team building event?

Get a quote now and you'll be able to see a range of options and prices for your next event, meeting or conference.