Facilitator

A facilitator is someone who skillfully helps a group achieve its objectives without personally taking any side of the argument. The facilitator will try to assist the group in achieving a consensus on any disagreements that preexist or emerge in the meeting so that it has a strong basis for future action.

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The role has been likened to that of a midwife who assists in the process of creation but is not the producer of the end result.

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The basic skills of a facilitator are about following good meeting practices: timekeeping, following an agreed-upon agenda, and keeping a clear record. The higher-order skills involve watching the group, its individuals, and their process, and knowing the art of intervening in a way that adds to the group's creativity rather than taking away from it.

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A successful facilitator embodies respect for others and a watchful awareness of the many layers of reality in a human group.

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In the event that a consensus cannot be reached then the facilitator would assist the group in understanding the differences that divide it.

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The International Association of Facilitators was founded in 1993 to promote facilitation as a profession.

Related Topics:
1993 - Facilitation

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