In this article, we explain the basics of facilitating. We discuss what facilitating is and how it differs from chairing. And we stress the importance of learning how to become a good facilitator.

📚 This guide is part of a series on how to facilitate meetings.

Introduction #

Meeting facilitation combines a series of roles and tasks. For example: keeping people on topic; listening carefully to what everyone is saying so no-one's points get lost; suggesting techniques for creative problem-solving; and supporting the group to address a conflict if it arises.

Sometimes facilitation is mainly done by one person (the facilitator) who guides the discussion to help the group meet its goals. It's also useful to think in terms of shared facilitation, with everyone sharing the responsibility for ensuring a meeting is productive and participatory.

A facilitator needs to be aware of both the content of the meeting (what people are talking about) and the process (how the conversations are happening). This awareness helps a facilitator come up with effective ideas for how to help the discussion move forward.

Was the meeting successful? #

Meetings are often the space in which the members of a group get tasks done: sharing informa­tion, reaching decisions and getting on with jobs. But a good meeting doesn't only get work done. Another important function of meetings is maintaining the group by involving, supporting and empowering the parti­cipants. This can help build a sense of community and connec­tion to fellow group members, resulting in a strong group with high levels of enthusiasm for achieving your shared aims.

It is common for groups to over-focus on tasks, at the expense of maintaining the group community. This can be especially the case if the group is facing an urgent situation, or they have a heavy workload. However, groups usually get more done in the long run when they pay attention to people, relationships and group dynamics as well.

Some questions to ask yourselves #

Tasks – What got done? What will change as a result of the meeting (e.g. what action points were taken on, what decisions were made, what problems were solved?) Maintenance – How did it get done? How did people feel and how will this affect how they feel about the group? (E.g.: Did the meeting make good use of the pooled talents? Did everyone feel able to share their views? Was it enjoyable? Were conflicts addressed?)

Core facilitation tasks #

Facilitation can involve a long list of possible tasks, depending on the situation. This list of core tasks will be relevant to most meetings:

• Helping the group decide on a realistic agenda and time-frame for the meeting.

• Keeping the meeting focussed on one item at a time until the issue is resolved.

• Regulating the flow of discussion, e.g. drawing out quiet people, or those with the most relevant experience.

• Clarifying and summarising points, checking for agreement in order to make clear decisions.

• Helping the group address conflict when it arises, and to explore different needs in order to come up with a well-supported decision.

• Introducing facilitation tools, if appropriate. E.g. ideastorms to help people come up with creative ideas, small group conversations to increase participation.

• Keeping the meeting to time.

• Ensuring that a written record is made of any action points and decisions agreed at the meeting.

Facilitating or chairing? #

Superficially a facilitator fills a role similar to that of the traditional chairperson. There are, however, important differences:

• A facilitator never “directs” the group without its consent.

• At no time does the facilitator make decisions for the group or take on functions which are the responsibility of the group as a whole;

• A good facilitator stays neutral and helps the members of the meeting be aware that it is their business that is being conducted. The success of the meeting is the shared responsibility of the whole group. The facilitator needs to be aware of this and always get the group’s agreement before using facilitation techniques or activities.

Learning to facilitate #

Facilitation doesn't have to be done by experts! It is a skill that can be learnt by reflecting on your own experience of meetings and observing other facilitators. Learn from mistakes, from bad meetings as well as good ones. If the role of facilit­ator is rotated amongst group members, several people can develop these skills. It is well worth running some training, aside from normal meeting times, to prac­tice facilitation skills. These skills are not only useful in group meetings but also in informal settings, at work and at home.

You can learn a lot by reflecting on what happens in different meetings. You'll get the most accurate information on this if you evaluate together regularly. Noticing people's behaviour also gives you some clues. When do people look animated and engaged? When do lots of people participate, and when do you hear the same voices a lot? If a lot of comments are not related to the agenda item, why might that be?

Reflection should give you a great starting point for understanding how facilitation can help your meetings . It is also important to just try things out! Start by facilitating smaller meetings with less challenging topics. Be ready to ask for feedback about different people's experience.

Skills and qualities #

There are a number of skills and qualities that people commonly look for in their meeting facilitators. This isn't to say that you have to have all of these skills to be able to facilitate – every facilitator brings their own unique mix to the meeting, and rotating facilitators helps bring some balance to your meetings.

Respect for all participants and genuine interest in what each individual has to offer.

Good listening skills, including using questions to be able to understand everyone's viewpoint clearly.

Confidence in the ability of the group to work together and find solutions.

Assertiveness: knowing when to intervene decisively and give some direction to the meeting.

Paying attention: paying attention to both the content of the discussion and the process. How are people feeling? What exactly are the issues?

Neutrality on the issues discussed. Trust in the facilitators is dependent on the group being sure that they are not deliberately or unconsciously manipulating the meeting towards a particular outcome.

Staying neutral as facilitator #

• Make it clear when you're expressing your own opinion and when you're intervening as the facilitator.

• Trust that someone else will express your thoughts or feelings on the issue. Or even explain your views to someone in advance of the meeting, and ask them to represent you.

• Step out of role and let someone else facilitate.

Accessible meetings #

The way that a meeting is conducted will have a big impact on each person's ability to actually engage and participate. As a facilitator it can be easy to run a meeting for 'people like you' or 'people like the mainstream culture of your group' (especially if those things are the same!) However, we all vary in things like how we like to take in information, what makes it easy for us to voice our views and needs, what will make us comfortable in the space etc.

Accessibility requirements #

As a facilitator, it is especially important to find out about, and respect, people's access requirements. These are the things a person needs to have in place in order to participate fully in the meeting. The best way to find out how to make the meeting work for people is to invite everyone to give you information about their accessibility requirements in advance. You may also get feedback during the meeting, or notice that things aren't working for someone. In this instance, give yourself a moment to re-think your activities, and chat to the people concerned where possible!

Preferences #

In addition, we all have preferences about how to participate in meetings. Do we prefer small groups or large ones? How much time do we need to reflect before deciding what we think? How many breaks do we need? When something is not our preference, it is possible to stretch ourselves and manage for a while. As a facilitator, building in lots of variety of activities will help balance out who gets to do things in their preferred way. Ideally, everyone gets to find things easy and feel comfortable some of the time!

Power dynamics #

Ideally, everyone has a fair say in decisions which fundamentally affect them. However, differences in power mean that, in reality, certain individuals and perspectives get heard more than others. This may be about someone's confidence to voice their opinions in a particular space. It is important to be aware that it is also about how different people and perspectives are received by others.

As a facilitator, you can take some steps towards addressing power dynamics by using exercises that help equalise participation, e.g. reflection time in small groups, go-rounds. Your job does not end here, however! Notice differences in who contributes, and what response different people get. Make extra space for messages that aren't getting through and be assertive if necessary to help people listen.

Meeting roles #

Making a meeting work involves a lot of different tasks, and these can be split up between different people, especially in a large or challenging meeting.

This could involve splitting the main facilitation role between two or more co-facilitators. These people can take turns and support each other. This is useful if one facilitator needs to step out of their role to take part in the discus­sion, have a break or when back-up is needed in cases of tension, conflict or confusion. Four ears hear better than two, so co-facilitators are also useful to check understanding of what is being said.

In addition, you can create a host of additional roles to ease the pressure on the main facilitators:

Taking hands: one person can take on the job of keeping track of whose turn it is to speak next, and of giving time limits to speakers, if appropriate.

Vibes-watching: someone not actively facilit­ating can pay more attention to the emotional atmosphere of the meeting and watch out for individual members being affected. In situations of conflict and distress the vibes-watcher will intervene, for example by taking on the role of an intermediary, by taking time out with someone to listen to their concerns or suggesting breaks and tools to improve the atmosphere of the meeting. Good vibes-watchers are able to sense underlying feelings by listening carefully and being aware of body language.

The timekeeper draws attention to the agreed time frame for the meeting and keeps the group to it, negotiating extensions for particular agenda items, or for the meeting as a whole, if needed.

Minute takers play a vital role at meetings: they keep track of decisions, take minutes or notes, collect reports, and also draw attention to incomplete decisions – e.g.: 'Who is going to contact the warden at the community centre, and when?' Minute takers can also provide a summary of the discussion if needed. (For more tips see our short guide Taking Minutes at Meetings).

A doorkeeper is useful in public meetings or when some people may be late. The door­keeper welcomes newcomers or late­comers and brings them up to speed on the meeting – aims, what's been covered so far in the agenda, how decisions are being made, as well as the practical 'housekeeping' information such as tea and toilets. A doorkeeper can prevent the flow of a meeting being interrupted to recap every time someone enters the room.

In very large meetings it is advisable to have a practical coordinator responsible for the venue, equipment, refreshments and notices. The co-ordin­ator can also gather people together to start on time.

Attribution #

Work from the following sources was reused:

• Facilitating Meetings by Seeds for Change (2019)