“Leaders and managers fulfil essential roles in any organisation, but for peak performance, today’s top executives also need the skills that make them effective facilitators”
By CATHERINE EDEN
We’ve come a long way from the bad old days of Dickensian workplaces, where the boss was a despot who could fire a snivelling underling at a whim, and where there was no perception of the link between staff development and success.
Thankfully, management styles have evolved to become more inclusive, and are continuing to evolve as our understanding of human dynamics deepens. Today, if you’re in charge, it’s not enough to know your product; you need to know your people, and you need to know how to make the most of their potential.
‘ There are a number of models, resources and techniques that can be used to facilitate change in an organisation,’ says corporate trainer Vicky Coates, who offers businesses tailor-made courses. ‘The trick is to discern, in the moment, which will be the most effective. In any facilitation process the key elements are to define the task (What is our objective?) and to ask the right questions (What work must be done?). Whether the task is to resolve conflict, design new policy or re-define roles, the job of a facilitator is to help others communicate their views, engage in dialogue, and adjust to change.’
Facilitation is all about enabling a process, unlike leadership and management, which have a different focus. International consultants Richard Weaver and John Farrell describe a leader as someone who provides direction and long-term vision. Leaders set the tone of an organisation and ask ‘what’ and why’ questions. They are innovative and inspirational. Managers, on the other hand, provide stability, set the pace and define limits. They ask ‘how?’ and take the short-term view to accomplish tasks and find solutions.
‘ To succeed, an organisation needs managers, leaders and facilitators,’ says Vicky. ‘More and more companies are expecting their top personnel to master all three roles, but many lack the necessary people skills. These skills can be taught. Armed with new awareness, companies could achieve so much more.’
Five steps to facilitation:
Know yourself
In order to understand others, it’s necessary to understand yourself. ‘Facilitation requires an awareness of the hereditary influences that each member of the group brings to the process,’ says Vicky. What this means is that while each of us is inherently extraordinary, with wonderful resources like joy, courage and creativity, we also have overlays – experiences that have affected us positively or negatively, and that colour our responses. As a facilitator you must be aware of your own issues and how they translate in a group context. If you grew up in an overly polite, non-confrontational home, for example, you may find conflict resolution very stressful. Similarly, if your family interaction was volatile, you may feel inclined to react to the group process, but you can’t – you have to hold it. To be an authentic role model, you have to practise the tools you teach and have an interest in your own learning and transformation.’
Know others
Like you, team members bring their history, needs, sensitivities and expectations to the process, and each contributes differently to the group. You need to know how to handle the overbearing one, draw out the shy one, and appreciate how changes to the status quo can create a sense of loss that individuals need to express.
Understand group dynamics
Any creative cycle goes through four recognisable stages. At the start of a process uncertainty among individuals is normal. If the facilitator fails to clarify the ‘why are we here’ question, the group may struggle to become cohesive and productive.
As people settle into the process, conflict may arise as a result of personal differences, role confusion, resistance to the task, or a discrepancy between ideals and reality. If the questions ‘what do I expect from others, and what do they expect from me?’ are not answered, participants may feel that their expectations are not being met and that they do not form a useful part of the team.
The third phase is characterised by negotiation, identification of common goals, and the development of trust and a group spirit. The question ‘how are we going to work together?’ must be addressed, or individuals may find themselves at cross-purposes. If these stages are successfully navigated, there’s finally clear role definition, collaboration, interdependence, achievement and satisfaction. Here, the question is ‘how will we know when we have been successful?’ If this is not conveyed, individuals may not know when they are falling short, and the opportunity to celebrate the group’s accomplishments may be missed.
Use the tools
The challenge facing the facilitator is to select the tools that will help individuals achieve their goals. What process can be used to break the ice? What technique will shift the conflict or energise the team? You may use listening or questioning skills; you may use mirroring or validating techniques. You may choose to make explicit what is implicit, because it is the unspoken information that drives the complexity in any partnership, group or community. For example, instead of assuming the meaning behind someone’s body language or behaviour, you would test the accuracy of your perception by enquiry.
Open-ended questions (how, what, who and why) demand a full response, expanding the debate. Closed questions (Do you all agree? Have we covered everything?) require yes or no answers and effectively close the debate. Probing questions (could you be more specific? What does that mean?) elicit more information and increase everyone’s understanding of the issues being dealt with.
Establish values, beliefs and behaviour
Values are the qualities that people consider to be important. A facilitator honours individual differences, and builds on good relationships and shared values in order to get the work done.
Beliefs are the things that people think are true. A facilitator will explore positive and negative beliefs in order to help the group achieve its highest potential.
Behaviours are those actions that can be observed. Effective facilitators are helpful, respectful and encouraging. They are alert to the impact they have on the group and use their skills consciously and with integrity.
‘Facilitation is geared towards providing clarity,’ says Vicky. ‘Groups can become extremely complex, and communication can break down, derailing negotiations. If managers and leaders have some facilitation skills in their repertoire, they can effectively steer a process, get far more out of their employees and make the work experience more satisfying for everyone.’
