Facilitation in business, organizational development (OD), and in consensus decision-making refers to the process of designing and running a successful meeting.
Facilitation concerns itself with all the tasks needed to run a productive and impartial meeting. Facilitation serves the needs of any group who are meeting with a common purpose, whether it be making a decision, solving a problem, or simply exchanging ideas and information. It does not lead the group, nor does it try to distract or to entertain. A slightly different interpretation focuses more specifically on a group that is engaged in experiential learning. In particular this is associated with active learning and concepts of tutelary authority. This is covered in-depth in the research work of John Heron at the University of Surrey and the International Centre for Co-operative Inquiry.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
Aspects
These are all closely associated with the idea of facilitation as a tool of (workplace) empowerment.
Meeting Ground Rules For Facilitators Video
The role of the facilitator
See the facilitator article for details of exactly how a facilitator might run a meeting.
It is important to note that the tasks and responsibilities listed below do not need to be covered by a single facilitator. The role of the facilitator is often shared by multiple people, for instance one person may arrange the logistics before the meeting, another person may keep time and monitor the agenda during the meeting, and a third person may be responsible for recording agreements.
- Prior to a meeting, facilitators:
- research the meeting
- find out the purpose and goal (if any) of the meeting
- establish who needs to attend
- draw up a draft agenda and design the group processes to attain the necessary results
- share the agenda with potential attendees, changing it as necessary
- ensure everyone gets fully briefed for the meeting and that everyone knows the purpose and potential consequences of the meeting
- During the meeting, facilitators:
- monitor the agenda
- keep time
- manage the group process
- encourage participation from all attendees
- help participants understand different points of view
- foster solutions that incorporate diverse points of view
- manage participant behaviour
- create a safe environment
- teach new thinking skills and facilitate structured thinking activities
- record (with an agreed phraseology) agreements. They may also note unresolved issues for later debate.
- The facilitator may write up and publish the results of the meeting to everyone concerned including those who could not attend.
The form of meeting
A meeting usually means everyone is together in the same room at the same time and this is the major situation in which facilitation is practiced. With the introduction of modern telecommunications the field has grown to embrace other forms of meetings:
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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