One of the questions we get asked when we tell people that we are facilitators is “Why should we use someone from outside our organisation?” We have learnt over the last couple of decades that contributing to the content (as a participant) while managing the process (as the facilitator) can result in a less productive result for everyone.
1 “Facipulation”
Our number 1 issue with using an internal facilitator is what we like to call “facipulation” where the facilitator has a stake in the outcome and and manipulates the group through their facilitation to get to the outcome they desire. Yep, I know I don’t think you will find it in a real dictionary but it makes the point right, a combination of facilitation and manipulation!
2 Fresh Eyes
Using an external facilitator, who should be unbiased and independent (as much as possible) brings a new perspective to the session, someone who can challenge an existing protocol or idea to check that it is still the best way to do things for your organisation.
3 Agenda structure
We structure the workshop to make sure we cover all of the issues and meet the objectives within the available time, using our expertise to manage what can and cannot be achieved in the proposed workshop, within the time available and the number of participants attending.
4 Preparation
We know that when we are in front of the group for a day, we will spend at least another full day preparing for the workshop and planning all of the sessions, we cannot imagine that one of your exec team will be able to spend that time on getting prepared! As part of that preparation we use our strong detail skills to make sure all the little details are considered.
5 Process focus
Being focussed on the facilitation process, allows the independent facilitator to stay out of the emotion of the sessions, resolve issues and keep things moving and on plan.
6 Record of the discussions
We make sure the key ideas are documented so that you can be fully involved in the discussions without worrying about the idea being lost as you try to contribute and capture the conversations.
7 Getting to results
Our objective is to get your team to agree (through our consensus building processes) on action steps with clear accountabilities so that your organisation can see the results of the decisions made during the workshop.
8 Opportunity cost
Having your team out of the office for a day or more is expensive, we want to make sure you get the most out of the group so that the time is seen as productive and worthwhile, we use visual mapping and participatory techniques to get the best results from your team’s time out of the office.
We love it when we get a response to a workshop like “I cannot believe how much we covered in the workshop”. We look forward to working with you on your next team workshop.
Let me know if you would like to chat about your next workshop.
Read our blog post about choosing a venue here.