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Effective Facilitation
Structures and Strategies for Promoting Growth
Why Facilitate?
Facilitation is becoming a core competency for anyone who’s on a team, heading up a
committee or teaching. Effective meetings happen when proper attention has been paid to
the process elements and the proceedings are skillfully facilitated. Leaders must know how
to create buy-in, generate active participation and empower people to take charge. At the
core of instructional coaching, collaborating, mentoring, and teaching is the skill of
facilitation. With its focus on asking instead of telling, as well as listening and building
consensus, facilitation is the essential skill for working with others.
--Ingrid Bens (2005)
How is Facilitation unique?
Whether a teacher leader takes the stance of Presenter, Collaborator, or Facilitator when
working with a group depends upon the function that is needed for the task. (Examples: a
presenter might present the improvements of a new curriculum and give steps for
implementation; a collaborator might brainstorm or co-plan with colleagues; and a
facilitator might help a group analyze their math curriculum or make decisions on how to
begin the process of curriculum mapping.)
A group facilitator may need to transition to presenter or collaborator to meet the needs
of the group; whereas a mentor/growth agent may need to transition from coach, to
consultant to collaborator depending upon the needs of their colleague in a 1:1
conversation.
To facilitate means to ―make easier.‖ Facilitators maintain focus on the goal while
managing the energy and pacing for the group. The group generates the information.
Facilitators remain neutral. On the other hand, collaborators work alongside the group,
co-creating information, and presenters bring expertise of the topic to the group.
--L. Lipton & B. Wellman (2003 & 2010)
Content vs. Process
Presenting is about the content; and facilitating is about the process. The content is what
is being discussed. The process is the how things are run—the format, structures,
procedures, strategies, and tools used to engage with the content and work toward the
goal(s). Facilitators plan for both the content and the process when developing their
agenda.
--Ingrid Bens (2005)
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“Effective Facilitation” WSASCD Conference, October 15, 2010