Successful Facilitation Behaviors

It’s easy to talk about facilitation in abstract terms. Real impact happens when we discipline ourselves to learn facilitation as a more comprehensive and intentional approach. Here are five behaviors to help you apply this approach to your life.

Don’t tell people what they already know.

Most of us love to talk to other people and share our experiences. The problem is, this isn’t facilitative. When we tell someone what we think or believe, we are putting them into a passive position. Rather than bore them with our opinions, ask questions that engage and excite them.

Ask open-ended questions.

Facilitation is all about conversation. Think of a purposeful, open-ended question to get the creative juices flowing. Keep the question specific enough to fit into the conversation, but broad enough to share different perspectives.

Listen objectively.

Listening is arguably the hardest skill for any of us to master. During a conversation, consciously listen with an open mind. Objectivity is not the same thing as neutrality. Neutrality means you don’t care. Objectivity means you care and have an opinion, but are open to learning other perspectives. If you listen well you can summarize what’s been shared with you.

Ask at least one follow up question before you respond.

Once you have listened and summarized the speaker’s points, ask at least one additional clarifying question. The additional information gathered will ensure you are hearing the full story. It also will slow you down so you don’t jump to sharing your own ideas or conclusion.

Solicit opposing input.

Even if you agree, ask questions to make sure you’re on the same page. You might have missed information or a perspective. Always consider additional questions you can ask to further the conversation and understand the other perspective better.

-- by Leadership Strategies