In an era where complex problems demand ever more collaborative working, a facilitator is an independent person, from outside the system, who guides a group through meaningful dialogue to help them tease out and surface issues and work towards a meaningful outcome.
As an external facilitator my role is to create a safe space where all members of the team or workgroup feel free to contribute in an open and authentic way. As well as ensuring that all voices are heard, a facilitator will move participants towards an outcome.
The desired outcome may be clear from the outset or more often, may emerge and clarify through the process of dialogue.
The facilitator’s role is to keep the team or group focussed on purpose and the process. The benefit of using a facilitator is that it frees up all members of a team to fully contribute. The facilitator is impartial and therefore well placed to ask the naïve question and surface areas that may be undiscussable.
