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A facilitator is someone who works with a group of people to help them understand their common objectives, and then assists them in achieving them.

For those who like analogies - the role is like that of a midwife who assists in the delivery of creation, but is not the producer of the end result.

That brings us to an important point. A facilitator ‘stays out of content'. He or she does not lead the group to the answer they think best - even if they possess an opinion on the subject matter.

A facilitator enables the team to be 'high-performing' - creatively and productively. In order to do this, a facilitator will have a large kit of tools and techniques that they can draw on. These tools and techniques will include communication skills, analytical tools, creative thinking processes and many more.

Facilitators need to be energetic, and model key values of respect and appreciating diversity. A facilitator will also understand the way people work together - sometimes called 'group process', and be skilled in conflict-resolution and coaching.

Who facilitates?

Someone who has the energy and skills for the job. Anatellô runs facilitation training courses to train our clients in these skills. We also facilitate diverse sessions ourselves.

Why is facilitation important in innovation?

Excellent facilitation plays a key role in successful innovation for a number of reasons.

• Many innovation projects 'die' in meetings. A facilitator can run a different type of meeting. One that supports creativity rather than destroys it.
• In order to innovate, teams have to move away from their current thinking and known solutions into the future and the unknown. The facilitator can be an expedition leader for this journey.
• The journey can be tough - more tough for some team members than others. The facilitator keeps the group cohesive, keeping the participants energised, feeling safe, and helping them deal with any obstacles along the way.

How to measure the benefits?

• A well-facilitated group should achieve the objectives of the session
• A well-facilitated group should achieve more with the facilitator than if they had worked without one.
• A well-facilitated group leaves the session having worked hard, but still enthusiastic for the rest of the project and for implementing their action points.