This is Part 2 of an occasional series on facilitation and its uses in organizations. Part 1 describes the nature of facilitation here.

A facilitator is not a part of the decision-making group. He or she is also not the group leader, teacher or trainer. So what is the facilitator’s job?

In a nutshell, the facilitator guides the group through a decision-making process.

From start to finish, the facilitator is responsible for:

1. Preparing for the session. (This will be covered in detail in another post.)
2. Setting the agenda.
3. Formulating questions for discussion.
4. Keeping the conversation on track. This includes bringing to the forefront any side conversations, defusing any destructive conflict, and encouraging any constructive conflict.
5. Taking notes throughout the session.
6. Bringing the group to a conclusion and/or a resolution to the problem at hand.
7. Summarizing the session after it is complete and distributing the summary to all participants.

Stay tuned for more on facilitation and the skills needed to be a good facilitator.

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