When To Use A Facilitator

SITUATION:  You are in a meeting in which the conversation is ineffective, or unfocused, or just dragging on and on. Pick one, because I know you’ve been there! You may or may not be the one in charge … and there’s no shame if you are.

You either need to don your super-cape to change the outcome, or just find a way to edge in to the conversation to get it going in the right direction.

When to Use an Outside Professional

Critical meetings should always be facilitated. This leaves the leader free to bury herself in the content, without worrying about the process and leaving the meeting with the objective unaccomplished.

Reasons to use a professional facilitator:

• Run the meeting so you do not have to worry about “process”
• Incorporate proven techniques that make a meeting productive
• Ensure desired goals are met during a meeting
• Allow an outside person to play the cop so that internal relationships do not suffer
• Keep the discussions pointed and managed
• Achieve team development and real-time coaching by offering insight
• Allow the team leader to participate and not direct
• Develop Goal-setting for a team with the help of someone that does it all the time
• Set expectations within a group
• Communicate mutual expectations between a team and the people to which they are accountable
• Re-focus a group on a new task
• Re-energize a team
• Benchmark a team’s development against other industries that the facilitator knows
• Manage conflict between parties
• Apply an organized approach to a project
• Learn training tips
• You have heard of Katie’s phenomenal outcomes and want to get to know her better

A  well-experienced facilitator is probably also a business consultant as well as an instructional facilitator. This can be an incredible bonus – you get real-time ideas and multi-industry input and ideas on the spot.

Help with Big Meetings

Meeting and event management consultants are adept at setting the right forums for offsites and conventions. At the heart of it, however, should be an experienced professional. (Learn about us if you are wanting an outside resource to help or a corporate meeting planner, or to get in touch with one of our network of partners.)