How to Select a Facilitator
Caution! Anyone can claim to be a facilitator.
One night I received a frantic call.
He had sold a meeting facilitation, which was scheduled to start the next morning. And he wanted my recommendation for a good book on meetings to help prepare for that facilitation.
I feel sorry for his client.
Make sure that you work with a real facilitator.
Here's what to ask for and what to expect.
This is also a description of what I do and how I work.
• Is the person a professional facilitator?
Facilitation should be the core focus of the person's business, not a part-time activity.
True professionals belong to the association that supports their profession — in this case it's the International Association of Facilitators (IAF).
• Does the person have professional credentials?
The IAF recognizes professional competence with the Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) designation.
Members of IAF earn the CPF designation by passing a rigorous skill-based assessment that involves 1) an lengthy application (mine filled nine pages), 2) oral exams conducted by certified examiners, and 3) a demonstration of meeting facilitation.
• Does the person understand meetings?
An effective facilitator will be able to: 1) help you determine the best goals for your meeting, 2) prepare a realistic agenda, 3) create a safe and productive working environment, 4) guide your group through team processes that lead to results, 5) manage disruptions without offending anyone, and 6) document results.
True experts demonstrate their knowledge by publishing articles and books. They also conduct workshops or seminars.
• Does the person understand business?
Ideally, the person has real business experience, having worked both as an employee and as a business owner.
• Does the person understand people?
An effective facilitator is able to identify different behavior styles and then work with all of them.
• Does the person work hard to understand the purpose of your meeting?
If you talk to someone who seems too quick to accept your project, be cautious.
A skilled facilitator will ask many questions to understand what you want to do before agreeing to help you. This helps identify if your meeting fits the facilitator's expertise — some types of meetings may not. And it determines the amount of effort required.
• Does the person offer to talk to the participants?
Such conversations are essential. They reveal the participants' expectations and private agendas. They gather background information. And they serve to enlist the participants' support for the meeting.
• Does the person apply a variety of process tools?
Each meeting is different. And thus each meeting requires different process tools to obtain useful results. Some people use one process for everything. While that can work in some cases, it is a significant limitation.
• Does the person provide suggestions on how to run your meeting?
Skilled facilitators take care of details, including how to set up the room and what resources will be needed. They also coach you on how to maximize the effectiveness of your participation.
• Does the person pay attention?
An effective facilitator will pay careful attention to you while you (and others) talk. This is an essential skill in attending to the dynamics that occur during a meeting.
• Does the person charge a realistic fee?
A facilitator's fee provides important information about the person.
Most professional facilitators charge realistic fees that are consistent with the value of their work. Those who have published books may charge more because they bring an added level of confidence to their work.
Celebrities and people who work for large consulting firms (with a large overhead) will charge high fees.
People with little experience will charge low fees. A low fee is not a bargain, it's a warning.
When you want results, call an expert.
Call Steve Kaye at 714-528-1300.
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