FACILITATOR'S JOB DESCRIPTION

A facilitator's job can often feel overwhelming. There are often many things a facilitator is doing, or keeping track of, at any one time, which is why it sometimes feels like juggling chainsaws. The following list, taken in part with permission from Great Meetings by Dee Kelsey, is a listing of some of the many tasks facilitators carry out. In upcoming issues of Great Meetings Monday I will explore each of these tasks and suggest some tools to help accomplish the task.

Tasks

• Plans and designs the meeting process, in partnership with the client
• Helps everyone feel welcome and get acquainted
• Clarifies the purpose of the meeting, the desired outcomes, the process to be used and the roles of each person
• Works with the group to establish and get buy-in to the ground rules and agenda if they are used
• Draws out opinions, encourages full participation from all members and keeps members from dominating
• Clarifies communication between people
• Helps keep the group focused and on track
• Protects participants from attack
• Listens intently
• Handles difficult situations and behaviors
• Names conflict when it arises and guides those involved through a negotiation of their differences
• Adapts the process as necessary to help the group move forward
• Makes process suggestions
• Encourages the group with affirmation and appreciation
• Monitors the meeting pace
• Summarizes progress of the meeting at key points
• Guides the group in coming to conclusions, agreements, clarity
• Maintains neutrality, reflecting content and process back to the group
• Serves the whole group, rather than individuals, and process over content
• Helps the group anticipate difficult topic
• Helps the group evaluate the meeting
• Reviews actions for the next meeting
• Clarifies what the group wants to do when it runs out of time
• Designing the meeting environment
• Following up to make sure work between meetings is accomplished
• Models effective behavior
• Acknowledges proposals and makes sure they are recorded

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