All about Facilitations skills

Facilitation skills

Facilitation skills what are they for???

• Facilitators helps groups to work towards a common goal

Facilation style:

1. Indirective
2. Facilitative
3. Assertive
4. Directive

 Useless style:

1. Passive
2. Confrontational

 Facilitation language :

1. . Honouring/respecting ( paying attention)the group
2. . Provide a climate of trust
3. .being neutral , objective , unbiased
4. . Encouragments
5.  Engagements- invite participation
6.  Ensuring clarity - specking using clarity, questioning and supportively
7.  Being instructional - telling ppl where they should go next
8.  Generating understanding - asking questions
9.  Opening up- creating dialogue rather then debate

Setting of ground  rules

• “Our purpose today…” 
• “What is the purpose of our meeting?” 
• “What would be the ideal outcome?” 
• “Where do you want to have got to when we go out that door?”
• “Relax and enjoy the journey” 
• “Everyone’s opinion is valued, there are no wrong answers” 
• “All ideas are valued” 
• “It’s an honour to work with you”

Acknowledging participants’contributions

• “That’s an excellent thought. You are very (sincere praise).”
• “That interests me, say more”
• “Thank you for sharing”
• “Great- good- I like it- excellent- Spot on"

Probing

• “Say more…”
• “Can you say more about…”
• “Could you say more?”
• “Tell me more about that…”
• “Can you tell me more about that?”
• “Please, tell me more about that.”
• “Yes, please go on.”
• “Say more about that if you will…”
• “Please tell me more about what you mean when you stated…”
• “Tell us a little more about this.”

Garnering  participation

• “I’m wondering how this might look/appear/feel/seem to you?”
• “I invite you to…”
• “I’d like to invite you to participate in…”
• “Tell me about a time when…”
• “I’m curious to know what others think”
• “What do others think?”
• “Does anyone else have something?"

Reflecting and clarifying

• “What I have heard is…”
• ”Am I correct in observing that…”
• “So what you’re saying is…”
• “What I’m hearing is…Is that right?”
• “Please clarify”
• “What I hear you saying…”
• “Can you help me be more clear in my mind about"

These themes, which emerged along with their supporting statements, are:
• Body language needs to be congruent/consistent with spoken language
“There is a general belief that it is important to be
sending the same or consistent messages to a group –both verbal and non-verbal.”


• Body language is equally as important as spoken language; sometimes it’s more important
“I don’t privilege either of these. I see them as both equally important but in different ways.”
“They are both ways of communicating – to ignore one or the other would result in a lesser outcome that
(sic) may have been possible.”
“Often I am not quick on my feet with language, so my body language often carries the day. When my body language signals quiet confidence, open  engagement and curiosity, the group stays with me despite stumbles and lapses.”


• Body language and spoken language help contribute to facilitator authenticity


“People judge you (the facilitator) on how you look,


how you sound and how you organise what you say.”