Thread by @NativeWired

Interesting how many ppl underestimate the effect of good facilitation.

I just talked with @apaipi (who btw is an amazing facilitator) about demeaning of facilitation as a skill.

I also regularly see people assume force/coercion in connection with team exercises or trainings.

Facilitation requires a lot of different skills, and the interesting thing is that really great facilitation can sometimes be invisible.
I have seen that where people in the room don’t notice all the small things like making sure everyone is heard, that decisions are made etc.

Facilitation has root in latin “facilis”; easy. To make things easier.
It spans from helping two people have a constructive conflict to training with a room full of people. From helping with making meetings worth the time to ensure that all voices are heard.

It can also be about helping people feel safe. Safe enough to participate OR safe enough to not participate.

For example in trainings, where you have exercises. People need to be okay with participating in them.

A bad facilitator can make any exercise unsafe.

I make a great effort in my trainings to help people feel safe. It is ok to feel uncomfortable, but never unsafe.

I have had remarks like “everyone knows they can opt out” and “don’t treat ppl like they are kids”.

True ppl know they can opt out, but they also want to belong.

We are hardwired to wanting to belong (this meant survival in ancient times).

The effect of group pressure is enormous. We want to not stand out.

By adressing this and explicitly stating that it is ok to opt out, we change the “rules”. We make it easier to opt out.

Facilitation is all about making it easier.

That sometimes means stating the “obvious”, which is not always obvious and repeating rarely hurts.

A few ppl have told me over the years: “I did not see the point of stating it every time - until I was at an event where no-one did”

My point is:

Bad facilitation is easy to spot. Great facilitation is a lot harder.

Just because it is a soft skill, does not make it less valuable or less hard to do.

And please: if you experienced poor facilitation, don’t take it out on other facilitators or assume that they will do the same.

When reading about an exercise, assume that it will be facilitated well.

Oh I forgot another important example: debriefing of exercises.

Debriefing of an exercise can make the difference between a learning experience or just playing a game.