Some people think of leadership and facilitation as being two separate skillsets. The reality is more complicated, as the two roles overlap substantially.
Without the ability to facilitate, leaders are unable to foster positive environments that create trust and allow for innovation among employees. No one is born with all the skills required to be a good facilitator, though. That’s where team facilitator training comes in.
What Is Facilitation?
Let’s start with a quick definition of team facilitation. At its heart, the term refers to the act of guiding a group of people toward a shared goal. Facilitation requires providing structure, managing processes, and fostering a positive environment that will enhance collective decision-making.
What Is Facilitator Training?
Facilitator training offers emerging leaders an opportunity to practice essential skills so they can lead with empathy and foster collaboration in the workplace. Training sessions enhance leadership development by offering access to essential resources, expert coaching, and networks of other dedicated professionals.
These training sessions are more than just skill-building exercises, though. They offer an opportunity to become a part of a global community of empowered leaders who understand the value of collaboration, communication, and innovation.
While facilitation is an essential skill for a leader, it’s important to note that facilitators do not actively adopt a leadership role in the decision-making process. Instead, they help the team work together by managing group dynamics, assisting in conflict resolution, and ensuring that everyone stays focused.
Skills Required to Be a Good Facilitator
While no one is born an expert facilitator, those skilled in the field tend to have a few things in common. Exceptional facilitators are good at creating inclusive environments that empower all team members to contribute, which promotes diversity of perspectives. As a result, they’re good at leading decision-making processes.
Skilled facilitators are also excellent at managing group dynamics and conflicts to maintain productivity and overall team harmony. They’re able to lead brainstorming sessions, strategic planning meetings, and other group exercises effectively and efficiently, guiding discussions and encouraging participation without dominating the conversation.
Facilitators must also be able to synthesize ideas and use them to create actionable plans. This process starts with encouraging honest dialogue and fostering strong relationships. It doesn’t end until everyone on the team has had the chance to contribute, offering feedback as well as primary input.
What to Look for in Facilitator Training
Facilitation is an important skillset, and it’s one that can be difficult to develop without adequate support. Facilitator training courses are not all created equal, so it’s important to find one that will do more than just introduce ideas, instead guiding leaders and empowering them on an individual basis. Here’s what to look for:
1. A Customized Approach
Everyone learns differently, so a course that takes a customized approach to teaching will be more effective than one that takes a one-size-fits-all approach. Look for workshops, seminars, and group coaching sessions designed to meet specific objectives.
2. Experiential Learning
Leaders can’t learn how to facilitate by listening in on lectures alone. Experiential learningallows them to engage actively with the course material, encouraging deeper learning.
3. Expertise and Experience
All the coaches leading coursework should have dedicated experience as learning facilitators. When in doubt, ask about qualifications before signing up for a course.
Get Started Today
The first step toward becoming a better facilitator is to complete a facilitator training course. Whether team leaders go through their employers to find seminars and workshops or seek them out themselves, they’ll be sure to appreciate the difference.
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