Facilitation is a broader and more flexible concept than Mediation. It assists individuals or groups with anything from low-level problem-solving, through to improving the effectiveness of meetings and general team-building.
A Facilitator is very skilled in utilising the techniques of consensus-building. However, consensus is not necessarily about unanimous agreement; it’s also about achieving a well-considered outcome that people feel committed to.
Organisations often require help to make meetings more positive and effective. It’s impossible to be part of an organisation today and avoid attending a host of meetings – staff, project or task force, planning, priority-setting, team-building etc. Many of these are poorly run, waste valuable time and are loathed by staff. A Facilitator can be the catalyst to turn the situation around.
On important issues, where staff buy-in is critical, there is nothing worse than ‘telling people what to do’ or resorting to voting. Similarly, using consensus to decide trivial issues is a futile use of time. An independent Facilitator can help organisations:
- to avoid aimless drifting and random discussions;
- to promote healthy debates rather than dysfunctional arguments.