Facilitation

What does it takes to facilitate a group effectively?  The two key factors are

• being clear about the group's purpose and why facilitation might help
• providing high quality attention to what goes on in the group

The faciltator's task is to facilitate - that is, make something easy. In facilitating a team, for example, the facilitator can ease processes such as setting priorities, the arrival of new members to the team or managing a transition. Someone who is interested but not directly involved can see and describe processes that may get in the way of the group's effectiveness, and can call attention to what's happening in a way that would be hard for a member of the team.

Facilitating effectively requires the ability 'to care but not to mind' - that is, to be committed to helping the group or team to achieve its desired outcomes without becoming personally involved.  A high quality of attention is needed, both to the group as it works and to how individuals seem to be coping. It's better if the facilitator doesn't intervene too much, except to give feedback from time to time on what they've observed. Reminding the group, or re-asking, about what they're trying to achieve and if what they're currently doing 'right now' is getting them there can be an extremely useful intervention.