Facilitator Core Practices

Stay neutral on content—your job is to focus on the process elements and avoid the temptation of exerting control of the content of the discussion. While you may use questions and even make suggestions to help the group, facilitators never impose their opinions or take over decision-making power.

Listen actively—this is listening to understand more than judge. It also means using attentive body language and looking participants in the eye while they’re speaking. Eye contact can also be used to acknowledge points and prompt quiet people to take part.

Ask questions—this is the most important tool facilitators possess. Questions can be used to test assumptions, invite participation, and gather information and probe for hidden points. Effective questioning encourages people to delve past symptoms in order to uncover root causes.

Paraphrase—facilitators paraphrase continuously during discussions. Paraphrasing involves repeating what people say to make sure they know they’re being heard, to let others hear their points a second time and to clarify key ideas.

Synthesize ideas—ping-pong ideas around the group during any discussion that requires the collective opinion of the members. When people comment and build on each other’s ideas, it builds consensus and commitment.

Use the flip chart—this is another main tool and should be used constantly to record emerging ideas as well as final decisions. The notes taken on a flip chart need to be brief and concise. They must also accurately reflect what the participants said, not what the facilitator interprets them to have said. 

Stay on track—set time guidelines for each discussion. Ask a group member to act as timekeeper. Point out digressions whenever discussion veers off topic. Park all off-topic items to be dealt with later, on a separate parking lot sheet posted in clear sight.

Use the spell-check button—since most people have difficulty spelling correctly on a flip chart, deemphasize spelling by drawing a spell-check button in a top corner of any flip sheet. Tell participants that they can spell creatively, since pressing the spell-check button automatically eliminates errors.

Give and receive feedback—facilitators periodically “hold up a mirror” to help the group see itself so it can assess problems with the proceedings and make corrections. They also periodically ask for feedback about how things are going with the pace, the process and the content.

Test assumptions—facilitators always strive to bring the assumptions people are operating under out into the open, so they can be clarified, corrected and clearly understood by everyone.
Summarize periodically—an effective facilitator can listen to a complex conversation and then offer a concise and accurate summary. Summaries can also be used to revive a discussion that has come to a halt, or to end a discussion when things need to be wrapped up. Remember that summarizing is one of the main ways to arrive at a consensus.