Our approach to facilitating meetings emphasizes building consensus and achieving results. Facilitation is more of an art than a science -- there is no single right way. These instructions lay out one possible approach that has evolved with practice over time. The heart of this approach's effectiveness lies in universal participation and individual ownership of ideas. Your preferred approach will vary according to your teaching style and the situation/task at hand. Be creative and flexible as you step into your facilitation shoes.
What is Facilitation?
In the pure and simple sense, facilitation is a process, a
means of leading a group to a decision. Webster defines it in five words: "To make easy or
easier." While some scholars have written volumes about the word, Webster's definition
pretty well sums it up. For our purposes, facilitation should accommodate a group's need
to reach broad CONSENSUS -- a judgment arrived at by most of those concerned. Generally
and practically speaking, this consensus is directed toward (1) Goals and/or (2) an
Action Plan to implement the goals. (Sometimes a group may first need to agree
on its mission -- its purpose, or why it exists -- and develop a preferred vision
of the future. But these are topics for another day.)
On to the next section -- Guiding Principles
Back to Facilitating For Results Content
Outline
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