The role of a facilitator is to chair discussions at a meeting or other group session so that the people taking part function more effectively and make better decisions. You set the goals for the meeting and the agenda and the facilitator hosts the discussion. Because unnecessary and badly run meetings are among the most frequent reasons for a loss of time and morale in work teams you should give some thought to whether it would be worth using a facilitator. A qualified facilitator will:
Set and maintain the basic rules for the discussion
The facilitator is not biased towards any of the participants. He will set clear rules for the meeting and ensure that they are adhered to. He will not have any problem setting boundaries for individual participants and preventing any personal attacks.
Prepare participants for the next meeting
A facilitator will help you to determine the key points for each further discussion, he will prepare research to be done among the participants both before and after the meeting and take care of any other necessary steps so that during the actual meeting you can just concentrate on the agenda.
Involve everyone in the discussion
A facilitator will ensure that less assertive participants who otherwise would not get a chance to speak also take part in the discussion.
Be able to develop a sense of cooperation within the team
A facilitator knows how to prepare team exercises to develop mutual communication and cooperation.
Monitor the results of your discussions
A facilitator will help you to record the results of your discussions – the decisions that have been made and also questions that remain unresolved. You can then use these records to prepare your next meetings.
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