What are facilitation skills in the workplace?

Being able to guide teams towards a goal and encouraging collaboration is an essential part of certain roles, like project management and leadership positions. To be successful, you’ll need a broad set of facilitation skills. 

Facilitation skills are a set of techniques and personal attributes that work together to inspire and motivate a team. In this article we cover the skills required for effective facilitation, meaning the ability to guide a group or team through a difficult process or workflow. Discover the specific skills you need to become a great facilitator and learn common facilitating methods to encourage smooth collaboration in your team. 

What is facilitation? 

Facilitation is the act of making group processes easier and more productive. A facilitator guides discussions, breaks information down into easily digestible parts and encourages open communication, to get a team working together towards a large or complex goal. This role often involves handling complicated group dynamics and creating a safe environment for open dialogue.

Facilitator skills are important for a range of situations, such as conducting training sessions, leading brainstorming activities, guiding planning meetings and rolling out new processes or programs. Each of these situations requires a tailored approach to meet the needs and objectives of the individual group. Skilled facilitators use their abilities to create a culture of cooperation within a group, to get its members moving towards a shared goal.

The role and importance of facilitation skills

Many facilitation skills are also communication skills and interpersonal skills. Good facilitators can break down barriers to participation, encourage people to share diverse viewpoints, and help team members understand and appreciate each other’s perspectives. Thanks to their facilitation skills training, they also play an important role in conflict resolution. They help teams overcome obstacles and disagreements to arrive at solutions that work for all.

Core facilitation skills you need to know as a facilitator 

As a facilitator, having a specific set of core skills is essential for guiding groups successfully. 

1. Communication skills

Both verbal and non-verbal communication play an essential part of facilitation. However, there are a range of different communication styles, and each can have a big impact on the success of group interactions. 

Verbal communication styles:

• Direct: clear and straightforward, leaving little room for misunderstanding.
• Indirect: more suggestive, often used to avoid confrontation.
• Passive: does not express opinions or feelings openly.
• Active: engaging actively, showing attentiveness and interest in the discussion.
• Aggressive: forceful and often confrontational.
• Empathetic: shows understanding of others’ emotions and perspectives.

Non-verbal communication styles:

• Facial expressions: convey emotions and reactions, often more powerful than words.
• Eye contact: shows attention or respect.
• Body language: reflects attitudes and feelings, such as openness or defensiveness.
• Posture: can indicate levels of engagement or interest.
• Gestures: enhance verbal messages and express enthusiasm.

A skilled facilitator can adapt their communication approach depending on the setting. This might mean being more direct in a goal-oriented session or empathetic in a conflict-resolution scenario. It’s important to be aware of the group’s needs and respond in a way that encourages understanding and progress.

2. Questioning techniques

The type of questions you ask can directly affect the discussion. Understanding the use of open-ended and closed questions, and knowing when to use each type, can keep things flowing.

Open-ended questions encourage participants to elaborate on their thoughts. This makes them ideal for exploring ideas, opinions and feelings. Use open-ended questions when you’re looking to encourage creativity, gather detailed feedback, or explore the reasoning behind opinions. 

Example: What are your thoughts on the proposed approach, and how do you see it impacting our team?

Closed questions typically require a yes/no or short factual answer. They are useful for clarifying points, summarising discussions or making decisions. 

Example: Do we all agree that the project deadline should be next Friday?

3. Active listening

Active listening is a fundamental skill that involves fully engaging with the speaker, understanding their message, and responding thoughtfully. This process goes beyond listening, and involves interpreting body language, tone and emotional cues in the speaker’s message. Active listening is important for building trust and ensuring all opinions are heard. It also aids understanding, reducing the chances of misinterpreting information and overlooking important points.

Here’s how to practise active listening:

• Give full attention: face the speaker and give them your undivided attention. 
• Show that you’re listening: nod and smile occasionally, and use other facial expressions. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes or I see.
• Provide feedback: reflect on what the speaker is saying. Ask questions to clarify certain points: What do you mean when you say...?

4. Conflict resolution

The ability to identify and resolve conflicts keeps the peace while also ensuring the group stays focused on its objectives. Recognising the early signs of conflict is key. These can include changes in body language or tone of voice, or a shift in the group’s energy. It’s important to address conflict as soon as possible to stop it from escalating. 

Methods for mediation and resolution:

• Stay neutral: avoid taking sides.
• Active listening: listen to each party’s viewpoint without judgement.
• Problem-solving approach: encourage everyone to focus on the problem, not on each other. 
• Empathy and understanding: promote empathy by helping each side see the other’s perspective.

After resolving the conflict, it’s important to refocus the group towards its original goals and objectives. Acknowledge the resolution and the efforts made by the group to overcome the conflict to help everyone move forward.

How to improve your facilitation skills 

It’s possible to improve your facilitation skills if you feel they need developing. In this section, we explore practical techniques to strengthen and refine these skills to become a better and more confident facilitator.

1. Continuous learning

To keep your skills and technical knowledge up to date, it’s a good idea to commit to ongoing learning. One of the easiest ways to do this is through various online courses and resources. Online resources provide flexible and affordable learning opportunities. You can choose the duration and content to address the specific skills and knowledge you feel you’re lacking.

2. Get feedback 

Being a facilitator is an outcomes-focused job. You’ll know you’re successful based on the results – but it also helps to take on feedback along the way. Consider every facilitation a new learning process that identifies where you can improve.

After each session, ask participants for their thoughts on what went well and what could be improved. To get peoples’ honest opinions, consider doing a survey after one of your sessions or projects.

3. Assess your skills 

Before making a skills development plan, first you need to assess your facilitation skills. There are several resources available that can help you gauge where you are currently at:

• Self-assessment quizzes: use online quizzes and assessments specifically designed for facilitation skills. These tools, such as this one at the International Institute for Facilitation (INIFAC), can provide insight into areas of strength and those needing improvement.
• Professional networks and mentoring: consider joining facilitation groups or communities where you can connect with seasoned professionals for mentoring and peer assessment.
• Training and workshops: participate in facilitation workshops and training programs where you have opportunities for peer evaluation and feedback on your facilitation approach and techniques.
• Online forums and communities: online platforms will often have groups where facilitators share resources, discuss challenges and offer support.

4. Get the right certifications and accreditations 

If you're looking for facilitation skills training through further education, there are a few different paths you can take:

• IAF Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF): offered by the International Association of Facilitators, this certification is recognised globally. 
• INIFAC Certifications: the International Institute for Facilitation offers various certifications, such as the Certified Master Facilitator (CMF), Certified Virtual Facilitator (CVF), and Certified Advanced Virtual Facilitator (CAVF).

Tools you can use to improve facilitation skills 

There are different tools and techniques you can use to help you be a more effective facilitator. There are digital platforms, visual aids, and methodologies that can support you in managing group dynamics and encouraging engagement, helping ensure a positive outcome for your group. 

Visual aids

Visual aids like charts and graphs are powerful tools when it comes to helping people understand new information and keeping them engaged in the messages you’re trying to convey. 

These visuals should be clear and easy to understand. Make sure every visual aid you use is relevant to the topic of discussion. Whenever possible, make your visual aids interactive. This could involve asking people to interpret the data on a graph. Use technology like digital whiteboards, presentation software (like PowerPoint or Prezi), and data visualisation tools for creating and displaying your visual aids.

Before using any visual aids in a session, double check them for accuracy. Practise how you will introduce and talk through each visual within the flow of a session.

Brainstorming tools

Brainstorming tools are a great way of encouraging people to come up with new ideas and solutions. There are many different methods out there to take advantage of. Some of these include:

• Starbursting: this visual brainstorming method involves placing an idea in the centre of a board and surrounding it with questions like Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why? and How?. It’s a good tool for examining an idea in a large group setting​​.
• SWOT Analysis: commonly used in strategic planning, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis allows you to evaluate the potential of an idea, product or business. 
• How Now Wow Matrix: this technique categorises ideas based on their uniqueness and feasibility. Ideas are placed into three categories: How (original but not executable), Now (unoriginal but executable), and Wow (both original and executable)​​.

Each of these techniques offers a unique approach to brainstorming, so you can choose the most suitable method based on the group’s needs and the purpose of the session.

Digital facilitation tools

Digital facilitation tools offer a range of functionalities to enhance interaction and understanding. Here are some popular digital platforms and programs for facilitation:

• Miro and Conceptboard: both of these platforms allow a group to access and collaborate on a digital ‘board’, where you can create flowcharts and diagrams and stick digital notes. They’re ideal for brainstorming sessions and project planning, allowing multiple users to edit and add feedback​​.
• Canva and Pixton: these tools are great for creating engaging presentations and visuals. Canva is known for its user-friendly interface and vast library of templates, making it easy to create professional-looking designs. Pixton ​​is a comic and avatar maker, for more advanced visuals.
• Jamboard: a digital interactive whiteboard by Google that integrates with other programs in the Google ecosystem.

Choose tools that match your objectives, whether it’s brainstorming, project management or interactive presentations. The best tools are those that suit your overall workflow and enhance the group's engagement and understanding.

How to highlight facilitation skills on your resumé

Highlighting facilitation skills on your resumé is a great way to stand out when you’re applying for jobs. Especially if the job you're applying for requires strong group management, advanced communication skills, and leadership abilities. Here are some tips on how to present these skills:

• Use specific examples and real scenarios: rather than just listing ‘facilitation’ as a skill, share specific examples where you’ve successfully facilitated meetings, workshops or projects. 
• Quantify achievements: wherever possible, quantify your achievements with numbers or percentages. For example, Led a training workshop for 50 employees, resulting in a 30% increase in overall team efficiency.
• Tailor facilitation skills to the job: if the role demands conflict resolution, highlight experiences where you’ve successfully handled and resolved team disputes.
• Incorporate relevant keywords: many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumés. Include keywords from the job description, such as team coordination, workshop facilitation, or group training, to help your resumé get noticed.

Remember, the goal is to demonstrate you have these skills and that you have used them successfully in professional settings.

How to talk about facilitation skills in a job interview

Discussing your facilitation skills in a job interview in an impactful way requires some preparation. Start by anticipating questions that might come up about your facilitation experiences. Wherever possible, provide evidence to support your claims. For instance, if you improved team productivity, specify by how much. If you’ve led discussions, mention the outcome achieved. 

Example: In my last role, I facilitated monthly brainstorming sessions, which increased team productivity by 20%.

Be prepared for situational questions. For instance, if asked how you’d handle a scenario with conflicting viewpoints, outline your approach. This could involve acknowledging differing opinions, encouraging open discussion, and guiding the group towards a solution. 

It’s just as important to be enthusiastic. Express your passion for facilitation and share your excitement for teaching people and making their work lives easier and more satisfying.

Facilitation skills are essential for teaching teams new processes and skills, and guiding them – and the organisation they work for –  toward success. A good facilitator uses their skills to get everyone in the team involved and engaged, and makes daunting new information easier to understand. By continuing to improve your facilitation skills, you not only improve outcomes for your teams, but contribute to your own ongoing professional growth.

FAQs 

What does facilitator mean? 

A facilitator is someone who guides a group of people through a new process, project or meeting. They help the group achieve their objectives with open communication, participation and understanding. The role involves managing group dynamics, encouraging collaboration, and ensuring discussions remain productive.

What facilitation skills training are there in Australia?

In Australia, there are facilitation skills training programs that cater to different needs. These programs often include courses on running workshops, public speaking and presentation skills.

What is facilitation and why is it important?

Facilitation is the process of guiding a group of people through discussions, meetings or projects. This is done in a way that encourages participation and leads to a collective solution or shared goal. It’s important because it ensures that the group works collaboratively and harmoniously.

What are the 4 basic facilitation skills?

The four basic facilitation skills are:

1. Active listening: understanding and reflecting on what others are saying to ensure everyone feels heard.
2. Effective communication: clearly sharing information and facilitating open dialogue.
3. Group dynamics management: managing different group members.
4. Conflict resolution: identifying and addressing disagreements or disputes within a group to find mutually acceptable solutions.

What are the qualities of a good facilitator?

The qualities of a good facilitator include:

• empathy,
• being sensitive to the feelings and perspectives of others,
• remaining neutral and not taking sides in discussions,
• being able to adapt approaches based on the groups’ needs, 
• organisation skills, and 
• problem-solving skills.

What are the fundamentals of facilitation?

The fundamentals of facilitation include:

• setting clear objectives, 
• creating an inclusive environment, 
• managing time, 
• guiding the process, and then 
• summarising and outlining the next steps.