Introduction
Facilitation entails using a neutral third party to guide others towards making responsible decisions during discussions. The facilitator therefore acts as a referee, who controls activities and processes in agreement with the participants (Gower, Haley-Speca &Saphier, 2008). Facilitators should not take an active role in discussing the content but guides group members on the appropriate structures, tools and processes which apply to the underlying objectives. Facilitation also entails helping participants define their personal and team objectives in order to design appropriate plans to accomplish them. Through a needs assessment, individual group members are helped through a credible facilitator to understand the right processes for effective interaction and discussion. The underlying objective for effective facilitation is the goal of achieving a functional group through a collaborative approach.
Facilitation in perspective
The facilitator helps a group to communicate effectively by creating a positive environment where individual team members are appreciated and given equal opportunities to present their opinions with respect to the content. Participants’ skills are recognized and appreciated for the mutual benefit of the group (Brookfield, 2006). Conflicts are also effectively managed through available internal and external resources within the reach of the group. Consequently, the responsibility of decision making and solving problems is shared among group members from a dynamic talent pool. The philosophy of facilitation appreciates the contribution of two or more people with a common purpose in setting and implementing a common task. Participants can therefore be trusted to implement policies and decisions which they have helped to create.
Groups provide the right environment through which a proper intersection between process and content can facilitate successful outcomes on assignment (Bens, 2009). Facilitators ensure that both leaders and group members assume responsibility for the outcome of group discussions by creating a level playing field for achieving results. Facilitation requires that the credibility and mandate of the facilitator is sanctioned by both organizational leadership and group members. A normative contract from the group members empowers the professional facilitator to take responsibility for the processes that guide group members in discussing the content of their tasks. Members are therefore empowered to make decisions which conform to organizational objectives without fear of reprisals. The right process through which deliberations on the content are carried out is designed by the facilitator.
Knowledge, skills and attitudes
The group obtains a common identity from a mutual philosophy statement that clarifies the principles for their existence and maturity of their common tasks (Bens, 2005). The content provides a description of the knowledge which is relevant to a successful fulfillment of the group tasks. A needs assessment provides insight into the current competencies and skills of group members which also helps facilitators when designing structures, tools and procedures for effective interaction to take place. The concept of neutrality is central to facilitation since it defines the principle through which issues become explored (Bens, 2005).
Facilitation ensures that both leaders and group members are accorded the same status irrespective of rank or position. Essentially, the facilitator leads and guides a group in the manner through which the subject matter is discussed. Facilitation is leadership by consent provided by the normative contract from participants either through word of mouth or through a written agreement (Bens, 2009). Group members subscribe to the leadership of the credible facilitator who guides their deliberations by providing the right tools and structures for group effectives.
Roles and responsibilities
Facilitators offer groups support right from their formation to dissolution upon maturity of their term. First and foremost, members are facilitated to define group goals and objectives in a specific manner. Individual members are also helped to identify their needs and priorities. Appropriate plans are thereby designed to ensure successful implementation of group needs. A facilitator also guides group members in designing timeframes within which different tasks and needs can be implemented (Brookfield, 2006). He/she takes note of important points from different group members. Facilitators also assist group members to communicate effectively without compromising on the reputation and character of individual members. The facilitator utilizes probing queries to obtain feedback on group goals. The question and answer method provides the framework that facilitates critical thinking and decision making processes. Facilitation actually empowers members of a particular group to be accountable for their destiny. Coaching, teaching and empowerment are the most salient features of effective facilitation.
Who can facilitate
Facilitation can be provided by the leader of a group, one of the members of the group as well as a professional facilitator outside an organization. The neutrality aspect of facilitation demands that whether the facilitator is an internal or external person, he/she should not be oriented on either side of the discussion (Gower, Haley-Speca &Saphier, 2008). External facilitators can effectively be neutral except that they may not be conversant with the background of the group in terms of the history of the organization and the personalities of team members. That notwithstanding, an expert external facilitator is credible for a professional outcome of a group discussion since they do not harbor personal interests on the subject matter. However, they do not get to see the manifestation of the group outcomes they initiated. External facilitation may also take time take a meaningful course since group members take time to get acquainted with the external facilitator.
Leaders can also take charge of group discussions except that they may not be trusted to neutral due to vested interests in the outcome of the deliberations. Organizational leaders playing the facilitator role have the advantage of the fact that they understand group dynamics such as the personalities of the individual participants and the history of the organization. To this end, leaders can afford to take substantial risks during group facilitation because they understand the scope of the tasks at hand as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participants (Bens, 2005). On the other hand, leaders’ credibility for facilitation is compromised due to the perceived vested interest in the feedback processes and the final decisions made by a group. Members could also be rendered naïve by the presence of an authoritative leader taking control of discussions on content they have created being part of the administration. Members could also be entrusted with the facilitator role.
Facilitation in education
Both child education (pedagogy) and adult education (andragogy) derive a lot from the philosophy of facilitation (Bens, 2009). Facilitation dominates adult learning processes due to features that conform to experiential learning. Adult learners are understood to be inspired by practical needs during learning. As such, they are motivated to learn from an experiential perspective and through a methodology that empowers them to define their learning goals. Adults are mature people with a wealth of experience and knowledge in different life situations. Adult learners benefit from teaching if they are facilitated to establish a link between theoretical content and life skills. Formal teaching takes different paradigms which consist of “reading, listening and watching” (Bens, 2005). However, meaningful education takes place when adult learners are practically engaged in the process of relating theoretical concepts to practical life situations.
Adult learning is therefore reinforced with practical experiences and applications which stimulate learners to reflect on real life situations that require the input of the curriculum content. Facilitation in education is achieved by integrating small groups in conventional classroom settings. Knowledge is disseminated through appropriate tools such as flipcharts and markers which promote active exchange of ideas on the subject matter (Gower, Haley-Speca &Saphier, 2008). A survey can be conducted to determine the skills profile of the individual students. Teaching is therefore facilitated through group work where a needs assessment of the participant students is factored during discussions on the subject matter. The exchange of ideas that takes place among students provides a concerted approach in doing assignments. Group members could be assigned a common task, say carrying out interviews in order to collect data on different market dynamics. Assignments are allocated to different teams depending on their preferences.
Students are encouraged to come up with relevant questions which they would like answered during the field surveys. Students are also involved in designing implementation strategies for classroom activities diversified into individual teams (Brookfield, 2006). This facilitates the formulation of learning goals, theoretical materials and implementation strategies. Participants are also directly engaged in evaluating the learning process. The teacher is therefore concerned with the approach taken during learning instead of the curriculum content. Essentially, the facilitated classroom is characterized by exploration strategies, discussions and feedback initiatives which ensure that knowledge is acquired and applied appropriately.
Underlying beliefs and values regarding your philosophy of facilitation
Traditional teaching is unidirectional and teacher-centered. However, teaching through facilitation entails the exchange of ideas as well as sharing information from different dimensions between the facilitator and group members (Gower, Haley-Speca &Saphier, 2008). In this case, the facilitator engages group participants in constructive discussions as equal partners. The facilitator utilizes both open-ended and closed-ended questions in order to stimulate creative and critical thinking among group members. Equilibrium exists between offering ideas for group discussion and patiently listening for feedback. Teaching in a classroom is quite different from adult education where experiential learning is facilitated through group discussion without the formal leadership role of a teacher. The relationship between the facilitator and group members is characterized by trust, respect and servant-hood.
Language of facilitation
The evolution of facilitated teaching is accompanied with a specific style of language which is neither critical nor judgmental. Facilitation is adapted with “language techniques such as paraphrasing, reporting behavior, describing feelings and perception checking” (Bens, 2005). Paraphrasing is the main language technique which utilizes repetition to highlight important points during discussions particularly when divergent opinions engage students in an endless debate. It helps facilitators to paraphrase members’ opinions in order to stress a specific feedback. Reporting behavior helps a facilitator to describe participant behavior without making accusations or labeling them. Feelings are described using metaphors or related figures of speech which ensure that the personality of the student is not interfered with during learning. Behaviors which act contrary to the wellbeing of the group are discouraged in a positive manner boosting the confidence of the team in the process of achieving common goals. Perception checking helps the facilitator to verify participants’ experiencing emotions as a means to engage the entire group in the discussions.
Conclusion
Teaching appears to be out of fashion. Facilitation is therefore a new paradigm in learning particularly in adult education and online courses. Traditional teaching is teacher-directed while facilitated education is learner-oriented (Brookfield, 2006). According to Tuckman’s leadership model, “group development goes through defined stages beginning with formation, then norming, performing and finally adjourning” (Bens, 2005). The situation leadership theory underscores the need for task-oriented interaction and group-oriented interaction during group development. Facilitated teaching therefore incorporates the above leadership attributes in moderating between teacher-directed and student-directed learning. Teachers facilitate learning through a community of functional groups which empower students to develop their competencies according to their passions, interests and career aspirations.
Self-directed learners develop their competencies and talents during the various stages of group development (Bens, 2009). Learners develop through the process of socialization in their respective groups. Online education is facilitated through an orientation process that ensures students are familiar with relevant computer skills and the application of appropriate communication used in learning. The online environment is therefore dynamic and incorporates a greater participant pool than the classroom environment. Adult education utilizes group discussions which adapt the experiential learning mode in ensuring that practical applications of education are aligned with real life situations.
Reference list
- Bens, (2009). Facilitating with Ease! Cd-Rom Part. California: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
- Bens, I., (2005). Advanced facilitation strategies: tools & techniques to master difficult situations. London: John Wiley and Sons.
- Bens, I., (2005). Facilitating with ease! Core skills for facilitators, team leaders, and members, managers, consultants, and trainers. Helsinki, Finland: John Wiley and Sons.
- Bens, I., (2009). Facilitation at a Glance: A Pocket Guide of Tools and Techniques for Effective Meeting Facilitation. New York: Goal/QPC.
- Brookfield, S., (2006). The skillful teacher: on technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- Gower, R. Haley-Speca, M. A. & Saphier, J., (2008). The Skillful Teacher: Building Your Teaching Skills. Acton MA: Research for Better Teaching.