Introduction

A facilitator's role is a diverse one. Often, the role includes:

• Assisting improvement teams to achieve their objectives by appropriate interventions with the team
• Being an expert on the use of improvement tools and techniques
• Training staff
• Helping teams to perform more effectively
• Being the channel for concerns and suggestions
• Helping managers and staff on an individual basis (mentoring and coaching)
• Aiding communication (within teams, between teams, throughout the organisation)
• Championing the change programme.

What is a Good Facilitator?

It is the skills of a Facilitator that play a vital role in enabling change to happen. Let's first look at some quotes that capture the essence of what a facilitator means:

"The person who is able to catalyse group actions and activities without becoming integrated into the specifics of the process"

"Guiding without directing; bringing about change without disruption; knocking down walls which have been built between people whilst preserving structures of value... and, above all, appreciate people as people. All of this must be done without leaving any fingerprints." Bob Kelsch, Xerox Corporation

Basic Skills of a Good Facilitator

• Excellent knowledge of the techniques of business improvement (problem solving, process redesign, benchmarking, etc.) and practical experience in using them with teams
• Good at communicating at many different levels in the organisation (speaking appropriate "languages")
• Experienced in training and/or delivering messages to an audience
• Knowledgeable of presentation techniques
• Good at listening
• Good at questioning
• Able to build on the ideas of others

The Facilitator learns to take on the role most appropriate role to the situation.

Our Facilitators are Typically Responsible For

• Being the expert in using and implementing these tools, techniques and methodologies:
  • Process Improvement
  • Redesign
  • Change
• Delivering appropriate training when required
• Keeping up to date on the progress of the change programme across the whole organisation
• Planning and preparing for each team meeting, in association with the Team Leader
• Ensuring all meetings or training sessions are run professionally

We operate at all levels within the organisation. Our facilitators have considerable experience at Board Level as well as shopfloor. We employ techniques that enable cross-departmental and cross-hierarchical contributions without fear or favour.