Facilitator Checklist

What’s your first reaction when you get an invitation to a meeting. Is it ‘cool, that’s gonna be fun’? Or rather ‘No! Not again!’. For many people meeting is a painful way of wasting time, while sitting during boring presentations, lengthy discussions and endless argues. And still, in the end, no decision is being made and another meeting is being scheduled.

Facilitator Checklist

You can significantly improve your meetings by putting few facilitation practices in action. Dictionary definition of ‘facilitate’ is ‘to make easier’. Therefore as a facilitator, you’re responsible for making sure events are planned and led the ineffective way. You need to observe group processes and support participants in generating ideas, making decisions and coming to conclusions. To help you in that process we’ve prepared the Facilitator Checklist that will guide you through your meetings.

Artful Participation

Artful Facilitation is the first key to effective collaboration. Second is Artful Participation. My favorite definition was given by James Priest, who put it in a form of a question:

‘Is my behavior at this moment the greatest contribution I can make to the effectiveness of the collaboration?’

As a facilitator, you’re responsible for making sure everyone contribute their best. If the answer to the previous question is "No", then you should ask people to change their approach or just leave the meeting. Both options are going to improve your event.

Seems you’re ready for your first facilitation. Let us know how it went and if the checklist was useful.