Essential Facilitator Characteristics

Name: Essential Facilitator Characteristics
Author: KnowledgeCity

Discover the qualities of a competent meeting facilitator.

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 4 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

Let's explore the characteristics of an effective meeting facilitator. We'll discuss the importance of remaining focused and engaged throughout your meetings; how to remain neutral in the face of conflict; and how to assert yourself without coming across as authoritarian. Do you remember having to give presentations in school? And do you remember watching your peers present? It was usually fairly obvious who had put in the work and who hadn't. Just as you could tell who put their projects together at the last minute and who spent all week preparing, your employees can tell how much thought you put into a meeting. The more you prepare, the more respect they'll have for you, and the more engaged they'll be. Here, let's elaborate on some meeting preparation best practices. Know the end goal of the meeting. What do you want to have accomplished when time is up? Prepare a short mission statement that you can read to your team. Know who will be in attendance. If the topic of the meeting is specific to a certain department or area, consider asking for input or assistance in facilitating that section. Create an outline of talking points. Have a basic structure for the meeting to keep everyone on track and ensure all topics are covered. Prepare for potential conflict. Are there parts of the discussion that could be controversial or generate pushback? Anticipating potential disagreements can help you settle them amicably when they arise. And think of questions to stimulate conversation. If you feel engagement dropping, or people getting bored during the meeting, you can bring the discussion back to life. If you show up to your meeting with a vision of how you want it to play out, you have a better chance of turning that vision into reality. Just remember that your meeting outline exists to provide structure, not hinder conversation. The opposite of rigidity is flexibility. If the facilitator has an authoritarian grip on the meeting structure, employees will feel excluded from the larger conversation or discouraged from sharing their ideas. When the conversation gets off track, ask yourself, is this deviation from the original plan distracting or is it generating a more fruitful discussion? A helpful practice is to document ideas that are good, but off topic. Have your assigned note taker record them and plan to bring them up for discussion at a more appropriate time. You now understand that the key to a successful meeting as a well-prepared facilitator. By following best practices, you can conduct the most productive, interactive meeting possible while remaining flexible and adaptive if the discussion heads in a different direction.

Advanced Provider : KnowledgeCity 4 Lessons · 12m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

This course discusses the qualities of a competent and effective meeting facilitator. It will cover how to prepare before meetings and the importance of remaining open and neutral as colleagues contribute to the topics discussed. It will also highlight the importance of maintaining flexibility and neutrality as a facilitator while still being assertive when necessary to promote open discussion.

What You'll Learn

Understand your audience and the goals of the discussion you are facilitating
Prepare effectively before meetings to facilitate in a well-prepared and flexible manner
Encourage participation by asking questions and keeping the group focused and engaged
Maintain neutrality, openness, and objectivity while facilitating discussions
Practice being assertive when necessary to promote open discussion without being authoritarian

Key Takeaways

A competent and effective meeting facilitator prepares before meetings and remains open and neutral as colleagues contribute to the topics discussed.
Facilitators should maintain flexibility and neutrality while still being assertive when necessary to promote open discussion.
Encouraging participation through questioning helps keep a discussion focused and engaged.
Being assertive as a facilitator should not become authoritarian.
Maintaining objectivity is essential while facilitating a meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this course cover?

This course discusses the qualities of a competent and effective meeting facilitator, including how to prepare before meetings, the importance of remaining open and neutral as colleagues contribute, and maintaining flexibility and neutrality while still being assertive when necessary to promote open discussion.

What will I learn in this course?

You will learn to understand your audience and discussion goals, encourage participation through questioning, and maintain objectivity while facilitating.

What topics are included in the lessons?

The lessons cover being Well-Prepared and Flexible, Focused and Engaged, Neutrality and Openness, and Assertive but Not Authoritarian.

What skills does this course help develop?

It supports skills in Discussion Facilitation, Business Presentations, Meeting Facilitation, Workshop Facilitation, Certified Meeting Professional, and Facilitator Certification.