What are facilitation skills? (And how to improve them)

Team meetings are common in many workplaces. These serve as a platform for group collaboration, decision-making, and problem-solving.

It's in these meetings that effective facilitation skills become crucial. These foster open communication, active participation, and consensus-building among team members.

In this article, we'll explore facilitation skills and how to enhance and apply them. We'll also show you how to highlight them in your job application.

Here's what we'll cover:

• What is facilitation?
• The role and importance of facilitation skills
• Core facilitation skills you need to know as a facilitator
• How to improve your facilitation skills
• Tools you can use to improve facilitation skills
• How to highlight facilitation skills on your resume
• How to talk about facilitation skills in a job interview
• FAQs

What is facilitation? 

Facilitation is the process of guiding a group towards a goal. An effective facilitator has the skills and knowledge. They can lead group discussions. They encourage participation and manage conflicts.

You must create an environment. In it, team members feel safe to share their thoughts and ideas.

Facilitation skills let you carry out this process in an effective manner. These soft skills are invaluable in the workplace. You may apply them in many scenarios, such as during a brainstorming or training session.

They're useful in any situation where people come together as a group to discuss a specific topic.

The role and importance of facilitation skills 

Facilitation skills will help you promote effective communication among team members. This makes it easier for the group to work together towards a common goal. It also makes team members feel that their contributions are important. This leads to better collaboration and teamwork.

Facilitation skills also allow you to steer meetings in the right direction.

For example, instead of spending too much time on a minor issue, you could focus on the purpose of the meeting. This helps you achieve desired outcomes more quickly. 

With a skilled facilitator, the whole group will be more efficient and productive. The organisation also stands to gain from the team's performance. It maximises its resources and reaches its objectives faster.

Core facilitation skills you need to know as a facilitator 

Here are key skills to help you become a great facilitator:

1. Communication mastery 

Effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills are essential in facilitating a group. These skills involve understanding and mastering different communication styles.

They also involve knowing how to adjust your style according to the context and group dynamics.

Here are some communication styles you should know about:

• Direct: Communicating straightforwardly and explicitly.
• Indirect: Communicating in a subtle or roundabout way, often using hints or suggestions.
• Passive: Being submissive or avoiding conflict in communication.
• Active: Engaging in communication and showing interest and involvement.
• Aggressive: Asserting yourself and dominating the conversation.
• Empathetic: Showing understanding, compassion, and sensitivity towards the feelings and experiences of others.
• Facial expression: Using your facial muscles to convey emotions and intentions.
• Eye contact: Looking directly into the eyes of others during communication.
• Posture: Maintaining a relaxed and upright posture to convey confidence and openness during facilitation. 
• Gestures: Using hand movements or body actions to express emotions.

When communicating, use a style that's appropriate to the situation. Also, be aware of your body language.

For example, if the discussion is about a difficult topic like Malaysian laws, an empathetic style may be more effective than being direct. Maintaining eye contact and using hand gestures helps you connect with the team.

2. Questioning techniques

Knowing how to ask questions in a way that encourages discussion is crucial. Questions would be open-ended or closed. Open-ended questions allow people to give any answer they wish.

Closed-ended questions only allow specific answers. They may be yes or no questions, or they may offer participants a list of possible responses.

Open-ended questions are suitable for situations where you need a variety of responses. An example is a brainstorming session where you want to generate ideas.

Closed questions are useful when you want to gather quantitative data. For example, when doing a team-building exercise, you could ask your colleagues this: "Do you like hikes or escape rooms?"

As a facilitator, you may find it helpful to use probing questions. They encourage participation and deepen a discussion.

For instance, you ask participants to elaborate on their ideas. You can also provide examples to support your arguments. This helps stimulate critical thinking. It lets the team explore the topic in greater depth.

3. Active listening

Active listening involves engaging with the speakers and giving them your full attention. It goes beyond hearing what they're saying. You need to understand their words. You must also interpret their body language and the context of their message.

Doing so helps you understand the participants' needs, worries, and views. It helps create a supportive and inclusive environment where the team expresses themselves. It may also help you identify issues or challenges that may arise during discussions.

Here are some tips for practising active listening skills:

• Focus on the speaker. Maintain eye contact with them.
• Let them finish their thoughts before responding.
• Show interest in what they're saying through non-verbal cues. These include nodding and smiling if appropriate.
• Paraphrase or summarise the speaker's main points to show you understand them.
• Ask open-ended questions to encourage them to elaborate.
• Provide feedback and validation to show you heard and understood them. 

4. Conflict resolution

This is the ability to manage conflicts that arise during group discussions. Conflict resolution skills help an effective facilitator navigate disagreements and find collaborative solutions.

Address conflicts promptly to keep a positive environment. To do this, recognise potential conflicts and take steps to prevent them from escalating. This involves observing group dynamics. It also means encouraging participants to express their opinions.

There are different strategies for mediation and resolution you could use. The first is to find shared interests among conflicting participants. This builds a foundation for collaboration.

Another is to hold a meeting where conflicting parties can negotiate. The aim is to find a solution that's acceptable to both sides.

Maintaining group harmony and focus keeps discussions on track and helps the team avoid conflict. You could do this by encouraging active participation from all members.

Make sure everyone has a chance to voice their opinions. It's also helpful to establish clear objectives for the discussion. This gives the group a sense of purpose and direction.

How to improve your facilitation skills 

To enhance your facilitation skills, consider these tips:

Engage in continuous learning

Keeping your skills up to date is an important part of being a skilled facilitator. Using facilitation helps the group reach its goals. This happens during a meeting or activity.

Continuous learning involves attending workshops, webinars, and other training programmes.

Here are a few training courses on facilitation you could take:

• Professional Facilitator workshop from Tack TMI Malaysia
• Advanced Facilitation Skills virtual training from PDT Global
• Facilitation Training from APMG International
• Certified Facilitator programme from Teamcoach International.

Get feedback

Feedback from your facilitation group is essential for growth. The more you learn from your experiences, the more you improve your facilitation skills. Encourage the group to provide their honest opinions and suggestions.

You could do this by setting clear expectations for open and respectful communication. Emphasise that everyone's input is valuable. Say that their feedback can help make the group more productive.

Assess your skills

You can take self-assessment quizzes to check your skills. The Facilitation Skills Self-Assessment is from the International Institute for Facilitation. It can help you learn if you have the key facilitator skills. It may also show you areas you can improve upon to have a facilitation mindset.

Connecting with experienced facilitators can also give you valuable insights. It can also help you become a better facilitator. Consider joining a group such as the Malaysian Association of Facilitators.

Get the right certifications and accreditations 

Taking the courses mentioned earlier in the article can help you develop a facilitation mindset. They can provide you with certificates you can use to prove your skills to potential employers. PDT Global's Advanced Facilitation Skills training costs USD 450 or about RM2,300.

APMG International offers two certifications for facilitators. They're the Facilitation Foundation and Facilitation Practitioner certificates. You can take these courses online or in person at an accredited training provider.

Tools you can use to improve facilitation skills 

Here are some of the tools that can help you develop your skills:

Visual aids

These tools help illustrate complex concepts, making information more accessible to participants. This promotes understanding, which can stimulate participation and engagement.

When using visual aids, make sure they're simple, clear, and easy to understand. Choose visuals that align with the topic at hand.

Brainstorming tools

Brainstorming tools are essential for generating ideas and fostering creativity within a group. They allow participants to express their thoughts and explore different perspectives.

You can encourage productive brainstorming. Use powerful tools like mind maps, sticky notes, and online platforms. They also help in organising and prioritising the team's ideas.

Here are a few tips to encourage creativity and participation:

• Use icebreaker activities to help participants feel more comfortable with each other.
• Apply a structured approach to brainstorming. You can use popcorn brainstorming, SWOT analysis, and mind mapping techniques.
• Ask questions that rely on outside-the-box thinking. This encourages diverse perspectives.

Digital facilitation tools

Digital facilitation tools have become popular for conducting effective meetings and workshops. These tools include platforms and software that make virtual communication and collaboration easier. Examples include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Miro.

Using digital tools in facilitation means learning their features. These include screen sharing, chat, and whiteboards. You can use these features to engage remote participants. You can also use them to organise discussions and lead interactive activities.

How to highlight facilitation skills on your resume 

Here are tips to help you showcase your facilitation skills on your resume:

• Use real-life scenarios. Give specific examples of when you used your facilitation skills. For example, share any workshops or small meetings you facilitated.
• Describe your impact as a facilitator. For example, say you increase team productivity by listing your previous job achievements. Mention figures if possible.
• Look at the job description. List your facilitation skills that match the job requirements before your other skills. 

How to talk about facilitation skills in a job interview 

Here are tips to help you highlight your facilitation abilities during an interview:

• Expect and prepare for questions about facilitation. A common one you may encounter is "How would you handle a situation where group members have conflicting viewpoints?" Think of other questions that may come up, and try to answer them in advance.
• Use the STAR method when answering. This demonstrates your thought process and problem-solving skills. Here's our article on how to answer tough interview questions with the STAR method.
• Use keywords in your responses. These include "facilitation", "active listener", "group engagement", "conflict resolution", and similar terms.
• Quantify your impact. Give numbers that illustrate the positive results of skilled facilitation. You may say that your efforts increased productivity by 20% or you achieved a 100% participation rate in your last discussion.
• Be confident and enthusiastic. Answer in a way that showcases your passion for facilitation and your ability to engage and empower groups. Give specific examples of successful facilitation.

FAQs 

Here are answers to questions about facilitation skills:

1. What does facilitator mean?
   ⁠A facilitator refers to a person who helps a group achieve the objectives of a discussion or activity. They do this by providing structure and guidance.
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2. What facilitation skills training are there in Malaysia?
   ⁠There are many facilitation skills training programmes that you could take in person or online. APMG International's Facilitation Training and Certification program is available in Malaysia. Accredited training providers offer it.
   You may also take it online. In Kuala Lumpur, you can take facilitation training. It's the Certified Facilitator programme of Teamcoach International.
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3. What is facilitation, and why is it important?
   ⁠Facilitation is guiding and supporting group interactions to achieve productive outcomes. It's important because it helps the group work together more efficiently and productively. This leads to better use of resources. It also leads to better decisions and projects.
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4. What are the four basic facilitation skills?
   ⁠The four basic facilitation skills are communication, questioning techniques, active listening, and conflict resolution.
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5. What are the qualities of a good facilitator
   ⁠A good facilitator is empathetic, inclusive, patient, adaptable, and self-aware. They also possess strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.
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6. What are the fundamentals of facilitation?
   ⁠These are the methods and techniques that good facilitators use to guide group discussions and activities. They include making safe and inclusive facilitated spaces.
   They also include setting clear objectives and expectations. Effective communication and conflict management are also part of the fundamentals.