Facilitation is the art of guiding but not leading, bringing learning but not lecturing, engaging but not directing. Coming from the Latin facilitar, meaning, “to make easy,” the role of the facilitator is not to do for others, but to bring out the ability of a group to accomplish a goal. There are many books and manuals on facilitation, yet like many proven business tools, the role of the meeting facilitator is not explored enough. Beyond the basics, and even with facilitators advanced and skilled in their practice, it is not hard to fall into counterproductive patterns. Stepping into a facilitator role again recently, I caught quite a few of my own failure modes. Since then, I have collected a few more as I observed or coached other facilitators to make this list of 10 tips for better facilitation.

1. Unpack the agenda.

As a time-management tip, leaving room for discussion, questions, or extra exercises is usually a good idea within a scripted facilitation session. Even for meetings, too many items on the agenda are a sure formula for just talk and no action. Leaving some space for learners who learn at different paces or in different styles, as well as time for reflection, discussion, or hands-on exercises is useful for facilitating workshops designed to “learn and do,” such as kaizen events.

 …