2. Facilitation 101: Skills for Chapter Leaders
Candy Rivera, Assistant Director of Education

3. What is Facilitation?
act of assisting or making easier the progress or improvement of something freedictionary.com
[Facilitators] help a group of people understand their common objectives and assists them to plan how to achieve these objectives.
wikipedia
A process where an individual who is agreed upon and acceptable to all of the group’s members intervenes to assist the group in solving problems and making decisions to improve productivity and efficiency, but who has no authority to make decisions
Businessdictionary.com
The “facilitator” is a guide or “discussion leader” for the group. The process of facilitation is a way of providing leadership without taking the reigns.
University of Virginia
Facilitation focuses on how people participate in the process of learning or planning, not just on what gets achieved.
Community Tool Box, University of Kansas

4. Why Does Facilitation Matter?
Get members on board with plans & ideas
Promotes feedback from all members
Have more engaging meetings and programs
Make decisions by consensus rather than decree

5. 10 Principles for Facilitation

6. Best results come from having a purpose from the start.
1. Have A Point
Best results come from having a purpose from the start.
What are we trying to decide?
Why are we having a particular issue? What can be done to address it?
Why is this information important/relevant to my members?

7. You can’t implement your plan without taking time to create it.
2. Be Prepared
You can’t implement your plan without taking time to create it.
Build an agenda that allows you to clearly identify:
what you want to discuss
why it needs to be talked about
how you will have that conversation.

8. Your role as a facilitator is to ask questions that prompt discussion.
Ask Good Questions
Your role as a facilitator is to ask questions that prompt discussion.
Think in advance about what kinds of things will get the conversation to the end goal. What needs to known, discussed, or shared to get to your end point?
Questions should be:
Open – Ended
Relevant
Clear

9. 4. Give Everyone the Opportunity to Participate
Building consensus supports buy-in and participation from your members.
Some people have a lot to say and aren’t shy about saying it – Manage the Monopolizers.
Encourage people who are quiet to share their thoughts and opinions so that you get a diverse set of viewpoints and ideas.

10. 5. Choose Your Participation Wisely – Focus on Others
Focus on leading conversation, not having the conversation.
Your opinion is important as a leader in the group, but it isn’t more important than those you are leading.
Share your opinion and thoughts when relevant, but be sure that you aren’t jumping in every time.

11. 6. Give the Conversation Direction
Keep the conversation on track.
Ask questions to guide the conversation to actionable outcomes.
Encourage people to share things that are relevant, not distractions – even if those distractions are more interesting

12. 7. Think About the Environment
Set the tone.
Think about the physical space. What is going to promote interaction or lecturing?
Your role is also to ensure that everyone feels comfortable sharing their opinions and ideas.

13. 8. Silence is Ok!
Great facilitators can wait out the awkward silence for people to participate.
People need time to think about their response and then share.
Ask your question and wait for someone to share. Don’t get antsy and move on!

14. 9. Don’t Read the Agenda
Announcements are for s. Make their time worth it with activity and discussion.
Spend time in your meetings announcing only the most important reminders and updates.
Plan an activity, discussion, or decision making process to make your meeting

15. Wrap up the conversation or activity with clear points.
10. Bring It Back Home
Wrap up the conversation or activity with clear points.
You started with a goal, so make sure the conversation or activity has a clear end.
Remember – the end result may not be exactly what you thought it would be, but it’s an end.

17. In Your Groups:
How could you apply facilitation techniques to this meeting agenda?
What would improve the meeting?

18. Alpha Alpha Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta Weekly Meeting Agenda
Call to Order
Doxology
Roll of the Colony
Excuses for Absences
Cabinet Reports
Committee Reports
Old Business
New Business
Fraternity Information
Remarks and Criticisms

19. Bottom Line:
Using facilitation as a tool helps make your meetings and activities more engaging.
None of these principles are difficult to achieve, but you have to take the time to plan and execute them.
Don’t quit if it doesn’t go perfectly the first time.

20. Questions