PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF FACILITATION

Personal Approach to Facilitation

Thomas Mann made a strong, but true statement when he said facilitation is a key,
generic skill that affects all sectors of the economy and all aspects of communal life (Mann,
2013). He went on to say that good facilitation is needed to add real value to organizations and
the economy as a whole. With this in mind, I believe that one of the most important attributes I
can practice as a facilitator is adaptability. An adaptable facilitator allows ideas and perspectives
to be heard by the group that he is facilitating. He does not let preconceived thoughts determine
the direction of the discussion, but rather allows the discussion to be guided by the group for
whom he is conducting the facilitation. However, an adaptable facilitator does not just listen and
not respond to what is being said. A facilitator must guide (the) group to appropriate and useful
outcomes as stated by Schuman (2012). Recently I acted as a facilitator and I had to be
adaptable in order to guide the group to the useful outcomes that Shuman (2012) referenced.
The following personal anecdote is what I believe was a successful facilitation experience and
this experience is what I will reference throughout this paper to display my guiding core values
and the ideal facilitation setting with regards to my facilitation philosophy.
I had an opportunity to facilitate a discussion about leadership in the Audit Services department
for the company where I worked this summer. I was asked to facilitate this discussion by my
mentor who was a seasoned professional in the Audit Services department. The discussion would
include approximately 30 people ranging from interns to top executives in the department. I was
conceivably the least experienced person in the room regarding our field of work. To begin the
facilitation exercise, our group watched a video released by the Chick-fil-a Leadercast
conference, which included a number of leadership principles and ideologies that laid the
groundwork for our discussion. Prior to the watching the video as a group, I had watched it

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several times and prepared a list of possible questions to discuss with the group after we had all
watched the video together. They were general questions that were meant to allow peoples
personal thoughts, opinions, and expertise surface so that the group could benefit from a
collaborative conversation. I had prepared more questions than I would be able to address within
the time constraints, however, I was prepared to ask these questions depending on the direction
of the discussion.
After the video was finished, I asked an open-ended question to the group, which started an
engaging conversation among the participants. When there was a lull in the discussion, I
expanded upon what was being discussed by asking a new question (one that I had not prepared
ahead of time) to a specific individual who I thought may have something to add to the current
thread of discussion. Once a thread of discussion was seemingly at a close, I asked another openended question to the group. After they responded, I followed by asking other questions that built
upon how the group responded to the initial, open-ended questions. I adapted my thoughts and
subsequent questions to the direction that the conversation went based on the desires of the
group. Throughout the entire process, I made sure to ask my questions from a position of
neutrality and a desire to learn rather than asking rhetorical or leading questions. The questions I
asked were truly open-ended and allowed for a diverse set of answers that came from
experienced leaders and devoted followers within our department. I was not the leader of the
group by any means, I was simply the one who facilitated discussion and allowed people to share
their views on leadership in a safe, collaborative environment. After reflecting on this facilitation
experience, I now realize that I followed the facilitation core values outlined by Schwarz (2002)
which are free and informed choice, valid information, internal commitment and

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compassion along with one more core valuethat I will discuss further in the subsequent
section.
Guiding Core Values
In addition to the four core values of Schwarz (2002), I have adopted a fifth to my own style:
humility. I will discuss why I hold each of the four core values to be true for me as a facilitator
along with why I have adopted humility as a fifth core value. For me, humility is essential and
precedes the other four because it brings with it an attitude that seeks to understand other people.
In order to facilitate the discussion about leadership with Audit Services, I had to humbly ask my
questions to the group. I had to be willing to let go of my personal assumptions, opinions, and
ideas and allow the conversation to go wherever the group needed it to go; not where I may have
wanted it to go.
The next core value providing valid information is vital for several reasons. I believe that
without valid and understood information, facilitating a discussion is worthless. A discussion is
only as useful as the information being presented. As I facilitated for our department, I made sure
to ask questions and present information that was valid to the participants who were involved in
the discussion.
After valid information is presented, participants must be able to make free and informed
choices based on the information presented. One of my goals during the facilitation was to
allow the participants to make their own assumptions and choices based on the discussion we
had.
The last two core values of internal commitment and compassion have more to do with
emotion. As the facilitator, I believe that having an internal commitment to the topic I facilitate is

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not only helpful, but necessary for the benefit of the group. I displayed a level of internal
commitment through the questions that I asked and the effort that I put into the pre-work prior to
our actual discussion. Lastly, compassion is needed as a facilitator because it allows the
facilitator to step into the shoes of the participants who are part of the discussion group in an
attempt to feel what they feel. Having compassion as a facilitator sets the tone for discussion and
allows participants to share their thoughts and ideas more openly.
Ideal Setting, Tone, and Participant Characteristics
There is an ideal setting, tone, and participant characteristics that lend themselves to a successful
discussion. The setting should be in a confidential area where participants feel safe to discuss
sensitive topics (such as a secured conference room). A study providing an assessment
framework for practicing facilitators reinforced this point when the authors found, It is
important for a facilitator to make a safe space - and an appropriate learning environment - for
the group process to unfold during the workshop (Asadegan & Kolfschoten, 2014).
Additionally, in order to make a safe space for all participants, the tone of the facilitator during
the discussion must also invite participation from all group members, not just the decision
makers or leaders. Lastly, the participants play an integral role in having a successful discussion.
It is helpful if participants are open-minded and willing to contribute their ideas and opinions to
the group for the groups benefit and not solely for their individual satisfaction or gain.
Ground Rules for Facilitation Programs
Depending on the type of group I am facilitating for, rules will change. Schwarz (2002) outlines
nine ground rules, which I believe can be beneficial for certain types of facilitation exercises,
especially ones involving topics where conflict is predicted. However, I do not think that each of

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Schwarzs nine rules would be applicable for every type of exercise that I facilitate. Some of
these rules could (and should) be applied depending on the situation, but not all of them should
be applied to every situation. Therefore, I have narrowed my personal list of facilitation ground
rules to three that I believe are important for any type of exercise that I facilitate. I adopted these
three ground rules from Schwarz (2002):
1. Share all relevant information.
2. Explain your reasoning and intent.
3. Focus on interests, not positions.
I believe that if these three ground rules are adhered to by myself as the facilitator along with the
group I am working with, we will be able to have a healthy discussion regardless of the topic.
Sharing all relevant information is a key ground rule because it allows individuals in the group
to make the most informed decisions possible. Explaining your reasoning and intent will help
participants clarify any false assumptions and inferences that other individuals in the group may
make as a result of what they think they hear or understand. Lastly, focus on interests, not
positions is a ground rule that will guide participants to argue from a more logical perspective
instead of one based primarily on emotion. I recognize that depending on the situation or topic I
am facilitating, additional rules may need to be applied in order to have a beneficial outcome for
the group. However, I believe that the three previously mentioned ground rules are key no matter
the type of exercise or discussion I facilitate.
Primary Outcome of Facilitation
Bentley (1994) said, The great problem that I have with defining facilitation in these terms is
that what is appropriate, and works in one situation, will fail completely in another. There is no
alternative but to concentrate completely on what is happening and to respond as seems most

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appropriate at the time. My philosophy of facilitation aligns well with this statement, because I
believe that to be a good facilitator, I must be adaptable to meet the needs of a particular
situation. Every situation is unique and requires a masterful facilitator to be flexible and
adaptable, serving the needs of the group (Schuman, 2012). Ultimately, I believe the primary
outcome of facilitation is to provide opportunities to learn. For this to happen the right
atmosphere has to be developed so that the facilitator can concentrate on providing the resources
and opportunities for learning to take place, rather than manage and control learning (Bentley,
1994). In order to create the right atmosphere for learning to take place, I have to allow my core
values of facilitation to guide my actions as a facilitator and ensure that I maintain the ground
rules throughout the discussions that I facilitate.

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References
Azadegan, A., & Kolfschoten, G. (2014). An assessment framework for practicing facilitator.
Group Decision & Negotiation, 23(5), 1013-1045. doi:10.1007/s10726-012-9332-4
Bentley, T. (1994). Facilitation: Providing opportunities for learning. Journal of European
Industrial Training, 18(5), 8-22.
Mann, T. (2013). Facilitation in management. Training Journal, Fenman Ltd, 60-64.
Schuman, S. (2012). The IAF handbook of group facilitation: Best practices from the leading
organization in facilitation, John Wiley & Sons.
Schwarz, R. (2002). The skilled facilitator: A comprehensive resource for consultants,
facilitators, managers, trainers, and coaches, John Wiley & Sons.