A facilitator is a leader who contributes towards setting-up of an event and manages a number of roles assigned or expected of him/her. A Facilitator is usually detail-oriented, loves to be organized, and usually people-centric that believes in “making things happen”.

What are the Responsibilities of a Facilitator?

1. Planning

One of the biggest roles of a Facilitator is to help the management with planning out events and other activities. One thing to note here is he does most of the consulting work and steps in only when there is either an immediate or an inevitable need.

2. Activities:

Here is a list of important activities which contribute towards the day-to work of a Facilitator:

• Setting up the Roadmap
• Establishing project rules
• Initiating Discussions
• Ensuring the proper flow of sessions

3. Leadership Roles

The main role of the facilitator is to establish Ground Rules and ensure the successful completion of an event. But his contributions don’t stop here. There are other things involved as well.

He works towards getting the employees pumped up towards participating in the said event. He does so by briefing the participants about the event and how it can help them. He also makes sure that the employees who have participated remain active throughout the event.

4. Working as a Catalyst:

In order to ensure that there is enough activity in the event, the Facilitator keeps stepping in from time to time.

He does this by asking questions to a participant or raising questions to initiate a discussion. He can also offer his own points, can agree/disagree with the points put up by other participants and help to steer the process along.

Why are Facilitators important in Team Building?

In a nutshell, they make things happen.

They participate, coordinate, and ensure the successful completion of events. They work without bias and hence ensure a fair play towards conducting an event. They also make sure that the team is on the right track and the discussions are streamlined.

1.  Facilitators come with tons of experience

While handling events, it is important that it is carried out and guided by someone who has “been there and done that” in the past.

Facilitators like to ask questions that the team lead or the employers have either not thought about or are too afraid to ask. On top of that, since the Facilitator’s objective is to get things done, he won’t get affected by the employee’s stigma about the proceedings.

2.  Facilitators are better Organizers

Facilitators are experts in organizing and managing things. A team building Facilitator would make sure that the event is conducted within the given time frame. He won’t be overwhelmed by the challenges because he has a rich experience of overcoming them.

3.  Facilitators ensure participation

They push people. They make things happen. They “facilitate” things.

They make sure all the participants are involved and the event is not a “one-way” show. The objective is everyone’s opinion matters.

Equal treatment is the core objective of a Facilitator’s responsibilities towards getting things done. They also treat everyone equally – from the CEO to a Fresher, in order to maintain Fair Play. They are experts in channeling negative discussions into conclusion-oriented approaches.

Conclusion

If you are looking to build a team and organize corporate events that are geared towards the skill enhancement of employees, having a Facilitator is a must.

They make the team-building process many folds easier through their past experience.