FACILITATOR SKILLS

OLIVER G. CAPUNO
Psychologist / DCTRCDD
 OBJECTIVES
 At the end of the session, the participants must
be able to:
 Define group facilitation
 Understand critical reflection
 Enumerate facilitation styles
 Discuss facilitation skills & responsibilities
 Learn how to manage difficult behavior
during sessions
 Identify individual core competencies
 FACILITATION

 DEFINITION:
 This is a process which __________ a group of people
driven by a common _________.

 It encourages people to take __________ of their own

needs and ________.
 GROUP
FACILITATION
ENABLING

GROUP OF PEOPLE

COMMON PURPOSE OR GOAL

ENCOURAGES

TAKE CONTROL OF OWN NEEDS & IMPULSES

 Help
ROLES

others Enable people to find
learn Solutions to
problems

Provide
focus &
direction
 GROUP FACILITATION
HIGHLY ORGANIZED
CRITICALLY REFLECTIVE
SKILL-BASED
EXPERTISE & APPROACH OF
FACILITATORS

PRINCIPLES OF RESPECT,
TOLERANCE, TRUST,
TRANSPARENCY
 FACILITATION
STYLES  How Direction

 Directive/Non-
directive Information
 What instruction

 Delegation/non-  Independent
delegation functioning
 Self-motivating
The release of pent-up emotions

Maybe seen among emotionally distressed individuals

 Interpretive/Non-  Explores meaning of
interpretive dialogue,
conversation, inputs
 Checks out what the
speaker has said

 Cathartic/Non-  Release of pent-up

cathartic emotions
 Judgment call
 Structuring/Non-  Highly structured
structuring  Flexibility & fluidity

 Disclosing/Non-  Self-disclosure
disclosing  Boundaries?
 Ground rules?
 FACILITATION
SKILLS
 Non-verbal
1. Ability to listen  Body language
 Absorbing what is  Eye contact
said  Facial expression
 Letting them know
they are heard
 Verbal
 Paraphrasing
 Summarizing,
 Clarifying
 Providing feedback
2. Assertiveness Open, direct,
honest manner
Mutual respect
Inappropriate
behavior
(aggression,
manipulation)
Assertive
communication
 3. Self-awareness
 Inner landscape (what & why)
 Evaluate individual qualities, skills, practice
 Acknowledge limitations

 4. Critical consciousness
 Social landscape of predominant ideas
 Societal issues, inequality, unfairness,
marginalization
 5. Critical thinking
 Capacity to analyze, go beyond simple/obvious
responses to information
 Look for underlying assumptions, alternative
explanations
 7. Respect  9. Flexibility
 People’s rights  Rigidity is anathema

 10. Ability to evaluate

 8. Tolerance
& summarize
 Capacity to accept
others differing beliefs  Enables group to view
& values & reflect on their own
work & process
 FACILITATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

PURPOSE PROCESS

Timekeeping Seeking contributions

Initiating discussion Encouraging participation
Setting objectives Preventing domination
Asking clarifications Expressing group feelings
Summarizing discussions Resolving conflict
Providing
information/feedback
ROLES: INITIATOR HELPFUL
INFORMATION
HARMONIZER SEEKER/
GIVER

ENCOURAGER OPINION SEEKER

FACILITATOR

ENERGIZER ELABORATOR

GATEKEEPER EVALUATOR

OBSERVER
ROLES: UNHELPFUL

AGGRESSOR

JOKER BLOCKER

FACILITATOR

RECOGNITION
SELF-CONFESSOR
SEEKER
FACILITATOR

BYSTANDER
 DIFFICULT
BEHAVIOR
 The member who  Ask them to suggest a
always point out solution to the difficulty
they have identified
difficulties
 Regard the statement of
difficulty as an invitation
to built, not as an obstacle

 The member who  Thank the person, restate

dominate the session pertinent points & move
on
 Call on other delegates by
name
 Avoid eye contact
  Don’t put pressure
 Acknowledge
contribution
whenever they speak
 Give a non-verbal
The non- invitation to speak
contributing
member  Ask them if they
agree with what is
being said
 Capitalize on their
knowledge and
personality
 The ‘expert’  Don’t react defensively;
respect what they can say
 Use his expertise but set
limits
 Encourage the ‘expert’ to
listen and present
formally

 The ‘cynic’  Don’t get defensive/angry

 Find some merit in what
they are saying
 Encourage them to talk
about the positive
 Talk to them privately; find
out if they are
upset/annoyed
  Emphasize points of
agreement; minimize
points of disagreement
 Direct attention to the
objectives
 Park the issue for the
Conflicting moment
members
 Draw others into the
discussion and
reduce the one-one
interaction
 Depersonalize the
issues from the
conflicting members
  Assume an appropriate
level of detachment

 Don’t get drawn in

The facilitator as  It’s not about you! Groups

need to let off stem
the ‘butt’
 
“Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just
going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and
not bothering.”
 Hope & Timmel, 1995:

The arrogant person

The disinterested person

The clique

The whisperer

The stubborn person

The most rewarding things you do in life are often
the ones that look like they cannot be done.
Arnold Palmer
 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!