There are many workshop facilitators out there. All have particular strengths or value propositions but play in the same space. Some are independent individuals, some are members of consulting companies, some are internal consultants, and so on. I have observed, among others, the following:
The Motivational Speaker
Sometimes hired to start off a workshop. Brilliant presenter, smooth communicator, knowledgeable on a specific topic, have written a few books, nice titles and a great track record that includes the president. Delivers a compelling presentation that gives you goose bumps. This extraordinary human being tells exciting stories that inspire group participants. Sometimes they’re hired as a facilitator, but they battle not to provide content.
The Lecturer
Part of a big consulting company or academic institution. Provides good content, but battles to separate process from content. Instead of facilitating processes they train participants in a topic first, then lets them work out the content themselves with little process support. When they provide a report on the results of the workshop, it contains many models, some of which the client had never seen before. They add value as expert content provider but battle to facilitate processes without getting too involved in the answers.
The Do-It-Yourselfer
The managers who choose to facilitate the session themselves. Nothing wrong with that, but they battle to manage content and process, especially if resistance is encountered regarding content. Sessions become a talk shop with little accepted results and frustrated participants.
The Programme Director
Introduces speakers and facilitate question and answer sessions. They also keep time. No real process to workshop on, and no result other than collating the presentation slides in a report after the session, but merely chairing the proceedings. It is difficult to understand why clients would use an external facilitator for this job. Anyone with “chairperson 101” will pull this off successfully.
The Get-Them-To-Talker
These persons view their facilitation role as getting the participants to talk. Somewhere at their back is a scribe that tries to capture the issues of this talk-shop. Nobody sees what is being documented. They have no real idea what the output of the discussions should be. As long as participants talk, they think they are on course (to no-where) and achieving.
The Strategist
They market themselves as a Strategist or Strategic planner. They forces the client to fit into a model they endorse, instead of adapting to client’s needs. They are good public speakers and presenters but battle to facilitate a process that is not in tune with their model. They come across as a content expert and adds value in that regard, in facilitated workshops. They are similar to a consultant with a pompous title, because everyone knows who the real strategists and strategic planners are, or do they?
The Expert
Occasionally a client would say, “I need e.g. an agricultural/health/what have you” expert to facilitate the process. Such an expert faces the challenge of remaining content neutral. They should be providing content as a participant or presenter during the workshop, instead of facilitating the workshop processes towards agreed outputs.
The Practical Workshop Facilitator
The Practical workshop facilitator supports the client (task owners). They understand that participants are the decision makers, the strategists, the strategic planners, the content owners. They understand the outputs or deliverables to be achieved, choose and manage the most effective process and tools, stimulate participation, massage the content in terms of level, type and consistency and ensure effective recording of results.
There is room for all types of facilitators in business, as is evidenced by clients with certain preferences.
But if workshop success is of paramount importance—and it should be—the practical workshop facilitator is the one you need.
