Facilitation: enabling joint problem-solving at work

Facilitation derives from the English verb to facilitate, meaning to make easier or to enable. In the English-speaking world it has long been an established method for promoting communication, participation and the involvement of employees and for unlocking the company's resources. The basic idea supports an understanding of leadership that seeks to activate self-organisation and personal initiative.

A facilitator sees themselves as a catalyst. They are an expert in communication, processes and methods. Unlike the classic trainer role, their aim is to spark initiative and to activate experiential knowledge and untapped potential in the company.

Companies have to adapt quickly to changing markets and framework conditions. This calls for faster and better decisions and more personal responsibility. Participation and communication are the factors on which this agility rests. Moreover, change processes fail more often because of how implementation is designed than because of how content is planned.

Facilitators therefore support management in implementing change and improvement processes, in building the capacity for self-organisation, or when guidelines and corporate culture are to be brought to life. Meeting culture is a vivid example. Through internal training, facilitators help ensure that meetings no longer cause dissatisfaction and serve as a management and communication instrument.

A facilitator helps the group work on a task together. At the outset it must be clear which problem is to be solved, which people make relevant contributions and how decisions are reached. Accompanying the collaboration and being responsible for the substantive decision need to be clearly assigned.

Facilitation relies on the knowledge and skills already present in the company. Different perspectives are made accessible for the work. This can help to recognise connections and previously unused possibilities. What matters is whether the joint work leads to comprehensible results and next decisions.

Facilitators work in three ways. As trainers and multipliers, they pass on knowledge, skills and experience in internal training. In groups, they observe processes, intervene and shape them in the manner of a moderator. In one-to-one conversations, they give feedback, exchange observations and provide impulses. In all three cases there is a limit. The facilitator supports management but does not replace it.

The concept combines the qualification of internal facilitators with their further application and reflection. Possible components are training blocks, a starter team and recurring workshops for further development. For a given project, selection, scope and support must be derived from the specific task.

Management selects the candidates. No particular prior knowledge is required. Suitable people can come from any level, from administration as well as from production. What matters is enjoying working with people, listening well, acceptance among colleagues and confidence in dealing with complexity and change. Suitable people allow different opinions, connect them and are not afraid to address problems openly.

Capacity is just as important. Management determines what share of working time a facilitator spends on these tasks and coordinates this with line managers where necessary. More time should be planned for the spokesperson of the facilitation team, who plans and coordinates assignments.

A workshop needs a connection to the responsible leadership and decision-making structures. The group must know which results it can decide itself and which go to others with responsibility. Reflecting on practical application then shows which methods were helpful and where roles or framework conditions need further clarification.

The qualification combines the facilitators' understanding of their role, dealing with change processes and concrete methods. These include group work for problem-solving, moderation, feedback, meeting culture and conflict resolution. Before deployment, expectations, available working time and collaboration with managers are clarified. An internal facilitation team can exchange experiences and coordinate assignments. Responsibility for substantive decisions remains with management.

Whether training has an effect is decided before and after it. Before it starts, management prepares participants for the tasks ahead, exchanges expectations and asks about concerns. After completion, it soon seeks a conversation about experiences, suggestions and insights. The benefit increases considerably through preparation and follow-up, recognition and a quick opportunity to put it into practice.

Management should also tell the team which overarching topics are to be advanced through facilitation, such as guidelines, strategy or restructuring. Conversely, the facilitators' views and experiences are a valuable aid to management's decisions.

Facilitation creates a framework in which those involved can work on a complex problem together. Before a workshop, it is clarified which question is open, who has the necessary knowledge and who owns the decision. In the conversation, different views are made visible without hastily resolving dissent. Moderation keeps the process workable. It does not decide the matter on anyone's behalf.

After the format, results, open questions and next responsibilities must be recorded. Practical relevance is decisive: a well-run discussion only has value when the organisation takes the insights into its further work. Which formats and participants fit can only be derived from the specific task.