Facilitator Characteristics

We are transforming trainers into facilitators. Here is a Live Online Learning Activity (LOLA) that we use to help us in this process.

Synopsis

The participants study a list of facilitator characteristics and select the most desirable one, individually and in teams in breakout rooms.

Purpose

To identify desirable characteristics of an effective facilitator.

Participants

  • Minimum: 4

  • Maximum: Any number

  • Best: 20 to 40

Time

20 – 40 minutes

Handout

  • List of Desirable Characteristics of a Facilitation

  • Suggested Discussion Questions

Technical Requirements

• Mic
• Camera
• File Sharing
• Breakout Rooms

Flow

Present a list of facilitator characteristics. Here is a list of six facilitator characteristics that I used:

  1. Confidence

  2. Empathy

  3. Flexibility

  4. Inclusiveness

  5. Neutrality

  6. Tolerance for ambiguity

Your list may differ from this list, to better suit your local context.

Select an item. Briefly describe the role of a facilitator in conducting team discussions. Explain that your list contains six desirable characteristics of an effective facilitator. Point out that this is not a complete list. However, ask each participant to limit themselves to these six items and independently select the one item that is most important across different contexts. Suggest a 2-minute time limit of this individual task.

Form teams. At the end of 2 minutes, randomly assign 2 to 4 participants to different breakout rooms. Ask the team members in each breakout room to discuss the item they selected and come up with a consensus choice of most desirable item. Announce a 6-minute time limit for this team task.

Have a discussion. It is possible that in each team, the members may have identical or different choices. Invite them to discuss their choices in a logical fashion before narrowing down on the item that everyone agrees. To facilitate the discussion, distribute a handout with these suggested questions:

  1. Which item did you select? Why did you select that item as the most desirable?

  2. What are the positive aspects of your choice?

  3. How does your chosen item compare with other items in the list?

  4. What are the relative disadvantages of the other items compared to the one you selected?

  5. How would someone object to your selection? How would you overcome this objection?

Change the choices. Encourage the participants in each breakout room to revise their choice based on the discussion. Remind them to agree on a single item before the time limit of 6-minutes are up.

Conduct a total-group discussion. After 6 minutes, gather all the participants in the main room. Invite a representative from each team to share their choices. Go through the list of items and ask the participants to discuss the positive and negative aspects of each.

Conclude the session. Thank the participants for their contributions to the discussion. Encourage them to facilitate the teams in their workplace by incorporating desirable characteristics and reducing the negative aspects of each characteristic.

Reuse this LOLA

Facilitator is based on a LOLA template called Palaver. You can use this template to create your own LOLAs to encourage the participants to systematically discuss different items in a list and select the most important one.

Here are different types of lists we have used in our recent LOLAs:

  1. Desirable characteristics: Behaviors of an effective coach.

  2. Steps in a procedure: Managing a major change

  3. Different roles: Manager, employee, colleague, salesperson, or customer

  4. Different perceptions: Scientist, artist, lawyer, or customer

  5. Different purposes; Making a presentation to inform, to inspire, to interact, or to entertain.

  6. Practical advice: Five tips for increasing inclusiveness in teams.