The Most Underused L&D Superpower: Facilitation
Facilitation is great in classrooms, but it's also powerful in lots of other spaces.
That's right. I believe that those of us in L&D are often underusing our facilitation superpowers. This doesn't happen inside of classrooms and workshops (virtual or not). We're solid there. It's outside of those spaces where our facilitation superpowers can make a different type of impact. One that builds partnerships, improves collaboration, and paves the way to working strategically across the organization.
Many years ago, when I was spending most of my time in the work of leadership development, I regularly taught facilitation skills to emerging leaders. Not so they could lead learning and training events, but so they could effectively lead meetings and conversations with their stakeholders and teams. The benefits of using facilitation skills outside of classrooms can easily occupy a laundry list. They include improved problem solving, efficient decision making, effective conflict resolution, adaptability and flexibility, stronger team dynamics, an ability to balance results, process, and relationships, and more. That laundry list of benefits is the reason facilitation skills deserve superpower status.
The really exciting news is that many L&D professionals are natural facilitators, or they have worked hard over the years to hone these skills in formal learning spaces. Thus, the expansion of these skills for use outside of those spaces and inside of other conversations isn't a difficult lift. It just takes a bit of intentionality in our approach.
Let's break down five of the skills excellent classroom/workshop facilitators use on a regular basis and explore what they look like when applied outside of those spaces. Especially in conversations and meetings with key stakeholders.
FACILITATION SKILL #1: Asking reflective questions and allowing space for thoughtful response
We live in a busy world. For many of us, that spills into organizations that value fast-paced work and constant execution or problem solving. The time available to think about alternatives or reframe work challenges just isn't available. In the classroom, away from the distractions of daily work life, we often facilitate discussions, using reflective questions and pairing that with the space for corresponding exploration and realization to occur. But we don't need to limit this skill to classroom discussions.
One of the L&D leaders I interviewed for my upcoming book talked about how important it was to use facilitation skills in simple conversations with stakeholders, even when the time allotted was 20-minutes or less. He tried to ask at least one question that helped the stakeholder stop and think and then he let there be silence, patiently waiting and resisting the desire to fill the air.
I've had similar experiences in both short and long meetings, especially when thinking about whether training is the best answer. Most stakeholders are smart, but they are so busy with overflowing plates and high pressure demands that thinking about an alternative to a training solution doesn't even have space to exist on their calendar, let alone their brains. But, if I could ask a few really good questions and create that space, even for a few minutes, stakeholders would often come to the conclusion themselves that training wouldn't be the best answer. I didn't even have to redirect or say no. This facilitation skill is a gift we can give others in conversation. It gives them space to think. Especially when we withhold judgment, listen patiently, and resist the urge to jump in or solution too quickly.
FACILITATION SKILL #2: Encouraging equal participation
When we facilitate in a classroom, we are paying attention to whether there are voices that dominate. We design and conduct our learning experiences in such a way that all voices are encouraged. Sometimes that means allowing for writing or solo activities for those who don't process externally or allowing for pair and share activities, so everyone has a chance to talk to others, and we work to create a psychologically safe environment whenever possible. But what about our projects and meetings?
I believe that everyone has value and expertise to share, but not everyone is given the opportunity to do so. There are a variety of reasons for this, but what if we facilitated our meetings and projects like we did our classroom sessions with this belief in mind? What if we consider those who may prefer time to think before responding (by sending out questions in advance for example)? What if we followed up individually with those who didn't speak up to get their thoughts and encouraged them to share next time? What if we watched for and built on the expertise and brilliance each person brought to the table?
Using this facilitation skill outside of classrooms allows for true collaboration to occur. By intentionally tapping into the expertise and perspectives of everyone involved in a meeting or project, we ultimately create something no one person could have created alone. That's powerful.
FACILITATION SKILL #3: Keeping the goal in mind
When we facilitate a classroom session or activity within that session, we keep the goals and outcomes in mind. These are the reasons we conduct the session or activity in the first place. But this skill is incredibly handy outside the classroom as well.
Those who work more often as strategic business partners in their organizations are masters at using this facilitation skill in every meeting and interaction. They are flexible enough to explore new ideas or allow for relevant tangents, but overall, they keep the conversation on track. When the tangents get too weedy or the group seems mired in complexity, they are famous for reminding everyone of the overall goal to reset perspective and keep the group moving.
FACILITATION SKILL #4: Listening for key ideas and themes
Facilitators are great at "pulling bullets out of babble." When we conduct discussions in the classroom, we listen intently to the comments and responses that follow. We hear the main point or themes and then call them out or parrot them back. This helps to simplify concepts and often leads to the "aha" moments we love to observe. This skill also comes in handy in most meetings and conversations.
Sitting in meetings and conversations, we don't always need to give our original thoughts. Sometimes the most effective thing we can do is exercise this facilitation skill. We can listen for the themes and ideas that are swirling in the conversation and then call them back in an organized, simplified fashion. This skill can do wonders for creating clarity amidst complex topics and moving conversations forward.
FACILITATION SKILL #5: Moving conversation into action
When we facilitate, we often end sessions or debriefs by asking participants to identify and commit to their next step or the action they will take. Can you imagine if every meeting and conversation you had throughout your company ended this same way?
As a keen facilitator, you have the power to make this happen. When the meeting time is coming to a close that's your cue to lead others to action, just like you would in a classroom. Ask for (and possibly document) action steps and deadlines that come as a result or that need to be defined. Ensure clarity in action before any meeting ends.
Facilitation as a superpower
Facilitation skills are great for classroom sessions, but they are just as important to exercise outside of those sessions. As previously noted, for many of us in L&D these skills come naturally, or we work hard to do them well. By making a few simple shifts, we can apply these same skills to meetings and conversations throughout our organizations. We can use them as superpowers to increase clarity, improve collaboration, and drive initiatives forward.
more insights in the book!
Practical insights like this and many others can be found in Jess Almlie’s book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner published by ATD Press. Order your copy at Amazon, ATD online bookstore, or wherever books are sold. Let’s all work together to move this profession we love forward!
