What is a Facilitator?

A facilitator helps a team or organization clarify and understand their common objectives and helps them develop a plan of how to achieve these objectives. The facilitator remains an enthusiastic but neutral leader of the overall discussion. They do not take a particular position in the discussion. The primary role of a facilitator is to make processes easier and to help manage group dynamics so that all members participate effectively, so the group to reaches a consensus or accomplishes their goals more efficiently and effectively. The main goal of the facilitator is not to lead the group to the solution the facilitator may see as the best solution, but to empower the group to find its own pathways and solutions effectively. One of the biggest benefits of having a facilitator is it allows leadership to briefly integrate back into the team rather than driving the discussions. Or leadership may choose to step back completely and allow the team to develop their own solutions, but with deliberate discussion guidance by the facilitator to keep the discussion on track to the established goal.