Facilitation
The process of enabling groups to work cooperatively and effectively to ensure the designing and running of successful meetings.
Level 1 Organizes and facilitates straightforward meetings to achieve basic outcomes.
BEHAVIORS
- Selects participants, time, and location based on the purpose of a meeting.
- Arranges on-site physical and/or virtual setting for meetings.
- Distributes background materials required for meetings.
- Communicates clear and realistic agendas prior to or at the beginning of meetings.
- Keeps discussions on topic and on time.
- Encourages all participants to contribute in a session, using active listening to engage participants.
- Clarifies understanding, commitments, and follow-up actions if applicable.
- Articulates meeting norms, consistent with the organization’s values and code of conduct.
- Ensures main meeting themes and outcomes are documented.
QUESTIONS
- Can you tell me about an occasion where you were in charge of facilitating a meeting?
Probing Questions
* What was the objective of the meeting and who was involved?
* Describe how you facilitated the meeting.
* What techniques did you use?
* What was the outcome of the meeting?
- Could you describe a time when you facilitated a meeting with involved multiple topics?
Probing Questions
* What was the objective of the meeting and who was involved?
* What actions did you take to deal with multiple topics?
* What were some of the challenges that you faced?
* How did your actions affect the outcome of the meeting?
Level 2 Manages group dynamics and encourages participation.
BEHAVIORS
- Presents subject matter to participants using the appropriate medium.
- Prepares materials in advance for use in the meeting.
- Observes participants' non-verbal languages in the facilitation process.
- Deals with common problems in group dynamics as they occur.
- Identifies signs and sources of disagreements.
- Guides discussions on disagreements toward constructive outcomes.
QUESTIONS
- What have you done in previous work experience to encourage participation in a group meeting?
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation. Who was involved in the meeting?
* What was the objective of the meeting?
* Describe how you encouraged participation?
* What techniques did you use?
* What was the outcome?
- Could you tell us about a meeting you facilitated where people disagree with each other?
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation. What was the disagreement?
* What actions did you take in this meeting?
* Was it a challenge to facilitate with people in disagreement?
* What was the outcome of the meeting?
Level 3 Designs and facilitates sessions for a wide variety of purposes. Deals with challenging situations.
BEHAVIORS
- Reviews participants' backgrounds and expectations, incorporating the information into the session.
- Adapts facilitation methods and materials to meet participants' varying needs and interests as well as the objectives of the session.
- Builds consensus on tasks, deliverables, roles & responsibilities.
- Helps individuals identify and review underlying assumptions.
- Recognizes conflict and its role in group interactions.
- Plans processes to prevent potential challenges in group meetings.
- Adjusts meeting plans based on the emerging needs of the group.
- Guides the transition between discussion and decision-making in a group meeting.
QUESTIONS
- Sometimes meetings do not run according to plan. Could you tell us about an occasion where you had to adjust a meeting plan?
Probing Questions
* How did the meeting lose track of the plan?
* What needed to be adjusted and why?
* Describe the process and your actions to adjust the meeting plan.
* What was the outcome of your adjustment? Was it successful?
- Can you tell me about a group session you facilitated to plan work and assign tasks?
Probing Questions
* Who was involved in your group session?
* Describe the work you planned and the tasks you assigned.
* Describe how you planned work and assigned tasks.
* How did this affect the overall objective of the group?
Level 4 Facilitates complex and strategic sessions.
BEHAVIORS
- Facilitates complex sessions, such as town hall meetings and strategic planning sessions.
- Uses differences and controversies to encourage in-depth exploration of issues.
- Guides participants to reach consensus on a shared vision.
- Prepares for complex sessions by analyzing and researching the topic beforehand.
- Ensures commitment to priorities and deliverables.
- Applies a range of techniques to keep participants engaged and energized through long and/or complex exercises.
QUESTIONS
- Could you tell us about a complex group session you facilitated where you were not familiar with the topic?
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation.
* What did you do to improve this situation?
* Describe the process and the actions you took.
* How did this affect your group session? What was the outcome?
- How have you guided participants in a group to agree on a shared vision? Give an example based on your experience.
Probing Questions
* Describe the techniques and skills that you used.
* How did you influence the group?
* What were some of the challenges that you faced?
* Describe how your efforts were received? What was the outcome?
Level 5 Facilitates across diverse stakeholder groups to foster collaboration. Manages complex and unpredictable group dynamics.
BEHAVIORS
- Defines the scope before convening a meeting that involves multiple stakeholder groups.
- Designs group sessions based on the objectives to encourage meaningful conversations among participants.
- Promotes dialogues between stakeholders from different groups inside and outside the organization.
- Anticipates how different views are perceived in diverse groups, guiding discussions toward dialogue rather than debate.
- Uses a blend of techniques to help diverse groups gain mutual understanding, reframe conflicts, and generate collaborative solutions.
QUESTIONS
- Can you tell me about a previous work experience when you played a key role in facilitating across diverse groups?
Probing Questions
* Describe your involvement in the facilitation.
* What groups were you facilitating?
* Describe your actions in the process.
* What were the outcomes?
- Could you describe a situation where you managed complex groups that had different views?
Probing Questions
* Describe the situation and the different views you observed.
* Who were the groups involved?
* What techniques and skills did you use to manage the groups?
* How did your actions affect the group? What was the outcome?