The Top 3 Warning Signs that you might need Facilitation Skills

Whether you regularly lead meetings and projects or you are new to taking the lead, most of people have experienced one, or all of these challenges in meetings, team projects or any time where we’re working with others to a common goal.

Working within a team with regular planning and delivery is part of the day to day practice for thousands of people. So much so that we often miss some of the essential warning signs and take the headaches and grumbles that come with meetings as just part of the process.

Equipping yourself with good facilitation skills however can not only help you spot these warning signs a mile off but give you the tools and tactics to avoid the traps and create a great working environment.

1. You’re doing all the talking: That feeling when you realise you’ve held court for the full hour. Why didn’t anyone else have anything to add? Why did they leave you to fill the gaps again?
2. Colleagues regularly take things way off track: The ‘here we go again’ moment, when a few familiar faces de-rail things for half an hour, leaving confusion in their wake and leaving you further from your plan than when you started.
3. Actions never seem to get completed: The creeping, sinking feeling that sweeps the room as week by week the same actions tick over and everyone shares more apologies and excuses.
4. The same people always come up with the ideas: Walking out of work again thinking ‘why is it always me and Steve that come up with the ideas?” Oh and by the way, as it was your idea, it’s now your action too!

With so much of our day spent working with colleagues on projects, tasks and deadlines wouldn’t it be great to remove some or all of these stresses from your day?

If you regularly find yourself faced with these four warning signs, heading home feeling frustrated and like you’ve been pulling teeth, then it’s time to make a change. And the beauty is that you don’t have to expect your colleagues to change or to suddenly become engaged and efficient eager team players! By learning facilitation skills you can:

• Develop techniques to create engagement and buy-in, creating accountability and getting actions over the line
• Learn tactics to draw ideas and inputs out of different team members and keep inputs relevant, positive and timely
• Create planning tools and meeting shortcuts that you can take into any session, cross site
• Become confident understanding people and group dynamics and adapting to get the results needed

To equip yourself with expert facilitation skills sign up to one of our Fearless Facilitation masterclasses here or contact the team on info@fearlessfacilitaiton.co.uk to arrange training and consultation.