Background information on the topic of facilitation training

Moderation in a team

Especially when dealing with complex tasks, it is advisable to form a working group. This makes it possible to include information that is distributed among several people. In this way, different interest groups and stakeholders can be integrated into the decision-making process.
However, the interaction of individuals in groups is also characterised by problems. The individual traits, likes and dislikes of the team members have a clear effect on cooperation. If the team composition is unfavourable, this can lead to barriers to results or irrational decisions.

In order for the group work to run smoothly all the same, its successful facilitation is necessary. The first step is good preparation on the part of the facilitator. He or she should know the topic and goals of the discussion and be able to communicate them in an understandable way.

Background information about the participants is also important. Which interests are represented by which participant, and what is the level of knowledge of each participant? All these are relevant aspects of a group discussion that a competent facilitator should consider.

Facilitation means steering a discussion. It is nevertheless necessary for the facilitator to actively listen to the participants and, if necessary, to slow them down or encourage them to speak. The most important method of facilitation is to ask questions. This allows misunderstandings to be clarified, silent participants to be involved in the discussion, and the discussion to be guided in a new direction.

The location should be known in advance so that the media to be used can be prepared. The most common tool in facilitation is the pinboard. Individual topics and opinions are written down on notes and pinned to the wall. In this way, the course of the discussion and interim results are made transparent for each participant. Written 'opinion polls' can be designed in an open way, with participants marking discussion cards freely or with the help of a scale on which points are glued onto a prepared list. At the end of the session a summary of the content discussed should be provided and the results of the discussion should be summarized.

The Management Institute Dr. A. Kitzmann offers moderation training in Münster, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich.

Author: Management Institute Dr. A. Kitzmann

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