Facilitator Skills and Levels of Intervention

Identify and model norms for group interaction.

• Be empathic—showing you understand their situation, needs, and feelings.
• Listen, paraphrase, clarify, and reflect participant comments.
• Initiate a structure for group work and keep the group moving.
• Be yourself—without defensiveness or hidden agenda—sharing yourself and your experiences when they can illustrate ideas or help establish empathy.
• Encourage group interaction.
• Confront and challenge—but only after empathy and respect have been established (this makes it less likely that learners will be defensive).

Levels of Intervention

1. Do nothing.
2. Describe what you see.
3. Describe your own feelings.
4. Ask for help.
5. Mini-teach or provide alternatives.

A Good Facilitator . . .

• opens with personal sharings, song, good news, etc.
• sets a positive tone.
• encourages the participation of all.
• speaks briefly to set the model.
• does not allow attacks on people.
• uses pairings or small groups to ensure participation by all, defuse tension, change the pace, and handle the work more efficiently.
• calls for a break, and “energizer,” or a stretch.
• keeps to the agreed upon agenda and times.
• points out areas of agreement on controversial issues.
• helps define areas to be resolved.
• asks for proposals for change, not just complaints.
• closes meeting with appreciations and on a hopeful note.