Small Group Facilitation Strategies

Specific Guidelines for the Facilitator

• Introduce yourself at the beginning of the session, define your role with group input, and make an explicit agreement with the group that you will not manipulate and get involved with the content.
• Tell the group that you are there to serve them, and that you’ll check with them from time to time to see if you are pushing them too much, not enough, etc.
• Don’t talk too much.
• Be an energizer.
• Keep the group moving on the problem or discussion.
• Listen closely and watch that group members are listening to each other.
• Encourage each individual to contribute and join the conversation.
• Protect members from personal criticism; prevent focusing on personalities by concentrating people’s attention on the issue at hand.
• Set a positive tone.
• Protect the group from one person’s/faction’s dominance.
• Avoid interpersonal confrontation.
• Respect silence, but provide openers. 
• Don’t get involved with the content.
• Don’t be defensive.
• Educate the group.