Making the Team: A Guide for Managers, Fifth Edition

Appendix 2 Tips for Meeting Facilitators

One of the most challenging tasks is to facilitate a meeting for a company. Many companies think this is easy work to do and consequently, expect miracles to happen. When the meeting does not accomplish what was hoped for, it is easy to blame the consultant or facilitator. There is also an information asymmetry. The consultant/facilitator is not privy to group norms and interpersonal dynamics. Many companies expect facilitators to immediately dissect the motives of each member. Many mistakes are made prior to the beginning of the meeting. Often, teams that need outside facilitators are besieged by thorny political and personnel issues. Even the issue of who hires the facilitator can be a political one. ...