Think of a facilitator, and you might picture someone standing by a flip chart with post‑its and pens, running a workshop.

It’s true – there have been many times I’ve fitted that stereotype perfectly – but over the years I’ve realised that the real value of a professional leadership facilitator goes far beyond the workshop itself.

The true impact of facilitation is in contributing to high‑priority, big‑impact projects that help an organisation operate beyond business as usual.

Facilitation beyond the workshop

A skilled facilitator can guide teams and organisations through entire processes:

• Defining a five‑year strategy
• Helping senior teams break down silos
• Gathering insights from a wide range of stakeholders

Often it’s about mobilising large groups of people to contribute to something outside their day‑to‑day roles.

Before any workshop, client conversations focus on the impact they want to make or the problem they want to solve. In most cases, they’re attempting something outside their comfort zone – a strategic challenge, not a routine meeting.

Example: facilitation across a major project

I recently led a project for a well‑known organisation that included interviewing stakeholders, running focus groups, and facilitating strategy workshops with trustees and the leadership team.

Beyond those “set piece” events, I worked on the overall process design, including:

• Deciding who to involve and when
• Designing a clear communication plan to ensure transparency
• Briefing and updating leaders on progress
• Keeping the project on track and focused on outcomes

This kind of facilitation goes far beyond workshops. It’s about guiding a team or organisation through the whole process of change and complex decision-making.

Why involve a facilitator early?

Without facilitation beyond the room, projects risk being delayed, derailed, or producing weak outcomes because key people aren’t aligned or bought in.

There are three big lessons here:

1. Involve a facilitator early

Ideally before you set dates or send invites. A facilitator can shape the approach from the start, drawing on years of experience designing projects that aren’t part of your normal workload.

2. Let them help you beyond the workshop

A facilitator can draft invites, plan timelines, identify roles, source venues, and keep the process moving. By including a facilitator in your leadership offsite planning or strategy project design, you get more value from their skills.

3. Think bigger about the whole project

For example, a strategy project doesn’t have to involve only the leadership team. Facilitation can help involve more of the organisation: gathering ideas, capturing customer insights and engaging a broader group in strategic thinking.

Doing so creates more alignment, better ideas and greater ownership of the outcomes.

These suggestions aren’t about inflating the role of a facilitator. They’re about using facilitation to add greater value to your most important projects – from strategy definition to leadership team development.

If you’re planning a significant piece of work, consider how much more you could achieve with an experienced facilitator.‍

Explore my facilitation services and workshops for senior leadership teams to see how I can help you deliver lasting results.