Think of a facilitator, and you think of a person standing next to a flip chart, perhaps holding some post-it notes and Sharpie pens, running a workshop.

It’s true - there have been many times when I have fitted that stereotype perfectly - but over the years I’ve come to realise that the value and impact of what I do extends far beyond the confines of the workshop. The true value of facilitation is in contributing to high-priority, big impact work that enables the organisation to operate beyond business as usual.

A facilitator can enable and guide teams and organisations through entire processes, such as defining a five-year strategy, or helping a series of teams break down silos, or sourcing views from a wide range of stakeholders. Often it’s about mobilising and gaining buy-in from large groups of people to contribute to something that’s not part of their day-to-day role.

Before the workshop, the client conversations focus on the impact they want to make, or the problem they want to solve. In most cases this isn’t something the client handles regularly - they’re attempting something completely outside their comfort zone.

I recently led a major consulting project for a well-known organisation, which involved interviewing key stakeholders, running staff focus groups, and facilitating several strategy-defining workshops with trustees and the leadership team. Beyond these “set piece” events, there were many conversations and meetings to discuss the best ways to manage the entire process, including who to invite and how, a communication programme to show a transparent process, briefings and updates for key leaders on the results so far, and much more.

So the “facilitating” goes way beyond the workshops themselves - a skilled facilitator / consultant can also help the client navigate the whole process of change and management of major projects.

Without this “beyond the workshop” facilitation, you run the risk of people not prioritising the project, or misalignment on the ideal outcomes or deliverables. The project could run over time, or be derailed because key stakeholders don’t buy in.

So there are three takeaways here: one is to involve a facilitator early. The other is to let them help you beyond the workshop. And the final is to think bigger about the whole project. Let’s go into a little more detail on each.

Involve a facilitator early

Ideally before you set a date or invite anyone - facilitators are usually more than happy to share ideas and recommendations at the start of the process, as this enables them to have much more influence over the design of the project. By involving a facilitator early you can benefit from our years of experience in designing and running exactly these kinds of projects that are not a core part of your role!

Let them help you beyond the workshop

A facilitator can help draft invites to stakeholders, help you source venues, and create a timeline of activities, roles and responsibilities. By also involving the facilitator in your meetings and planning work, you can benefit from their facilitation skills in a much wider sense.

Think bigger about the whole project

An example here is a strategy definition project - rather than limiting this to the leadership team only, you can involve more of the organisation by asking for their input and ideas, or getting them to source insights by speaking to customers. By doing this you will not only source new perspectives but also engage a wider group to think strategically and be more invested in the direction of the organisation.

These suggestions are not about inflating the role of a facilitator. They’re about bringing our full potential to add greater value to your projects.