Facilitation Basics

Facilitation - Task

The nature of the group's task will in large part determine what is required of the facilitator.   Much of the work of a facilitator is helping a group achieve clarity regarding their task and then providing an effective process which is easy for the group to understand and use.  

The task at hand must be clear to both the group and the facilitator.   In the process of clarifying the task the group and facilitator can determine what they each need from one another.   This process of contracting is important, because the task will be accomplished more efficiently and effectively if the group and facilitator know what they want from each other.   The absence of such an agreement will interfere with completing the task.  

A group will be faced with several, perhaps hundreds, of tasks during its existence.   The tasks will range in scope and scale from clarifying the group's overall Charge and Charter to completing a specific project goal. A key job of the facilitator is to help a group develop the habit of clarifying tasks as part of their standard work process.  

A group's task at any time should contribute to the fulfillment of its overall purpose.   The skilled facilitator assists the group to achieve clarity around its task prior to "diving in to the work" and using tools to complete a process such as problem-solving or decision-making.   Clarification of task is usually the first work a facilitator does with a group.   If the task is relatively simple, then a brief discussion among group members might be sufficient.   If the task is more complex, then a more detailed, structured examination might be necessary.