You have an important meeting coming up. The problem is complex. There are multiple opinions – some of them quite strong – on how to solve it. You don’t know what the answer is and in fact, you are not sure about how to go about getting the group to agreement. But you know you have to get everyone on the same page.

Should you hire a facilitator?

In this video, Michael Wilkinson, CMF and Founder of Leadership Strategies, shares the top 10 reasons you should consider using a facilitator.

Remember – our team is always here to help! Our database has a network of over 600 facilitators, and our team can help match you with the best resource for your session.

Why Should I Hire a Professional Facilitator?

Check out these top 10 scenarios that would benefit from professional facilitation:

  1. Neutral Party Needed. If the discussion requires guidance from a neutral party to establish trust or encourage, your next step should be hiring a facilitator.
  2. Undefined Approach. If the product of the meeting or the work process to create the product is unclear or ill-defined, you should hire a facilitator.
  3. Lack of Experience in Group Dynamics. If you don’t have someone experienced in managing group dynamics, and you expect dysfunction, major disagreement or conflict, you should hire a facilitator.
  4. Strong Opinions. If there are many strong opinions in the room and you need to create consensus, you should hire a facilitator.
  5. No Good Answers. If the situation appears as though there are no good answers and there is a need for new, creative solutions, then you should hire a facilitator.
  6. Emotional Attachment. If you, as the meeting leader, are strongly vested in a particular position, but want to be open to other possible alternatives, then you should hire a facilitator.
  7. Lack of Process Expertise. If there is a lack of expertise in guiding people through the work process you will be using (e.g., strategic planning, process improvement, issue resolution), then you should hire a facilitator.
  8. Team Ownership Required. If the team – not just one or two people – needs to feel ownership of the solution, you should hire a facilitator.
  9. Critical Results. If the results of the meeting are critical to the success of the enterprise, and there will be a variety of views in the room, then your first step is to hire a facilitator.
  10. Yes. If you have answered yes to any of these items…you will benefit from hiring a professional facilitator!