Facilitation is a core management competency. It is essential for establishing and improving workplace culture, improving quality of decisions, and increasing workforce productivity. As part of the new cornerstone of modern management philosophy, successful leaders must know how to position themselves as facilitators rather than order-givers.
 
A facilitator is a person who is skilled at managing a meeting’s process and content. Facilitators help groups arrive at their objective by ensuring that every participant’s contribution is heard, and the processes being used are productive and empowering to all group members. Facilitated meetings put a premium on democracy, participant involvement, and group cooperation. The focus of the facilitator is on achieving meeting goals in a manner that satisfies every participant.
 
Facilitators work primarily through leading and blocking techniques, basically directing traffic within a group discussion. Facilitation can also involve managing group member’s emotions, defusing tensions, and encouraging team cohesiveness. In some cases, facilitators help in setting and revising meeting structure, and managing conflicts.