Facilitation

The situations I work with

The situations that I facilitate aren’t straightforward. They often involve competing priorities, differing perspectives, organisational pressures, unclear accountabilities, stakeholder expectations, public scrutiny, political realities, significant consequences or the need for multiple organisations to work together in the face of uncertainty.  

The work may involve clarifying the real problem, untangling roles, responsibilities and decision rights, surfacing the tensions sitting beneath the discussion, or helping people agree what matters most, what must not fail, and what needs to happen next. 

My role

I design and lead processes that gets the right issues on the table. I bring structure, appropriate pace and challenge, so the conversation does not stay general, circular overly polite or focussed on the wrong problem. 

What facilitation can look like

Facilitation can take many forms. It may involve a board working through a difficult issue, a leadership team seeking greater alignment, multiple organisations needing to find a way forward together, or a group grappling with a complex problem where the direction is not immediately clear. 

It can also involve structured facilitated conversations between a small number of people where the goal is to build understanding, alignment, trust or clarity, rather than resolve a formal dispute.  

In practice, many of the principles and processes are the same as mediation. See Mediation.

Whether the context is organisational, strategic or interpersonal, the goal is not simply a good conversation, but greater clarity, better decisions, stronger alignment and a clear way forward.   

I facilitate where: 

• Leadership teams seek greater alignment around priorities, decisions or direction

• Boards are working through difficult, contentious or high-stakes issues

• Organisations are navigating significant change, uncertainty or transition

• Multiple organisations, agencies or stakeholders need to work together on a new set up, a shared issue

• There’s a need to clarify roles, responsibilities, decision-making and accountabilities

• Issues involve competing priorities, perspectives or interests

• Shared understanding needs to be built around complex issues before decisions are made

• Groups face significant consequences, public scrutiny or political sensitivity for their decisions

• Progress has stalled and people are going around in circles

• There is a need for greater understanding, trust, alignment or clarity (within small or big groups)

1. Understanding the issue

I start by understanding the context, the issue that needs to be worked through and what a successful outcome might look like. This may involve conversations with key participants, reviewing background material or clarifying the scope of the work.

2. Designing the process

No two situations are the same. I design a process that reflects the issue, the people involved and the outcomes being sought. Often the design is as important as the conversation itself.

3. Facilitating the conversation

The facilitation itself may take the form of a workshop, a series of meetings or a facilitated conversation. My role is to ensure the right issues are on the table, help people work through differences constructively and keep the discussion focused on what matters most.

4. Clarity and next steps

The goal is to leave with greater clarity about decisions, actions, priorities, responsibilities or what happens next. Depending on the situation, this may involve agreed actions, recommendations, a clearer understanding of options, or a shared path forward.

Every facilitation is different and the process is tailored to the situation.

Why use an independent facilitator when we already have capable people in the room?

Because capable people are often too close to the issue. When you're part of the conversation, you're also trying to manage relationships, dynamics, competing priorities and outcomes.

An independent facilitator can design a process that helps the group think more clearly and work through issues more effectively. 

I don't just manage the process though. I challenge assumptions, surface tensions, test thinking and help groups tackle issues they may otherwise avoid.

Having spent years as a chief executive and board member, I've sat in many of the chairs occupied by the people in the room. That experience helps me understand both the conversation and the context.

What if people fundamentally disagree?

Many of the situations I work in involve genuine differences of perspective.

Success does not always mean consensus. Sometimes it means greater understanding, clearer decisions, better working relationships or agreement about how differences will be managed going forward.

Is facilitation just a way of avoiding difficult decisions?

Quite the opposite. Good facilitation helps groups tackle difficult issues directly. The aim is not endless discussion. The aim is greater clarity, better decision-making and agreement on what happens next.

How do I know this isn't just another workshop?

Fair question. Most people don't need another workshop. They need progress.

My role is to help people work through difficult issues, build shared understanding where it matters, and create clarity about what happens next.

If nothing changes after the conversation, the process has not done its job.