Facilitator

A facilitator is the person who runs the process of a meeting or a workshop, meaning how the group works together, while leaving the content of the discussion and the decisions to the participants. That split is what distinguishes a facilitator from a chair or a manager who leads the meeting and also weighs in on the outcome.

The work covers the whole meeting. Before it, the facilitator agrees the objectives with the group and structures the agenda. During it, they give everyone the floor, ask questions that clarify, sum up where the group stands, calm conflicts and keep time. The same skills apply to a weekly team meeting, a problem-solving workshop, a brainstorming session or a strategic decision.

A facilitator can be an outside professional hired for a workshop, or a team member who takes the role for a given meeting. When the facilitator has a stake in the topic, someone else can take over the role for that item, so that the process stays neutral.

The facilitator in holacracy and sociocracy

In holacracy and sociocracy, facilitator is a role each circle elects. The facilitator runs the circle's meetings, leads the rounds and collects objections during a consent decision. Holacracy gives the role two kinds of meetings to run, the governance meeting and the tactical meeting. In the governance meeting, the facilitator also tests each objection, checking only that the objector argued every criterion and leaving aside whether the argument is right.