A few weeks ago we focused on executive coaching and mentoring, and this week we’re expanding on that theme to discuss the power of group facilitation.

An experienced facilitator will help you and your management group to grow and develop, by helping them to further explore and better understand issues that are standing in their way and also identify ways to overcome these.

We distinguish group facilitation from team coaching. Group facilitation is focused on working with a team to address a specific business challenge or issue or capitalise on one or more specific opportunities. It is also powerfully used for complex problem-solving, creative idea generation and building a consensus of thinking within the group.

In contrast, team coaching is focused on working with the team to help them display the characteristics of what might be referred to as a ‘high performing team’ for example improving team dynamics, clarity of purpose, alignment with stakeholder expectations, stakeholder communication and the ability for the team to continually learn and develop.

According to the Association for Talent Development, group facilitation can lead to more engaging meetings and more productive group sessions.

What happens during group facilitation?

Professional facilitators work with business leaders and groups to unlock their combined knowledge, experience, perspectives and opinions in relation to a specific issue, task or project that will have a big impact on business performance. At appropriate times, the facilitator may also ask probing questions, based on their own experience, to draw out new ideas, provide clarity and consistency of understanding and ensure buy-in and engagement.

Through our experience, we have found that facilitated sessions are more engaging, productive, rewarding and enjoyable for participants than addressing the challenges or opportunities in isolation. Group sessions also build a shared understanding, consensus and unity within the group. In essence, it helps to get the best from a group and ultimately to achieve the best outcome for the organisation.

When is group facilitation useful?

Group facilitation sessions can be used to help you develop or implement a key strategy, to support you in times of significant change, to help develop a shared understanding of your business, or to improve team working or address specific issues.

A City & Guilds Group study found that 76% of employees believe coaching and group facilitation is useful during periods of change in the organisation, 79% said it helped staff adopt new technologies and ways of working, and 64% of respondents said it had helped facilitate intergenerational working.

Group Facilitation London

Group Facilitation

How can Catalyst help?

At Catalyst, we help business leaders and senior managers across the UK to develop the effectiveness of themselves and their teams through mentoring, executive coaching and group facilitation. We help leaders to collaborate and communicate with integrity, to unlock insight through innovation and to improve business performance. We also offer consulting support tailored to individual business needs and objectives.

We combine our extensive business experience with a wide range of techniques to deliver tangible results – that’s why 100% of our customers would recommend us to others. Take a look at some of our results.

If you’d like to talk to us about helping you or your managers to become top-performing, please get in touch.