Discovering Your Facilitation Style

Style isn’t exactly something that we all immediately know or have.  For some, it took us some time to develop our style. For others, they have known it since they were children.  Here’s the beauty of that; style is constantly changing, and this is the same for you.  Your style is going to be as beautifully multifaceted as you are.  

Over the years, there are a few different kinds that I’ve kind of picked up on and each has its pros and cons.  As you start to dive into how you want to facilitate, these few styles that I’ve picked up might help you expand your repertoire.  

The Unyielding

These are some of the funniest facilitators to watch but they are the ones that get things completed the fastest.  Their method is very strict so any sort of interruption is met with a skilled professional glance.  It can send chills down your spine, but at the end of the day, the focus that they give to a team can really help with project management. While a strict approach has its benefits, this type of management is NOT best when working on creative projects.

The Artist

Artistic projects that still have deadlines are going to have very loose requirements.  Now, this type of attitude can be applied in any situation.  Sometimes a facilitator will feel that it is more important to focus on specific questions rather than follow their outline to a ‘t’.  These types of facilitators are generally going to share life experiences and allow for side conversations.  This kind of facilitator is great for helping people get to know one another, but not always the best for fast-paced work.

Feelings Fanatic

More than likely, these types of facilitators are also master empaths.  They connect to those around them on a more spiritual and emotional level than other facilitators.  I will say that their work is extremely important, especially in volatile situations.  Those that can effectively empathize and still keep people moving toward the agreed goal are useful in just about any situation.

The Respectful

These types of facilitators are those that are going to set several boundaries on behaviors: these boundaries have absolutely zero limits.  If heightened emotions are going to be a problem, the Respectful is a great help because they can always set a sound limit, a talking stick limit, or anything.  They are very creative in their boundaries at times. Typically, the Respectful are great advocates by validating the thoughts and perceptions that others in the group may have.

The Coach

The Coach can be fun because they can also be part cheerleader.  It is hard for them to calm down when someone on the team succeeds.  If they could dump gallons of freezing Gatorade on a participant like at a sports event when they make a connection, they would.  Sometimes these can also be the people that sit back the most and focus more on having everyone work together as a team.  They might let leaders come forward and take charge or assign new people to new roles.  The goal of a coach is to always make sure that those they facilitate are ready to critically engage in multiple ways.

The PowerPoint Paladin

These facilitators absolutely swear by PowerPoint, Prezi, and similar applications.  Their shields go up when they think that their idea of PowerPoints is about to be attacked.  Now there is a good side to these facilitators.  An effective PowerPoint facilitator is going to have key ideas and pieces of information clearly available every step of the way.  Just like any other facilitator, they are going to do their best to keep you and your team on track.

Take a moment to consider if any of these reflect your style. Which personalities will help you get started on your journey to discovering your own style? You are likely a little bit of a couple of the mentioned styles, that’s normal as our teaching styles change based on our students and sometimes based on the mood of the day, but don’t forget to always make your style your own. What people want is for you to show up as your fully authentic self. You’ve got this!