ABSTRACT
Facilitators help people to be more effective than they would otherwise be by bringing to bear a knowledge and understanding of various aspects of individual and group behaviour, together with a range of practical skills, that liberate the true potential that exists in any given situation. Easily the most common use of the facilitator is in helping problem-solving groups with their work. The role is most usually introduced to an organization by outside consultants as an element of a process of change and improvement. The understanding that properly-trained facilitators have of individual behaviour make them well-equipped to help individuals as well as groups. Conventional wisdom says that, if it is to be cost-effective, training needs to be handled either by sending people to attend externally run courses or by putting everyone through internal programmes designed to meet the perceived generic needs of the organization.
