ABSTRACT

There are a number of general issues that any facilitator must take into account and involve understanding and skill if they are not to impede progress. Introducing a facilitator either to an individual or a group is still an unusual event in most organizations and for most people, so it needs to be handled with care. It is quite probable that the initial response from the customer will be defensive since the inference likely to be drawn is that someone has been brought in because there is some doubt about the ability of the person or people to do the job, or to handle the situation that is presented. As recipients it all too often becomes clear to us that the other person either does not understand the situation, or at least has a very different interpretation of it than we do. This means that the help is often not very helpful.