ABSTRACT
Teachers have been taught that the best visual aid is the teacher himself or herself. Likewise in facilitation, the best tool that the facilitator has is his or her person. A naked facilitator engages with a group most effectively by being direct, honest and clear. Active listening is a fundamental skill in facilitation. Without it, a facilitator fails – completely. Listening is a way of being open and “surrendering” to the group by removing all filters and focusing on effective and productive interactions so that synergy is achieved. The facilitator observes the body language of the speaker – the consistencies in verbal and non-verbal messages to get to the core of the message. The facilitator needs to be both broad-minded and open-minded. The intricacy of the facilitator’s function lies in how they focus on both an individual’s needs and the group’s wellbeing at the same time.
