June 13, 2013
According to Merriam-Webster, the word Facilitator is defined as: one that facilitates; especially : one that helps to bring about an outcome (as learning, productivity, or communication) by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance, guidance, or supervision.
While we wholeheartedly agree with this definition, we also believe that there is so much more to a facilitator.
To prove our point, we asked our facilitators to describe which qualities and characteristics comprised a TeamBonding Facilitator. Here are some of their best answers:
- Leadership. Here at TeamBonding we use the word “lead” and “facilitator” interchangeably. For events to run smoothly, it is imperative that facilitators retain excellent leadership skills during events.
- A good public speaker. For facilitators, being a good speaker requires being loud, engaging, and enjoyable to listen to.
- The ability to delegate roles and work as a team. A facilitator cannot possibly do everything alone; they must work with a team to get everything accomplished. For example, a lead should be a General and thus have soldiers to do the ground work. TeamBonding facilitators work diligently with an army of assitants.
- Time Management skills. Facilitating TeamBonding events requires leads to possess excellent time management skills. There are endless goals to accomplish before, during and after an event. Therefore, facilitators know how to maintain their time in order to accomplish everything on their plate.
- Organization. For one to possess time management skills, they should also be well organized. Facilitators are organized and prepared for any and all events, which includes: reading confirmations, making contacts with clients, shipping information, etc.
- Flexibility. While facilitators hope to have everything planned and squared away, sometimes Murphy’s Law has a better idea. For cases where details slip through the cracks, Facilitators are able to confidently make decisions on the fly.
- Customer Orientation. Facilitators understand that above anything else, the customer comes first. The events and the facilitators are organized to fulfill the wishes of the client.
- Reliability & Dependability. The success of an event weighs heavily on the performance of a Facilitator. Therefore, the company and the client must be able to depend on their facilitators to execute a superb performance.
- Enthusiasm. Nobody wants to participate in an event lead by someone who is lethargic and uninterested. With that said, TeamBonding facilitators are genuinely energized and psyched to lead events for clients. They love what they do.
- To sum it all up: While some facilitators may argue that one quality is superior to another, in reality a facilitator must possess a combination of all aforementioned characteristics.
What is a facilitator? A facilitator is:
