Facilitative Leadership
by Laurie Wilhelm
Facilitative leadership requires the leader to be proficient in communication skills and social skills. It’s a very collaborative style that is particularly useful when leading workplace teams or groups at work. Let’s take a closer look at the characteristics and benefits of facilitative leadership.
What is Facilitative Leadership?
Facilitative leadership is a people-oriented approach to achieving the mission and goals of an organization. With clear objectives and goals in mind, the facilitative leader supports active interaction between participants to make the most of their strengths, knowledge, skills and talents to ensure the best possible outcome. He encourages team members to contribute their insights, resourcefulness and expertise to study and analysis the situation, opportunity or issue.
Throughout the facilitative process, the leader can keep the team’s dialogue and interaction focused because he understands his goals and objectives and has clearly stated them.
Characteristics of Facilitative Leadership
The facilitative leader does many of the following. He:
- invites participation from the group to leverage the skills, abilities and expertise of those involved
- asks precise questions to get to the best possible answer
- discusses relevant subjects to gain a better understanding of the issue, person or concept
- seeks pertinent information from individuals who hold that knowledge
- has the ability to bring together best ideas from different people
- taps into and focuses on the insights and creative capacities of group or team members
- seeks an assortment of answers or solutions to determine which one, or the combination of several, will create the best outcome
- obtains general agreement from participants
- understands that the combined experience and knowledge leads to goal achievement and contributes to even greater success
Benefits of Facilitative Leadership
- better solutions, results, and outcomes
- secures “buy-in” of the plan by the group because it’s their plan
- easier execution of ideas and plans because those implementing it contributed to its creation and, therefore, have a greater sense of ownership of it
- creates an ongoing workplace environment that respects the skills and contributions of all
- actively demonstrates the value of the group’s, team’s or employees’ knowledge and talents which, in turn, creates a sense workplace satisfaction
The facilitative leader doesn’t dictate solutions or plans of action but focuses heavily on group participation and contribution to achieve objectives and goals. Realizing that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, he directs the group in a way that leverages the talents and abilities of participants and creates better and more sustainable outcomes. The good facilitative leader knows that by thoughtfully and carefully bringing together the group that greater success can be achieved.
