What Constitutes Facilitator Competency?

FACILITATION SKILLS COMPETENCY - a proposed model

As a professional team of facilitators in a business that demands the application of our facilitation skills daily, we often dialogue around what makes a facilitator "competent." This is such a hot topic that we have in fact developed our own competency profile which we teach to, in our Master Facilitator Certification program. For more information on that program or our model, please contact me at dean@actraining.com.

In the meantime, take a look at this competency profile for a facilitator we found online - do you like it? Any gaps?

ANALYTICAL & CONCEPTUAL
· Ability to think on your feet
· Good memory
· Ability tosummarise/interpret/reflect
· Ability to organise and presentthoughts clearly
· Ability to generate options
· Quick and appropriate action andreaction
· Creativity

GROUP DYNAMICS
· Good understanding of groupdynamics
· Ability to cope with ambiguity
· Ability to “pave the way and stand out of the way”
· Neutrality and objectivity
· Ability to stimulate discussion
· Group problem solving skills
· Ability to handle criticism
· Ability to synergise and obtain cooperation

COMMUNICATION & DELIVERY
· Listen until you understand
· Effective use of verbal and nonverbal communication skills
· Do not fear the void of silence
· Know how to speak the “internal language”
· Use of visual and other aids

SELF-MANAGEMENT
· Flexibility
· Ability to work under stress and handle crisis situations
· Ability to maintain an agenda and adhere to a timetable
· Stress management skills
· Time management skills

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
· Enjoy working with people
· Sense of humour
· Patience
· Tactfulness
· Be a team player
· Good perception

TECHNICAL
· Clear understanding of the Control Risk Self-Assessment process
· Content knowledge of the specific topic and industry
· Proficiency with certain technology

There are many arguments for what are "essential" facilitator competencies - The model above is but one. tell us what you think makes a facilitator competent.

There is a good article on the whole issue of facilitator competence at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3954/is_200001/ai_n8882373