What is a facilitator and why do we need them?

Facilitation has its roots in community and development work, bringing together multi-stakeholder groups for collective consultation, decision-making and action. It has transitioned into the corporate field, in organisations with leaders that value inclusion and creativity. Leaders that recognise the need to develop psychological safety, by ensuring everyone is seen, heard and valued, and understand that there are processes available to support teams and groups to cultivate and harness individual and collective potential.
During the IAF England and Wales chapter and friends conference - Facilitate2024: Growing together, I spoke with other facilitators with the intention of highlighting the strengths of facilitators and facilitation. The below provides an overview of the key points that emerged. The short interviews can be viewed here.