Facilitation Is an Essential Leadership Skill 

Plan

“On the battlefield, the presence—or absence—of a commander who can draw out the information and ideas held by subordinates can mean the difference between life and death for the unit,” says Damian McKinney, a former Royal Marines officer.

If presentation is the skill of communicating your own ideas, facilitation is the skill of drawing out the ideas of others.

In business, leaders who can not only present their own ideas to managers and clients, but also draw out the ideas of their subordinates through effective facilitation, are the ones who lead their teams to success.

Deep Dive

When I asked Damian McKinney,

“Are military commanders conscious of the fact that they are facilitating on the battlefield?”

he replied,

“We don’t use the word facilitation. Of course, as leaders, we use every skill available to draw information and ideas out of our people. In that sense, we are doing what the business world would call facilitation.”

I found that interesting, so I asked ChatGPT:

“What does facilitation by a military commander look like?”

It replied:

“It promotes effective communication, strengthens cooperation among subordinates, and supports rapid and efficient decision-making. Military environments are unique and require swift action under intense pressure, but effective facilitation skills contribute to teamwork and the achievement of shared objectives.”

That response reinforced my belief that the skills of a military commander are, in many ways, highly advanced facilitation skills.

When I was younger, I devoted most of my energy to improving my presentation skills. I believed that promoting myself effectively was the fastest route to career advancement. As for facilitation, I viewed it as:

“A job for outside professionals who are hired to run large meetings, call on speakers in turn, and keep the discussion moving.”

To be honest, I looked down on it as a role that anyone could perform.

The first time I was taught that facilitation is an essential leadership skill was during an internal training program when I was in my late thirties.

I said,

“Isn’t that just a skill required for someone acting as the MC of a meeting?”

The instructor replied,

“Have people ever told you that you’re not very good at listening?”

“Yes, they have. That’s why I’ve been making an effort lately to hold back and talk less.”

“Facilitation is more than simply holding back. It is the skill of actively drawing information and ideas out of other people.”

That conversation sparked my interest in facilitation. However, most of what is commonly taught focuses on the skills of professional facilitators. I struggled to apply those techniques effectively in meetings that I myself was leading, and my subordinates were brutally honest in their 360-degree feedback.

“Your presence is intimidating even when you’re silent, so it’s hard to speak up.”

“In the end, you always push through the opinion you had from the beginning, so there’s little point in offering ideas.”

“You chair the meeting while glaring at your laptop and typing the minutes at the same time. Just watching you is stressful.”

I had reached a dead end in trying to figure out how a leader should facilitate a meeting when I met Damian and his colleagues.

They gave me practical advice such as:

“Pay attention even to where you sit and the expression on your face.”

“If you have already made up your mind, have the discussion focus on helping people understand and support the decision.”

“Always assign someone else to take the minutes.”

By putting these lessons into practice, I gradually developed the facilitation skills that leaders themselves need.

When I checked with ChatGPT again, it stated:

“Facilitation skills are extremely important for leaders because they promote effective communication, collaboration, and problem-solving within teams and organizations.”

Leaders who possess facilitation skills are the ones who lead their teams to success.