What are the pros and cons of directive and participative facilitation styles in team building?

1 Directive facilitation

Directive facilitation is a style that involves giving clear instructions, setting specific goals, and providing feedback and guidance to the team. This style can be useful when you need to achieve a certain outcome, follow a strict timeline, or deal with a complex or unfamiliar task. Directive facilitation can also help to establish authority, structure, and accountability in the team. However, directive facilitation can also have some drawbacks, such as reducing autonomy, creativity, and ownership among the team members. It can also create a sense of dependency, resentment, or resistance if the team feels micromanaged, controlled, or ignored.

2 Participative facilitation

Participative facilitation is a style that involves inviting input, encouraging discussion, and sharing decision-making with the team. This style can be beneficial when you want to foster a sense of trust, empowerment, and involvement in the team. Participative facilitation can also stimulate innovation, diversity, and learning among the team members. However, participative facilitation can also have some challenges, such as taking more time, creating confusion, or generating conflict if the team lacks clarity, direction, or consensus. It can also lead to a loss of focus, efficiency, or quality if the team is too distracted, divergent, or relaxed.

3 Balancing the styles

When facilitating team building activities, it is important to balance directive and participative styles and adapt them to the situation and needs of your team. To do this, assess the level of competence, confidence, and motivation of your team members and adjust your level of direction and support accordingly. Make sure to communicate objectives, expectations, and roles clearly to avoid misunderstandings or frustrations. Additionally, solicit feedback from your team members regularly, delegate tasks according to their strengths, interests, and development areas, encourage collaboration among them, and facilitate constructive dialogue. Lastly, monitor and evaluate the progress and outcomes of your team building activities and provide recognition and reinforcement.

4 Benefits of team building

Team building, regardless of your facilitation style, can have many positive impacts on your team's performance, morale, and culture. These benefits include better communication and collaboration skills, higher creativity and problem-solving abilities, increased trust and rapport between team members, greater engagement and commitment, and the development of leadership and followership skills. Additionally, team building can help align your team's vision, values, and goals.

5 Challenges of team building

Team building can present some difficulties and risks that you need to be aware of. Finding the time, resources, and budget for team building activities can be a challenge, as well as choosing the right type, frequency, and duration. Additionally, dealing with diverse, conflicting, or difficult personalities among your team members can be difficult. Measuring the impact and return on investment of team building activities is also important to consider, as well as maintaining the momentum and transfer of learning from team building activities.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?