You’re a facilitator preparing for the future. How can you balance the needs of different stakeholders?

1 Understand the context

Before you start any facilitation process, you need to understand the context of the situation and the purpose of the intervention. What are the main challenges and opportunities that the group faces? What are the desired outcomes and impacts of the facilitation? Who are the key stakeholders and what are their roles, needs, and motivations? How can you tailor your approach and methods to the specific context and purpose? By answering these questions, you can design a facilitation plan that is relevant, realistic, and responsive to the needs of different stakeholders.

2 Involve stakeholders early and often

One of the best ways to balance the needs of different stakeholders is to involve them early and often in the facilitation process. This means not only inviting them to participate in the sessions, but also engaging them in the planning, design, and evaluation stages. By doing so, you can build trust, rapport, and ownership among the stakeholders, as well as gather valuable insights, feedback, and ideas. You can also use various techniques, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or co-creation workshops, to understand the stakeholders' views, preferences, and expectations.

3 Use diverse and inclusive methods

Another way to balance the needs of different stakeholders is to use diverse and inclusive methods that cater to different learning styles, preferences, and backgrounds. For example, you can use a mix of visual, verbal, and kinesthetic activities, such as scenarios, storytelling, role-playing, or prototyping, to stimulate creativity, imagination, and empathy. You can also use methods that encourage dialogue, debate, and consensus-building, such as World Café, Fishbowl, or Dotmocracy, to foster collaboration, communication, and learning. Moreover, you can use methods that support diversity and inclusion, such as ground rules, check-ins, or appreciative inquiry, to create a safe and respectful space for everyone.

4 Adapt and iterate

As a facilitator, you need to be flexible and adaptable to the changing needs and dynamics of the group and the situation. This means that you need to monitor and evaluate the facilitation process regularly, and make adjustments and improvements as needed. You can use tools such as feedback forms, reflection questions, or after-action reviews, to collect and analyze data on the facilitation process and outcomes. You can also use tools such as scenario planning, backcasting, or futures wheels, to explore and test different assumptions, options, and implications. By adapting and iterating, you can ensure that your facilitation process is effective, efficient, and engaging for different stakeholders.

5 Communicate and follow up

Finally, you need to communicate and follow up with the stakeholders after the facilitation process, to ensure that the outcomes and actions are clear, aligned, and actionable. You can use tools such as reports, summaries, or newsletters, to document and share the key findings, insights, and recommendations from the facilitation. You can also use tools such as action plans, roadmaps, or dashboards, to define and monitor the next steps, roles, and responsibilities. By communicating and following up, you can reinforce the commitment, accountability, and collaboration among the stakeholders, as well as celebrate the achievements and learnings.

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?