What do you do if your team facilitation lacks strategic thinking?

3 Apply and practice

As a team facilitator, applying and practicing what you have learned is the third step to improving your strategic thinking. Setting realistic goals for your facilitation sessions and aligning them with your team's vision and mission is important. You should also design and deliver your facilitation sessions with a clear purpose, agenda, and process - adapting to the needs and preferences of team members. Open-ended, probing, and challenging questions should be asked during your facilitation sessions, encouraging critical, creative, and collaborative thinking. Visual, verbal, or written methods should be used to capture and organize ideas, insights, and actions during sessions. Following up and following through on your facilitation sessions is also essential to ensure that team members are accountable, committed, and supported. By applying and practicing what you have learned, you can enhance your strategic thinking as a team facilitator while improving your team's performance, engagement, and satisfaction.

4 Review and reflect

As a team facilitator, it's important to review and reflect on your facilitation sessions. This can involve collecting and analyzing data, feedback, or testimonials on your facilitation sessions, and comparing them with your goals and expectations. Celebrate successes and achievements, as well as acknowledge team members' contributions and efforts. On the other hand, recognize and learn from mistakes and failures, and seek ways to improve and grow. Ask yourself what worked well, what didn't work well, and what can be done better next time during your facilitation sessions. Additionally, update and revise your facilitation plans, strategies, and methods based on your review and reflection. By doing this, you can measure and evaluate your strategic thinking as a team facilitator, while also identifying new opportunities, challenges, and solutions for your team.

5 Seek feedback and support

As a team facilitator, seeking feedback and support from others is an essential step in improving your strategic thinking. Ask your team members, peers, or managers for honest and constructive feedback on your facilitation skills and performance, and listen to their suggestions. Consider mentorship or guidance from other team facilitators who have more experience or expertise in strategic thinking, and learn from their insights. Build and maintain a network of trusted and supportive relationships with other facilitators, and share your experiences, challenges, and achievements with them. Don't be afraid to ask for help or assistance when you face difficulties or uncertainties during your facilitation sessions. Give feedback and support to other facilitators who are also working on improving their strategic thinking. By doing this, you can not only improve yourself but also foster a culture of learning, growth, and development for all.