Facilitation in Practice, Part 2: Do we need a Facilitator?
- Faye Beddow
- May 13
- 4 min read
A decision making guide for HR, L&D and Leaders
Meetings on Repeat: The Hidden Cost
We’ve all been there. The calendar‑block titled “Strategic Away Day” starts with promise, slides into déjà vu, and ends with the same parked issues you identified before.
Loud voices tend to dominate, while quieter insights often go unheard.
There’s polite agreement in the moment, but by Monday, the energy has faded and little has changed.
Complex challenges get boiled down into oversimplified bullet points or another spreadsheet.
Innovation is stifled, and the issues that really matter remain untouched.
If that sounds familiar, the issue usually isn’t commitment or competence. It’s process. And that’s where facilitation comes in.
Why this matters
In the first article of this series, I explored the difference between a trainer and a facilitator — and why that distinction matters when it comes to creating meaningful learning and connection. You can read it here.
Pulling people into a room (or Zoom) costs time, money and energy. Before you book a venue or draft an agenda, ask the bigger questions:
Do we simply need to transfer knowledge, or do we need collective sense-making and action?
Will success depend on genuine, shared ownership of the outcome?
When the goal is genuine alignment, creativity or behaviour change, skilled facilitation can be the difference between “nice day out” and “clear way forward.”
If you need co‑creation and true ownership, a facilitated process is almost always the faster road to results—even if it feels slower in the moment.
But it isn’t always the right answer. The guide below will help you choose.
When to Use a Facilitator — and Why It Matters
We often think of facilitation as something reserved for away days or strategy sessions — but its impact reaches far beyond that.
Facilitation is a way of working that helps people connect more deeply, navigate complexity, and unlock their collective potential. Whether a group is coming together for the first time or trying to move through stuck patterns, facilitation can help people think better together.
At Faye Beddow Consulting, facilitation is more than a process — it reflects the values that sit at the heart of our work. Compassion means creating a space where everyone feels heard. Inclusivity ensures that diverse perspectives are surfaced, not sidelined. And collaboration is what brings it all together — enabling teams to build shared understanding and move forward with clarity and purpose.
When a Facilitator Isn’t the Fix
Facilitation isn’t always the right approach - sometimes a clear presenter, trainer or internal chair is faster and cheaper:
If the goal is a 30‑minute compliance briefing, or if legislation dictates every step, a clear presenter and a Q&A do the job.
Likewise, if the stakes are low and the conversation is informational, an internal chair can save time and budget.
Internal vs External — How to Decide
So, if you’ve recognised that facilitation could help, the next question is: who should lead it? Sometimes, an internal facilitator is the perfect fit. Other times, bringing in someone external creates the space — and safety — a group really needs.
(Spoiler: Our next article in the series will share practical frameworks and a free DIY guide for those internal moments.)
So, when does facilitation make the biggest difference? Here are just a few moments where I’ve seen it unlock clarity, connection, and change.
💡 When you need clarity and alignment
A skilled facilitator brings structure to complexity — guiding conversations that move teams from vague ideas to clear, shared priorities.
Case in point: I worked with a growing business whose team had expanded rapidly during COVID, many of whom had never met in person. Our first facilitation session focused on building relationships and establishing the foundations for collaborative working. Later, we came back together to develop the team’s vision, mission and strategic priorities. By grounding this work in dialogue and shared ownership, the outcomes felt real — and doable.
🤝 When people need to connect across boundaries
Cross-organisation collaboration can be challenging — especially when people come from different cultures, priorities or professional languages.
Example: I’ve facilitated several projects where people from different organisations came together to solve complex healthcare challenges. Before any strategy or planning, we began by building relationships. Facilitation helped create an environment of trust, curiosity and shared purpose, allowing the group to define a common vision and identify solutions using a strengths-based approach.
🧬 When culture needs a reset
Sometimes, the problem isn’t strategy — it’s the unspoken dynamics, frustrations or silos that block progress. Facilitation can help surface and address these cultural barriers.
In one NHS department, morale was low, silos had formed, and a recent whistleblowing event had left trust in tatters. Through in-depth conversations and a series of facilitated workshops, we worked with a diverse steering group to redefine the department’s vision, values and workstreams — aligned to both the Trust’s strategy and national goals. Staff engagement increased, silos softened, and the culture shifted toward transparency, collaboration, and accountability.
🧠 When you want learning to lead to action
Even in formal training sessions, facilitation makes learning stick. It creates space for people to explore how what they’re learning applies to their own context — and to learn from each other.
In team development days, I’ve used tools like TypeCoach and Insights Discovery to help teams better understand their preferences, play to their strengths, and communicate more effectively. These sessions balance insight with fun — and help people see each other (and themselves) in a new light.
Final Thoughts
Facilitation isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a powerful tool for navigating complexity, building shared ownership, and making conversations count.
If you're planning a strategy session, a team reset, or even a collaborative project kickoff, consider this: a facilitator doesn’t bring all the answers. They create the space for the right answers to emerge — from the people who will own them. Find out more about my approach to Facilitation here.
Up next: In the next article I’ll dive into how to facilitate internally — core skills, common pitfalls, and three ready‑to‑use activities. I’ll also share a free Beginner’s Guide to Facilitation you can use with your team.
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