The dictionary definition of facilitate is to make easier. Stratos, LLC facilitators try to go beyond that meaning to also make more effective. A skilled facilitator can greatly contribute to the quality of interaction among participants at any group activity. Stratos consultants have provided facilitations services for business and technical meetings, national and international conferences, teambuilding sessions, training workshops, management reports, conflict mediations, and many other group activities. In general, the role of the facilitator is to manage the process of a meeting in a way that allows the meeting participants to effectively focus on the content of the meeting and achieve their meeting objectives.

Stratos consultants always try to work with our clients in the design as well as the execution of any facilitated event. At the start of the event, Stratos consultants usually negotiate a contract with the group that clearly defines the role of the facilitator for that specific activity. Typical services provided by a facilitator might include...

• Help design the meeting process to match desired outcomes.
• Design specific group activities to achieve objectives.
• Manage the time to match the agenda.
• Direct the discussion.
• Keep group focused on the task at hand.
• Ensure that everyone is heard.
• Provide process observations when beneficial:
• Point out when group is in “violent agreement,”
• Point out when one person is dominating the discussion,
• Point out when someone’s comment has been dismissed,
• Note when the group is repeating a discussion, and
• Limit the number of “war stories” and other digressions.
• Capture key discussion points.
• Provide dynamic adjustments to the agenda in response to group needs.
• Develop a report that documents meeting outcomes.