Marcus Hitzberger, Client Success Partner Europe & Facilitator at WDHB, spills the beans.
Facilitation is about putting participants in the driving seat by asking the right questions and ensuring everyone’s input is heard.
Why is facilitation key for a successful learning & development programme?
A facilitator is an interpreter and a translator between the experiences the participants have in the field during a Learning & Development Expedition and their reality as an executive.
Facilitation is all about communication, listening and facilitating discussions and exchange within that group. The role of the facilitator is to create a safe space where participants can talk without being afraid; an environment to voice their concerns about strategy, the organisation and operations.
You talk of discreet facilitation? What do you mean by that?
A facilitator doesn’t have the answers. Their job is to ask the right questions and to create a space that is totally different from the participants’ everyday environment. Facilitators are interpreters, they help to build bridges and to coordinate a discussion and the flow of ideas to build something meaningful for the participants on a personal level.
An external facilitator is of particular value because the discussion is less top down and the participants also appreciate an outside perspective.
Facilitators bring structure to sessions which enable groups to connect the dots and find solutions. The answers were always there but by enabling the right conversations to take place, ideas can be transformed into actual projects.
What impact do you think AI will have on Learning & Development Programmes?
I wish I had a crystal ball.
We’ll start to see the benefits of AI once a company begins to use algorithms to tap into collective intelligence. By scanning inboxes, drives and all available data we’ll soon be able to provide industry and company specific answers to recurring questions within an organisation. A sort of internal Google.
However, we will need to be careful to avoid the risk of creating even more silos in environments where employees crave human connection.
What trends are you observing within the current Learning & Development market?
The war for talent has accelerated. The future of work is an issue for most companies that are struggling to bring people back into the office.
Overcoming these challenges will depend upon companies developing their managers’ soft skills. Those leaders who work out the ingredients required to build healthy teams who can work remotely and can attract the right people, motivate and retain talent will win the race!