When friends ask what I do as a facilitator, I often tell them a story. You know the one. Six blind men stand beside an elephant and are asked to describe it.
“Hey, the elephant is a pillar,” said the first man who touched his leg.
“Oh, no! it’s a rope,” said the second man who touched the tail.
“No, no! It’s a thick tree branch” said the third who held the elephant’s trunk.
“It’s big hand fan” said the fourth man who reached up to the ear.
“It is like a huge wall,” said the fifth who touched the belly.
“No! It’s like a solid pipe,” said the sixth man on touching the tusk.
They began to argue about the elephant and every one of them insisted that he was right. It looked like they were getting agitated. A wise man was passing by and stopped to ask them, “What is the matter?” They said, “We cannot agree to what the elephant is like.” The wise man calmly explained to them, “All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all those features what you all said.”
“Oh!” everyone said. There was no more fight. They felt happy that they were all right.
Now, while I sometimes wonder if the tale were different were it six women as opposed to men, I hope you get the point. I am not saying I am a wise man but a facilitator’s role is similar. Facilitators have the privilege of being invited into situations that matter to the people who are involved in them. As outsiders, we help teams explore a whole range of issues – a celebration of the work they do; a discussion on what their mission and vision is and could be; where their future direction of travel may take them; or even areas of internal tension and contention. We observe how the emotions and experiences of team members influence their input and we recognise that everyone has a unique – and important – perspective. Without everyone’s viewpoint, the description of the elephant would always be wrong. As a former court lawyer, it can occasionally feel like a little like pre-conflict resolution but it is in the shared conversation, the mutual listening and in the deep understanding that solidarity, solutions and strategies can be created.
How we do that differs from facilitator to facilitator and should also be unique to the team and the situation they find themselves in. However, like an elephant, you know good facilitation when you see it. Definitions of what makes good facilitation are numerous but I like to remember that the derivation of the word facilitate means “to enable, to make easy”. I also try to adhere to an academic’s summary that states: “The essence of facilitation is a willingness to take responsibility for the whole, seeking to enable each individual to contribute as appropriate.”
That sense of responsibility is important to me. I seek to ensure our time is inclusive, accessible and safe for everyone to be able to describe their own elephants – and to recognise the insights and knowledge of others who touch other parts of the work they do together. That’s not to say that I don’t bring in tools and creative approaches that may challenge some but I strive to find a framing, a narrative and a clear outcome focused approach that works for the people who have invited me into their space.
It is always a privilege to be asked to help people discuss and describe the elephant in the room. After all, it’s usually there even if no-one is talking about it. Why not get in touch to see how I can help facilitate your team to share their perspectives on the work you are doing?