Facilitator Competencies

When most people talk of competencies, they usually think of knowledge and skills. In a broader sense, however, competencies also include individual characteristics (for example, supportiveness, achievement orientation, initiative), which are manifested as behaviors. Facilitator characteristics drive facilitator behaviors, which then drive the facilitator’s job performance—the facilitation of learning. Figure 3–1 illustrates this domino effect.

Figure 3–1: Individual characteristics drive performance.

With this as a background, let’s look at some competencies that facilitators should possess. For ease of understanding, the competencies are grouped by major categories accompanied by behavioral descriptions that align with that category.

Noted

Additional factors external to the facilitator can affect performance as well. However, these factors—including recognition and rewards, culture, and organization climate—are beyond the scope of this book.

Knowledge competencies for a facilitator include the knowledge of the following:

• the organization: its strategies, objectives, markets, customers, competitors, products/services, and so on

• adult learning principles

• learning theory and how it is applied to learning

• training evaluation

• needs assessment for the specific seminar or workshop to be facilitated

• organizational, job, and individual performance indicators

• instructional design and development

• diversity awareness as it relates to the implications of participant differences on learning

• methods and tactics to get organizational buy-in and support for learning

• group dynamics

• tactics for coaching and feedback.

Skill competencies for learning facilitators include:

• operating equipment: overhead projectors, computers and LCD projectors, participant voting systems, and so forth

• writing on flipcharts: preparing standard charts and recording participants’ comments

• communicating verbally to present information

• communicating nonverbally: body positioning, gestures, facial expressions

• summarizing and paraphrasing participant input

• providing coaching and feedback

• listening actively and effectively

• planning learning activities

• thinking in terms of systems to see interrelationships among participants’ input by recognizing the connecting patterns.

Individual characteristics are best described as behavioral competencies. People demonstrate individual characteristics by how they behave in given situations. Table 3–4 is an extensive listing of these behavioral competencies, including a brief descriptor of each competency. There are 14 characteristic categories, each containing multiple behaviors.

Table 3–4: Facilitator behavioral competencies.
The following table is a listing and description of facilitator characteristic groupings and behavioral competencies necessary for facilitating an organization classroom learning experience. The total behavior competency model for a facilitator (inside and outside the classroom) is more extensive.

Characteristic Grouping	Behavioral Competencies
Initiative	1. Positions the learning experience with participants by building relationships and setting the climate 2. Positions the learning with participants to support the organization’s strategies and objectives 3. Makes extra efforts to ensure participant learning and use of that learning on the job by focusing questions, examples, and plans on real-world examples 4. Takes self-directed action to remove learning and transfer barriers in order to effectively and efficiently achieve learning outcomes
Concern for Continuous Improvement	1. Utilizes adult learning principles to ensure learning 2. Monitors ongoing participant learning by soliciting feedback and analyzing performance on assessments 3. Plans and monitors facilitation to ensure efficient and effective use of time and greatest impact on learning
Customer Service	1. Acts as a learning consultant to participants 2. Implements instructional strategies relative to participant needs 3. Builds networks among participants to support classroom learning and transfer to the job
Interpersonal Understanding	1. Demonstrates and acts on an understanding of the collective concerns of the participants 2. Demonstrates and acts on an understanding of participants’ personal interests, concerns, and motivations 3. Seeks to understand the motivations of participants’ behavior
Leading Others	1. Promotes a spirit of cooperation among participants 2. Clarifies and communicates roles and expectations of facilitator and participants 3. Solicits the input of participants and leverages participant expertise through establishing collaborative relationships 4. Creates learner synergy through involvement in course instructional strategies 5. Recognizes and rewards the contribution of participants
Developing Others	1. Creates a learning environment that fosters learning and transfer 2. Identifies job-related applications to course content 3. Contributes to individual, team, and corporate knowledge 4. Models development to support continuous learning 5. Provides coaching to enhance learning
Analytical/Problem Solving	1. Implements a structured process of collecting course information and feedback 2. Gathers the relevant information and takes action to resolve a problem or issue within the learning experience
Creativity and Innovation	1. Uncovers opportunities for application of learning 2. Takes innovative action to maximize the effectiveness of a learning experience 3. Implements creative instructional strategies
Change Management	1. Proactively recognizes situations where change in classroom learning is needed and initiates appropriate action 2. Redirects efforts and/or adapts approach in the face of changing course/participant requirements 3. Changes plans and acts in response to changing conditions or participant needs, rather than pursuing a single course of action 4. Ensures that the participants embrace the need for the new KSAs taught in the learning experience
Risk Taking	1. Takes appropriate risks to see new ideas, content, and instructional strategies accepted and/or imple-mented 2. Supports participants who take appropriate risks
Communicating Effectively	1. Makes effective verbal presentations (includes changing language or terminology to fit audience characteristics) 2. Reads and understands verbal and nonverbal behavior and responds appropriately 3. Effectively uses nonverbal communication techniques
Influencing	1. Facilitates in such a way as to influence the participants to accept and use the new KSAs 2. Uses interpersonal and communication skills to gain acceptance of and commitment to course content and learning objectives 3. Gains commitment of participants by positioning the learning in terms of benefits meaningful to the participants 4. Builds trust between facilitator and participants and among participants 5. Gains the cooperation and support of the participants
Organizational Awareness	1. Expresses the benefits and disadvantages of participants’ input using their business terminology 2. Acts as a catalyst for participants and their respective business units to improve performance through the use of the acquired KSAs 3. Recognizes and responds to organizational issues as they relate to the course content 4. Thinks organizationally and presents learning applications that address participants’ jobs and organizational needs 5. Demonstrates an understanding of the organization’s strategies, objectives, markets, products/services, informal political network, and so forth
Personal Effectiveness Characteristics	1. Represents accurately and completely the training organization to participants 2. Serves as a role model for others regarding appropriate business conduct and ethical principles 3. Keeps emotions under control when facing adversity 4. Interacts effectively with varying levels of participants with different backgrounds and perspectives

Reprinted with permission from Performance Advantage Group, 2003.

For those not possessing a desired competency or if the competency is not yet a strength, training can help. The knowledge and skill competencies are relatively easy to learn. Although behavioral competencies are more difficult and take longer to develop, growth in this area is also possible. The more competencies a facilitator possesses and the more effectively he or she uses those competencies, the better the performance, which directly affects the quality of the learning experience.