Meetings That Work: The Power of Effective Facilitation

Posted on 26 March 2025

Too many conversations go round in circles, drain energy, and fail to lead anywhere useful. Poor facilitation – or none at all – slows down decisions, frustrates teams, and stops great ideas from ever getting off the ground.

But when facilitation is done well, conversations become a powerful tool for clarity, alignment, and progress.

What Is Facilitation? (And What It Isn’t)

Facilitation is about creating and structuring space for people to think, challenge, and make decisions that move things forward. It isn’t about controlling discussions or pushing an agenda.

Sometimes, good facilitation means knowing when to step back and let others take the lead. Other times, it means being brave enough to ask the difficult questions no one else will. Done properly, facilitation turns meetings into productive working sessions rather than calendar clutter.

The Cost Of Poor Facilitation

We’ve all been in meetings that should have been an email. Or discussions that go nowhere because no one asks the tough questions. The cost of poor facilitation is real:

• Wasted time
• Unclear decisions
• Disengaged teams
• Slow progress on important issues

real-life Facilitation example 1:

I recently worked with a group who believed they were further along in their plans than they actually were. Through facilitation, they recognised this gap for the first time and adjusted their approach, avoiding costly mistakes down the line.

The Value of Great Facilitation

On the flip side, well-facilitated conversations create real business impact. They:

• Save time by getting to the point
• Ensure better decision-making
• Help teams collaborate more effectively
• Unlock ideas that might otherwise be lost

Effective facilitation brings structure without rigidity, encourages honest discussion, and ensures people leave conversations with clear next steps, not just more questions.

real-life Facilitation example 2:

By guiding a senior leadership team through a facilitated process, we helped them develop a robust plan that has helped them deliver on-schedule for the first time in 20 years. The team described the facilitation as pivotal:

“It allowed all of us to be part of the conversation, and we made more progress, faster. It also helped us stay out of the detail long enough to focus on what really mattered.”

Good Conversations Create Momentum

Facilitation isn’t just about keeping discussions on track – it’s about being adventurous. The best facilitators create space where people feel safe to challenge assumptions, take risks, and explore new perspectives.

real-life Facilitation example 3:

While working on an organisational redesign with a highly unionised workforce, we helped bring together union reps, safety advisors, and strategic leaders. Despite their differing priorities, facilitation created a way forward that everyone agreed with. It wasn’t easy, but it was incredibly rewarding.

From Discussion to Action

Conversations are only valuable if they lead to action. That’s why effective facilitation keeps attention on what matters most, helping teams tackle real issues and turn talk into progress.

Facilitation isn’t about filling time – it’s about making every minute count. A skilled facilitator, like a good accountant, should save you time and money by improving efficiency and decision-making.

Read more/source: https://theharrisonnetwork.co.uk/meetings-that-work-power-effective-facilitation/