Facilitator
The role that runs a meeting, moves the discussion forward, draws out participants' views, and supports reaching consensus.
A facilitator is the role of supporting the progress of a discussion from a neutral position in a meeting or workshop. The word comes from the Latin “facilis” (easy), and it means a person who “makes easy” the process by which participants discuss effectively and reach consensus. The facilitator does not state their own opinions but draws out opinions from all participants and structures the discussion.
The 4 roles of a facilitator
Design the meeting structure / way of running it to fit the purpose
Prevent remarks from being lopsided and create an environment where everyone feels safe to speak
Organize scattered opinions and clarify the points at issue
Lead to a conclusion and clarify the next actions
Facilitation and scheduling
For large meetings, one approach is to secure first the dates of the members needed to meet the quorum and to treat the facilitator’s schedule as that of a required attendee too.
The facilitator may also create and share the agenda before the meeting, set a time allocation for each topic, and double as the timekeeper during the meeting.
How it differs from a chair / whether one person should do both
A facilitator is not simply a chair who runs the proceedings. Whereas a chair aims to move things along according to the program, a facilitator is responsible for the outcome that “opinions come from everyone, the discussion is structured, and a conclusion is reached.” What becomes a problem here is when the meeting’s organizer (a party to the discussion) also acts as facilitator. When someone with their own opinion holds the reins, they tend to steer the discussion unconsciously or miss opposing opinions.