The Role of the Six Sigma Black Belt Part V: The Facilitator

This is part of the series The Role of the Six Sigma Black Belt. The concepts and ideas presented also apply to other improvement professionals and leaders implementing improvements in an organization.


The Facilitator Role

To illustrate this role picture this. I was with a team of IT programmers to develop a SIPOC (a tool that identifies the inputs, outputs, suppliers, and customers for each step of a process) of the testing process for new software. So, I asked a very straight forward and logical question..."what are the process steps for testing new software?"

I was surprised when the group seemed stumped. It's not that they didn't know the answer. They were subject matter experts. They knew how to test software. So I asked the same question again. Twice. With the same response...none! 

So I changed my approach. I had recently learned about what I now call facilitative questions. So I tried it and I asked...

"Imagine I am a new employee...you have been assigned to train me how to test new software. Where would you start and what information would I need to test new software?" 

It was like magic. The information came down pouring. Fast! I could elaborate on the technique but the point is this: Questions can be one of the most powerful tools a BB can use to facilitate group dialogue and can make the difference between productive, fun, engaging meetings, and meetings that people hate to attend (and there are plenty of those). 

Like powerful questions, there are other facilitation principles that many BBs (and people in general) ignore and therefore fail to leverage. Here I only mention a few...

• Manage the agenda. There is more to this than checking off discussion points. Two things that can make a huge difference are 1) clarity about why the meeting is necessary (objectives), and 2) clarity about what the desired outcomes are (tangible deliverables).
• Planning. Agendas are part of this but consider...How will you elicit participation from the "prisoner" in the room? How will you avoid the monopolizer taking over? How will you react if one of your buttons is pushed? Well planned IS half done in facilitation.
• Using the pen. That's right, how you use the pen can make a big difference. It can be your best friend. If you know how to use it.
• Managing Process vs. Content. This is probably the most difficult skill to master but often, the key to successful project outcomes is not only content (what is discussed) but process (how content is discussed). The secret? Pay attention and be aware of it. It makes a difference!
• Managing conflict & disagreement. "Let's get back to task" or "That's really not part of what we're discussing today" isn't managing conflict...that's quenching dialogue. How will you turn a hot situation into an opportunity?

There is obviously a lot more to facilitation than this, I'm just trying to create awareness about how important this role of the facilitator is. 

There is nothing as frustrating as a BB who wants to complete the ever important FMEA they should have completed weeks ago and team members who get stuck telling stories about ONE failure mode and all the tangents that go along with them. You know the drill...it isn't pretty. So, whether your team gets stuck on a question or a whole tool, chances are, effective facilitation could help. So what to do?

• Get someone to help you who is a good facilitator. 
• Get some training (I highly recommend The Effective Facilitator by Leadership Strategies)
• Observe someone who is very good a facilitation and ask for pointers

As a professional facilitator and having trained many BBs on facilitation, I am confident saying that facilitation is just as much an art as it is a science (literally!). Though some may have a natural knack for it, facilitation is a skill that can absolutely be learned. 

But, in the end, facilitation is about much more than techniques and tools. It's really about looking inside of you and knowing yourself better. It's about knowing how you look at people and understanding how you influence the people you are trying to lead. 

And that's something all BBs can do. No training required!

Next up...The Black Belt as a Change Agent