There are beliefs that are absolutely fundamental for facilitation for it to be powerful, effective and respectful of every part of the process. And these beliefs are not just beliefs that can be applied in facilitation they are beliefs that if you applied them in all areas of your life, they would make a significant difference to who you are, your relationships and your interactions.
BELIEFS
Beliefs are the ‘why’ to your approaches, communication and behaviors. They are your intention, reason and purpose for what you do and say. And they explain why your values are important to you.
Your beliefs are your opinions and views, your truth and what you believe to be true for you. The power of beliefs is that they influence how you see, hear and feel things, what you see, feel and hear, how you interpret the information you have absorbed and then how you respond or react.
In facilitation your beliefs, no matter how much you try to hide them, they will be evident in your approach towards every aspect of your facilitative approach. If they cannot be seen or heard, they will definitely be felt and sensed by others. Your awareness of your beliefs is important so that you can consciously work with yourself, to take responsibility for your beliefs, so that you can be respectful and honoring of every part of the facilitation process and most importantly the people you are facilitating.
BELIEFS ABOUT YOURSELF
- I believe in myself and my ability to facilitate
- I have the answers I need inside of me
- I can handle whatever happens
- My process is mine and it is not to be imposed on others
- I do not have to know everything
- The process is bigger than me
- I am to assist in making it easier for the person or people to journey through their process and processing of the process
- Process out my judgements, expectations and emotions before I facilitate, so that I can be neutral
- Own and manage any emotional processing I experience, so that it does not impact the person, people or the process
BELIEFS ABOUT PEOPLE
- People have the answers they need for themselves, within them
- People are full of potential and capability
- Every person is to be approached and treated in a fair, respectful and equal basis
- Every person deserves to be respected, even when they do not respect themselves
- Every person does want to develop, they just may be scared to or not know how to
- There is goodness in everyone, whether they show it or not
- Every group is different and has its own unique way and process
- Every person is different and unique in their process and processing
- Meet people for who they are in that moment, as they can change, grow and develop in the next moment
- Every person has their own individual process and journey
- Every group has it’s own individual process and journey to getting to their outcome
- Every group has the wisdom and creativity needed to deal with and work through any situation
- When people are resistant, they are only resisting themselves and their own process
- When a person is disrespectful, they are disrespecting themselves
- The people will give me the cues, the indicators and the answers for where the process is meant to go
BELIEFS ABOUT THE PROCESS
- Trust the process and work with it
- Every process unfolds in its own unique way
- The process only becomes distorted, blocked, heavy or stagnant when it is being controlled, forced and resisted
- Trust that the outcome will be achieved
- Trust there will be more than one outcome
- Accept the process for what it is and where it goes to, there is a reason for it
- The people will provide the cues for where to head with the process
- There are multiple processes to consider to facilitate the process
FACILITATOR ETHICS
- Maintain confidentiality
- Maintain impartiality
- Maintain objectivity (but do not suppress your subjectivity, process it out so it does not impact the person or group)
- Maintain spiritual guidelines
- Be neutral
- Stay out of any debates
- Be aware of not rescuing and saving
- Address emotions
- Address disrespect
- Maintain yours and others cultural awareness
Know when to step into the process for the physical, emotional, mental and energy safety of the person or people concerned to manage any impacts
There are many more beliefs than these that are essential for facilitation. These are some of the fundamental ones.
If you are in doubt about your ability to embrace some of these beliefs, that does not mean you cannot facilitate, however over time you will find you will have more and more experiences that will guide you in the direction of these beliefs. Take some of these beliefs into your next facilitative interaction and look for how they are expressed.
WHY THESE BELIEFS ARE FUNDAMENTAL FOR LIFE
In simple terms, they are the right and natural way for how you can view, treat and interact with yourself and other people.