Principles and Rules of Facilitation

Do you find it easy to lead the process of discussing work issues? Plenary sessions, conferences, meetings – any type of meeting where people speak in a strictly defined order are inevitably turned off from the discussion process while waiting for their turn. As a result, many ideas go unvoiced, not all possibilities are considered. At best, people get bored, and at worst, irritation and dissatisfaction with the result appears. The method of facilitation comes to the rescue.

This is a tool that can be used in meetings, strategic planning sessions, seminars and workshops. Let’s get into the intricacies of the tool below.

What is facilitation

Facilitation is both a process, a group of skills and a set of tools that enable the effective organization of a group discussion.

The purpose of facilitation: to find the right method that allows the group to work constructively and effectively. In other words, these are special actions aimed at organizing group work.

The discussion of work issues usually takes place in one or more groups. Group facilitation is a process in which the group leader takes a neutral position and does not take the decision, but only helps the participants to identify problems and make decisions through constructive discussion. This leader would be the facilitator.

Who is the facilitator

The personality of a facilitator is already a powerful tool of influence in itself. It is a trainer who is trained in effective communication techniques. According to Tony Mann (author of several books on facilitation), a facilitator must be able to:

Guide and structure the discussion in the right direction;
select the group’s really successful solutions;
Take risks, go out on their own and take participants out of their comfort zone;
Work with groups of all kinds;
To navigate all formats of conversations and meetings;
To combine different tools and techniques in the process of working with a group;
react quickly to changes in the situation and difficulties of the participants – and, accordingly, overcome them quickly;
to withstand stress;
to open up to people and motivate them for personal changes.

The professional puts the interests of the group above all, refusing his or her own expertise, does not allow participants to get bogged down in discussion, but at the same time, does not force events and does not exert pressure on participants. He is responsible for organizing the discussion, allowing the participants to focus entirely on the content of the object of discussion

Important: The facilitator keeps the dialogue constructive and gives equal attention to all participants in the discussion, managing the discussion effectively, but not getting into it. The result of such a meeting is the group making the best possible decision.

The difference between facilitation and moderation

There are different views on what facilitation and moderation are. Some experts recognize them as identical processes and explain the difference in terms by their different linguistic origins (moderation is German and facilitation is English). Other experts find these processes to be related, but with differences:

Facilitation literally means “easing,” moderation means “curbing.” Moderation is a tougher technology. It has a defined format – a conversation in which there is no opportunity to divert to another topic.
Facilitation is a flexible technology. Many different techniques and tools are used in the process: sketches, collages, even Lego constructors. Participants are not limited to one topic.
Moderation is used in the format of a meeting: “discussion of a problem”, a meeting at the head.
Facilitation is suitable for solving conflict situations, making complex decisions and introducing new technologies.

Five rules of facilitation

Conducting facilitation implies using principles that come from the goals and objectives.

There are 5 rules of facilitation:

Process exploration as opposed to omniscience;
openness and sincerity to people;
all participants in the process are equal;
every opinion counts;
all people are intelligent and can solve problems effectively.

Facilitation Techniques

There are many facilitation tools, but there are a few basic ones:

Future Search. Technology is used when the various stakeholder departments of a company need a common basis for cooperation and the creation of a future for the entire organization.
Work Out. A method used to develop innovative ways of working together, to overcome company bureaucracy, to improve business processes and the ability to deliver the results a company needs.
Brainstorming: A method used when it is necessary to summarize existing information and find new, fresh ideas.
Polarization of opinion. The method is applied when it is necessary to reduce/”pour out” negative attitudes to the topic to be discussed; it is necessary to determine a pessimistic and optimistic forecast of the situation.

Open Space. The method is used when a large group of employees need to answer many individual questions or find solutions to problems within the framework of one topic.

Facilitation in Business

Facilitation is actively used in meetings and roundtables in companies and corporations. What does facilitation do in this case?

Increased efficiency of the staff.
Increase in staff motivation.
Development of intellectual potential of the employee.
Creation of a safe psychological space.
Introduction of new technologies in business.

Successful facilitation is a qualitative teamwork of participants discussing issues that are really important to them and the facilitator taking the pace and level of the group and using carefully chosen tools. This is what makes it possible to get maximum results.

Who leads casinos to success: gambling staffing

Gambling is a very specific business sector, it is based on transparency and reputation. That’s why all internal processes have to be well organized and polished. This includes teamwork, but first, operators need to address the problem of selecting that team. In the article below, Slotegrator shares its advice.

A successful project is a professional team

Both land-based and online casinos work because of the teams that create them. It takes a lot of money and time to launch and develop a gambling project, but it is very easy to ruin it if something goes wrong: the reputation must be clean, all problems must be solved instantly, and the quality of products and services offered must be high. In order to maintain and constantly improve the level, casino operators hire professionals to their teams.

If you manage to successfully recruit a team, you can entrust the casino to professionals who can manage the process. To free up your time for planning and development, gather people who will take care of all the problems for you. Slotegrator shares its experience and tells you what departments your company should consist of.

Who should be there

Directors

Gambling organizers, owners and investors in the gambling industry usually delegate the management of day-to-day operations to their trusted individuals. Top management is responsible for the development of the company and makes decisions based on the interests of the owners and sometimes on their behalf. Professionals at this level must be experienced; they are necessary to keep the project running smoothly, as their job is to pull all the teams together to achieve the planned goals and results. Here are some of the main responsibilities of a director:

Develop and enforce all rules to support the successful operation of the gaming site;

Manage customer contact services by setting policies, procedures and targets;

Collaborate with the finance department to ensure legal compliance and accountability;

work with third parties: game developers and payment system providers;

monitor competitors;

analyze player preferences and improve online casinos;

Work actively with marketing and advertising specialists to promote the platform.

Management and executives

Directors and top managers collect data from department heads and discuss company plans and goals with them, who in turn organize the work of their subordinates to achieve these goals. They are responsible for the work of their teams and allocate the work between them, and they monitor the processes to make sure that everything goes according to plan. Executives make their teams productive and efficient, and therefore this link is very important to the company.

Executives

These professionals get the job done: They work on daily tasks, each at their own level. This routine requires constant involvement to maintain a high level of quality. If you are receiving complaints from players, if a transaction is not performing properly, if you need to add new games to the platform or to promote a new market, you should recruit a professional, motivated and cohesive team. Each person, like a cog, is important to a gambling project, bringing it success.

Principles and Rules of Facilitation 3

Finding professionals: online casinos

Maintaining an online casino platform needs reliable people. The specifics of online business are about the same from sector to sector, but gambling requires a special level of precision and sensitivity. If a gambling site operates under the White Label casino program, where all technical support and financial support is assumed by the platform provider – the staff may have the necessary minimum: a manager, a technical support specialist and an accountant. However, if the online casino is an independent project, more people will be needed to work in different departments of the online casino. That’s why online casino staffing is so important, but operators often face challenges at this stage. Our team shares their list of departments needed for a hassle-free operation.

Legal Department

Any business needs its own lawyer, and especially a gambling business. Online casinos can face all kinds of problems along the way, and lawyers on staff will likely be very helpful. They will help you in signing various deals and collaborations, they will take care of licenses and certificates, they will take care of the business’ entry into new markets, and they will also resolve disputes, taking care of the good name of your platform. It’s obvious that your online casino needs a legal department, especially considering the fact that players are not physically present, which always generates more doubts and questions.