The Facilitative Leader: A Delicate Balance

This week I'd like to write about the fine line that leaders walk when they facilitate team dialogue.  Let's start by talking about the difference between two common modes of leadership:

"Traditional" Leadership:  Characterized by top-down communication, centralized control, and directive behavior from the leader.  When we say "I'm the boss and this is the way it's going to be." we are using a traditional leadership style.

Facilitative Leadership:  Characterized by the leader's use of facilitation techniques to encourage discussion and team decision making.  Typically involves some type of shared meaning-making and decision making. When leaders say "OK team, I'm going to walk us through the process of figuring this out together." they are being facilitative.

What is a characteristic of most talented leaders I've ever known?  They are able to deftly use both of these leadership styles without eroding accountability or team relationships.  And while these superstar leaders (my former VP MaryJo Callahan is one person I'm thinking of) seem to have this knack for balancing the directive and inclusive aspects of leadership, many of us struggle.

I'm thinking of a story I heard recently out of a Fortune 50 organization.  In this situation, a director brought his team together to talk about "opening the channels of communication" and "addressing the issues in the team openly and bravely."  The director asked each team member to provide candid feedback about the group and his own behavior.  He said "I want you to give me your honest feedback."  So he went around the room and asked for it.

Most of the team members provided general feedback that didn't relate directly to the director.  He was supportive and listened well, and gave encouraging verbal cues to keep the discussion going.  For example:

"Thank you for saying that.  It wasn't easy."

"I think it's important that we can be honest with each other."

In short, the director was using good facilitation skills, and being neutral and non-judgemental.  It seemed to be paying off too.  The trust level in the room began to rise and the comfort level went up as well.  Would the team finally begin to work on the issues that were hardest to discuss?

Then one employee who had not spoken up took a breath and talked about his concerns about some recent decisions the director had made.  In doing so he broached a subject which was on the mind of many of the team members - and while spoke very respectfully, it was clear that he was indeed taking the director at his word and being candid.

So what happened?

The director snapped out of facilitative mode and instantly began defending his own decisions.  He remarked that with more experience and wisdom that the employees would see the correctness of his ways.  He spoke authoritatively, and then asked the group to continue with the feedback session.

The level of participation fell sharply, and there was an unease in the group.  Why?  The director had snapped from a facilitator mode back into traditional leadership mode.  The team - sensing their leaders' shift from facilitator to authority figure - felt confused and uneasy.

I think that this example illustrates one of the most challenging nuances that leaders face when creating an engaged workforce.  In short, the style required to bring people together is different than the one required when we tell someone what to do.  Knowing how to balance these two different "modes" without confusing your team can be damn difficult.

Here are some sample principles for facilitative leaders.

1. Don't try to be facilitator and authority figure at the same time.  Choose which style you need for each particular situation and don't confuse things by switching mid-stream.
2. Be clear with your team about when you are facilitating and when you are directing.  You can make this distinction verbally and through body language.  One leader I know makes a point of sitting up very straight and speaking in a clear and assertive tone when she is directing.  When she is facilitating she leans back in her chair, jokes informally with her team, and begins asking for input.  For her this was very effective.
3. Explain to your team that your preference is to facilitate and come to group decisions, but that due to constraints this is not possible.  Be clear about when which role is in play.

It may be tempting to wonder why this is such a big deal.  After all, a director is still a director, even when they facilitate - right?   Yes and no.  A facilitator's job is to create a safe space for the team to participate, and to help that group move forward.  The role has an element of neutrality that helps make this safe space possible.  When a leader becomes directive or defensive while facilitating, that "safe space" can evaporate, leaving the team feeling like an unwritten contract has been broken.

Have you had an experience where facilitative and directive styles collided?  If so, I'd love to hear what you learned from the experience.  What principles do you think should be added to the list?

Comments

[Raven]

Great post! I love the points you make - especially regarding the need to stay in one leadership style. Switching from authoritative to facilitative and back will only confuse your team and make things even more complicated.

I'll be referencing this at my blog shortly. Thanks for sharing your insights!

[Cheri]

Thanks for the feedback Raven, I appreciate it!