As with many things in life, we are influenced by other people and what we experience. I am realizing that the facilitation training and practice I have been enjoying in recent years, is influencing my approach with interim executive clients. I often take a facilitative stance now!
What is a “facilitative stance”? It is when I am listening more than talking. It is when I am recognizing that “best practices” may not be what is best for a particular organization at that moment in time. It is also when I am acknowledging the “wisdom is already in the room”. The client certainly knows what the issues are. But collectively, they also know what the solutions are. They just are not sure how to get there. A facilitative stance is helping draw all of that wisdom out for creating a clear direction for incremental, sustainable improvements.
Yes, through my decades of experience as a CEO and other management roles, I definitely know how to lead. So when the circumstance requires it, I can easily step into being the leader. For me, that is more directive and authoritarian. After all, I have been hired for my expertise. However, every organization is different. While there are many similar issues to address, the organizational cultures are all very different. It is when I am figuring out those cultural nuances that I have a more facilitative stance.
Energetically, it is the difference between standing like “Super Woman” and “I am here to rescue you!” versus sitting over a cup of tea listening intently to those with the experiences and the frustrations. Yes, my expertise kicks in when it is time to develop recommendations or take action. But even that has flexibility depending on the feedback and timing for implementation. I am no longer caught up into “best practices” as the best approach for every situation.
A facilitative stance is also more creative for me. I get to absorb tons of information over a few short weeks and then experience joy as the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Plus, “timing is everything” has been my favorite saying for a long time. Organizations usually only change incrementally, unless a major crisis forces them to change immediately in order to survive. So the timing for the changes need to be planned out, including what to do when old patterns start to creep back and they are slipping back into unhelpful ways. By continuing to take a facilitative stance, even when making recommendations and starting the implementation, I am more flexible and open to revisions as they are revealed.
These years of learning what facilitation actually is has helped me realize my natural, authentic style is one of having a facilitative stance as a leader. Being a boss for so long that required swift decision making and taking strong positions still is helpful and comes into play. But implementing a more facilitative stance is joyful and I thrive on the creativity. I am also more comfortable with the uncertainties. All of this makes me realize I wish I had learned these facilitation methods 30 years ago. But then again, “Timing is everything”.