How to Know the Difference Between Facilitation and Leading a Business Meeting

Is it possible to facilitate a meeting at the last minute? Here are a few insights for knowing whether you are facilitating or simply leading (managing) a meeting.

I was recently asked on Wednesday to review an agenda for a meeting on the following Tuesday. The meeting involved two technical teams, their consultants, and senior administrators from two organizations. On Thursday afternoon, I was asked to “facilitate the discussions.” As an accomplished facilitator, I asked myself, “Is facilitating at the last minute possible?”

Facilitation Defined

Facilitation is defined as a structured session(s) in which the meeting leader (the facilitator) guides the participants through a series of predefined steps to arrive at a result that is created, understood, and accepted by all participants.

Key concepts include:

1. Guides the participants

2. Predefined steps

3. Created, understood, and accepted

4. By all participants

The Problem Most Managers Have

The problem most managers have is that they believe they are facilitators, too.

After all, managers lead meetings all the time and meetings have agendas. Plus, one way or another, the meeting results are accepted by all.

(By the way, the preceding paragraph was all tongue-in-cheek)

CATER

CATER is a mental model that helps you move from good to great facilitation. CATER also defines the essential elements of helping determine what constitutes facilitation and what constitutes leading (or managing) a business meeting.

CATER stands for:

• Communicate in pre-session exchanges.

• Ask powerful questions.

• Anticipate Trouble.

• Use engaging Exercises.

• Manage the Rhythm.

Pre-Session Exchange

A pre-session exchange involves the facilitator (session leader) collecting information from the participants before the facilitated session. The exchange usually occurs via face-to-face interviews, phone interviews, or online surveys. The pre-session exchange should be planned and structured in a manner equal to planning and structuring the main session.

Ask Powerful Questions

Powerful questions lead participants to active thought, debate, and compelling results. Weak questions do the opposite. Introductory questions and clarifying questions are the two major classes of powerful questions.

Anticipate Trouble

Disruption is a reality. Trouble will occur. Great facilitators embrace the reality of disruption and are prepared to navigate challenges.

Engaging Exercises

Engaging exercises are what draw favorable attention or interest. Some synonyms for engaging make the point better: alluring, appealing, captivating, charismatic, enchanting, entrancing, fascinating, glamorous, magnetic, and seductive. From experience, a facilitated session can achieve its outcomes if its exercises rise to the level of engagement.

Manage the Rhythm

Whether a single or multiple sessions, “ups” and “downs” will occur during the facilitation process. Like many things in business and life, the lowest points are followed by the highest. Experienced facilitators understand this. Great facilitators look for and can spot subtle changes in tempo and attitudes. All facilitators must master the rhythm and timing associated with group dynamics.

The Difference Between Leading and Facilitating

Understanding what facilitation is and the elements of CATER provides the foundation for guiding participants to solutions that are created, understood, and accepted by all. Is it possible to facilitate at the last minute? Not really. But look for a follow-up article on how I attempted to do it in this case.

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 JD Solomon Inc. provides solutions for program development, asset management, and facilitation at the nexus of facilities, infrastructure, and the environment. Visit our Facilitation page for more information related to all types of facilitation.

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CATER is discussed more in "Facilitating with FINESSE: A Guide to Successful Business Solutions." The book applies CATER to ten commonly facilitated business applications, ranging from risk assessments, business cases, failure analysis, and strategic plans. Move your facilitation from good to great by CATERing to participants!

Why Executives Don’t Have Time for Lengthy Explanations (And What You Should Do Instead)

Executives will ask you for the details if they need them.

Executives are busy people. They’re balancing dozens of priorities, leading teams, solving problems, and constantly making decisions. That's why when you get a chance to speak with them, you need to be clear, concise, and ready to get to the point. Long, detailed explanations might show you know your stuff, but they also risk losing an executive's attention.

Executives do care about the details. However, initially, they simply don't have the time to wade through them all.

Executives want to know: What’s the issue? What’s the impact? What do you recommend? They are seeking trusted summaries that help them make quick, informed decisions.

If executives need more background, they’ll ask.

Lead with the Headline

Think of your message like a news article. Start with the key point. Provide a few facts, but not a ton of them. Executives will let you know if they need more, similar to what you do after reading the first 150 words of a news summary.

Keep Your Summary to 150 to 300 Words

It takes most of us about 1 minute to speak 150 words and 2 to 2.5 minutes to speak 300 words. That's about all of the time you will have, at least initially, so write it down in advance and set a mental clock.

Think in terms of Outcomes

Many executives will simply ask. “What do you want me to do?” Tie your message to outcomes and their goals.

Avoid Lengthy Explanations

Remember, the burden of effective communication is on the sender (you), not the receiver.

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The elements of the FINESSE fishbone diagram® are Frame, Illustrate, Noise reduction, Empathy, Structure, Synergy, and Ethics. Communicating with FINESSE is the not-for-profit community of technical professionals dedicated to being highly effective communicators and facilitators. Visit our Tackle Shop for communication and facilitation resources.

Program Management: Are Executive Leaders Governing or Meddling?

Does executive leadership trust their infrastructure program managers to deliver the results?

It's natural to want major capital programs to succeed because these programs are large, visible, and expensive. That’s a big reason executive leadership hires a program management team. However, it’s easy for those same leaders to cross the line from responsible oversight into operational program delivery. The related meddling can delay projects, confuse staff, and dilute accountability.

The Top 10 Questions to Ask Yourself

Ask yourself these 10 questions to determine whether you are governing or meddling in program management:

Am I crossing into operational matters (like procurement, scheduling, or task assignments) instead of focusing on policy, outcomes, and strategic priorities?

Is my communication helping or unintentionally disrupting the chain of command?

Could my involvement in project decisions be perceived as micromanagement by staff or vendors?

Am I influencing staff or program choices outside of approved board policies or resolutions?

Have I consulted with the executive director, general manager, or board chair before offering input or direction to staff?

Would I be comfortable if my communication or actions were shared publicly or discussed at a board meeting?

Am I setting a precedent that encourages other board members to bypass formal channels, causing confusion or inefficiency?

Have I considered how my actions might affect staff confidence, morale, or clarity in executing complex infrastructure work?

Am I speaking on behalf of the board—or am I voicing a personal concern that could be misinterpreted as a directive?

Do I genuinely trust executive leadership and infrastructure managers to deliver the results—or am I stepping in due to my own discomfort with uncertainty or pace?

Are Executives Leaders Governing or Meddling?

 The most telling question is #1: Do I trust the team? If you consistently find yourself stepping in to make decisions that program managers should handle, you are signaling a lack of trust in their abilities.

Oversight is vital. And so is trust. There are cases where executive leadership must step in; however, stepping in should be the exception and not the rule.

Ethical leadership means holding program management staff accountable while also respecting their space to plan, prioritize, and execute. When everyone stays in their lane, projects move forward more smoothly. Ask yourself these 10 questions to help determine whether you are governing or meddling in your program management.

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JD Solomon Inc. provides solutions for program development, asset management, and facilitation at the nexus of facilities, infrastructure, and the environment. Visit our Program Development page for more information.