What to Look for in a Facilitator

Whether you're planning a team offsite, a strategy session, or a learning experience, choosing the wrong facilitator is an expensive mistake. Not just financially. You're spending your team's most limited resource: time and attention.

Here's what to look for — and what to ask.

Energy. Your team does not need to be bored. Ask: "How would a previous client describe your presence in the room?"

Curiosity. A great facilitator asks deep questions before they ever show up. They want context — about your team, your dynamics, what's happened recently. If they don't ask, they'll deliver a polished off-the-shelf session that puts the burden of relevance on you. Ask: "What do you need to know about our organization before we begin?"

Relevant experience. They should be able to point to real knowledge of your industry — through their own career, past clients, or genuine research. Ask: "What experience do you have working with organizations like ours?"

A flexible agenda. You want a clear roadmap for how the time will be used, and a facilitator confident enough to adjust it when the room needs something different. Ask: "How do you handle it when a session needs to shift in the moment?"

Real evaluation. A smile sheet tells you whether people had a good time. What you need to know is whether anything changed. Ask: "Can you share past evaluation results or client outcomes from a similar engagement?"

A genuine nod to DEI. The best facilitators adapt their approach to the identities and dynamics of the room — not as a checkbox, but as a core competency. Ask: "How do you adjust your facilitation for diverse teams or sensitive group dynamics?"

Maya Angelou said, "If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be." The same is true for the teams we facilitate. The right facilitator doesn't just run a good session — they unlock something in your people that ordinary moments never could.