Organizational leaders are always looking for ways to save money and while the first instinct is to start letting personnel go or trim the operating budget for a certain department, the best strategy is to identify inefficiencies.

1. Facilitator Training Options for Improving Professional Skills
Organizational leaders are always looking for ways to save money and while the first instinct is to start
letting personnel go or trim the operating budget for a certain department, the best strategy is to
identify inefficiencies. Holding meetings is one of the most inefficient activities that an organization can
do. Each meeting uses up time and money by taking time away from salaried employees who could
instead be spending that time doing what they were hired to do. If the first meeting is unsuccessful,
organizational leaders will schedule additional meetings as they try to diagnose a problem or come up
with new ideas. In order to make sure that a meeting achieves its objectives the first time, many
organizations hire a facilitator. This professional has completed facilitator training and uses the skills he
or she learned to guide a group discussion.
The facilitator begins by working with the group to define organizational objectives. Next the group
leads a discussion of how the organization will be able to achieve those objectives. If a facilitator has
completed strategic planning training, he or she will also be able to lead a strategic planning meeting so
that the organization can focus on improving its immediate and long-term strategies. Below are two of
the most common types of training that a facilitator completes, and how hiring an individual with either
type of training will benefit an organization.
Facilitator Training

2. When an organization wants its meeting to be led effectively, it will bring in a facilitator from outside the
organization. Professionals who want to serve in a facilitator role must undergo facilitator training,
where they will learn how to provide meeting support before, during, and after the corporate gathering.
The facilitator will research company objectives and the overall business environment, and then
distribute this information to meeting participants so that everyone is brought up to speed. During the
meeting, the individual will lead the discussion by asking probing questions. Individuals will also learn
during facilitator training how to conduct ice-breaker games, bring an off-topic conversation back on
track, and how to mediate personality conflicts.
Strategic Planning Training
Strategic planning is the process that a company uses to match goals with the company's vision. An
individual who has undergone strategic planning training is capable of determining the major issues
affecting the company. Once issues have been identified, the facilitator leads a meeting where
organizational leaders discuss the problem and try to reach a consensus on a long-term solution. During
this discussion everyone will be given a chance to offer ideas or convey concerns while the discussion
leader will rely on his or her strategic planning training to ask the difficult questions that those within
the organization are too afraid to ask. By hiring a professional that has completed strategic planning
training, the organization will be able to create a long-term strategic plan that allows it to meet its
objectives.

3. If organizations do not want to hire a facilitator from outside the organization, they can also consider
hiring a leadership training organization to provide strategic planning training and facilitator training for
an organizational leader.