Need a Facilitator?

How to Use NFDB to Find a Facilitator

NFDB.com is the intelligent source for facilitation solutions.  We provide a wealth of information for choosing the facilitator best suited to meet your needs.  We believe the following guidelines will help you make the most of NFDB.com.

1.       Don’t go to the search tool first!

q       For NFDB.com to be most helpful, you must have a clear understanding of your facilitation need.  The search tool will provide you with considerable information about facilitators. However, without a clear understanding of your need, it will be much harder to find the one that will be of greatest assistance to you.

2.       Take the time to fully document your need.

q       Virtual Vicki is carefully designed to ask you all the key questions to guide you in determining what you need, why you need it, how you will know you’ve been successful, etc.  Virtual Vicki will even help you define the key deliverables and a starting agenda for the facilitated session.

q       If you prefer to by-pass Virtual Vicki, you can document your need on a single entry screen, or you can contact a Relationship Manager to help you at 800.824.2850.

3.       In searching for a facilitator, add one criteria at a time.

q       Suppose you will be having a strategic planning session in Atlanta and you can afford    a daily billing rate of up to $2000.  Your most important criteria might be strategic planning experience, followed by Atlanta-based, and then billing rate. 

q       In this case, you might start with a search by just entering “Strategic Planning” as the primary service area.  If you receive a small enough subset, you might be satisfied; or, after viewing the results, you might use the back-arrow key to now try “Strategic Planning” and metro area “Atlanta.” 

q       Based on the second search you might be comfortable selecting facilitators from the list.  But if there are still too many from which to choose, use the back-arrow key again to now try “Strategic Planning,” “Atlanta,” and a maximum billing rate of $2000/day.

q       If you prefer, our Relationship Managers can always do the search and selection for you.

4.       Be sure to examine each facilitator’s detail records.

q       Once you have a suitable selection set, examine the detail records for each facilitator.

q       Pay close attention to the following:

-          The certification level (e.g., Certified Master, Associate Master)

-          The self-rating for the service you need (e.g., strategic planning)

-          The feedback from other clients

-          The facilitation style of the facilitator

5.       Identify more than one facilitator to contact to account for scheduling conflicts.

q       Make it a point to identify two or three facilitators to contact. Many facilitators are scheduled out months in advance.  If you select one facilitator, that facilitator may not be available on the dates you need.

q       NFDB.com will send an email to those facilitators you identify and will include your need summary created through Virtual Vicki.  The facilitators are expected to contact you within 48 hours.

6.       Expect the number of billable days to be 1.5 to 3 times the length of the session.

q       Preparation is an important part of a facilitated activity.  A one-day session will likely require a half-day to two-days of planning and preparation.  Be sure to include preparation time in your cost expectation.

q       In addition, it is not unusual for facilitators to charge for travel time, if travel is required outside their metropolitan area.  Travel time is typically charged at a significantly reduced rate.

7.       Select the facilitator with whom you feel the greatest level of comfort.

q       Once your most important qualifications have been met, consider selecting the facilitator with whom you feel the greatest level of comfort.  The match may be the result of communication style, level of professionalism, fit for your audience, or other “soft” factors that may be difficult to quantify.

8.       Communicate with the facilitator every step of the way.

q       Be sure to provide the facilitator all the background information pertinent to the session.  In addition, keep the communication lines open by providing early feedback on concerns and information on changes in scope or logistics.

9.       Provide honest feedback on your experience.

q       Following the completion of the assignment, a Relationship Manager will contact you for feedback on the facilitator’s performance.  Please provide open and honest feedback that can serve as valuable information for other clients considering this facilitator.