”It is all about lifting it to a level of an empathic attitude, a heartily friendly attitude”: A qualitative study of experiences with facilitating teamwork processes in organizations

Abstract

This study explores experiences with facilitating teamwork processes in organizations. An external partner can help with the facilitation of these processes. The data has been gathered through transcriptions of qualitative interviews. The informants are three consultants that have broad experience with facilitating teamwork processes. The constant comparative method has been used for analyzing the data.

The research led to three main categories that capture the essence of the informants’ experiences: Leading with presence and improvisation, Self-as-instrument and Holistic attitude towards development. A main finding is that the facilitators don’t follow a concrete structure when meeting a team, but on the contrary lead with presence and improvisation. By being open and aware in the situation the facilitators can understand what’s going on in the team. The facilitators’ development of tacit knowledge, which also includes different extents of intuition, gives them information about the situation. Based on this information, they can improvise what actions to take in the process.The facilitators’ use themselves as instruments to a great extent. To be able to balance being good helpers and taking care of themselves in their work, they constantly reflect upon and work on their own process. By becoming grounded in themselves, they can manage this balance.Holistic attitude towards development is connected to how the facilitators see the team in connection to the organization they are a part of, and are therefore mindful of this in their work. Their holistic attitude is also connected to their view on the whole person, consisting of thoughts, feelings and body. Creating a space where the members can learn about themselves and share with each other, contributes to their ability to work together as a team. A central finding that can be connected to all the categories is the facilitators’ emphatic attitude towards the team.