--- title: "The difference between coaching and facilitating." description: "You are in a meeting again, or no wait, yet another team meeting... You have prepared a tight agenda and you are ready to lead the troops through the maze..." language: en source: https://thehouseofcoaching.com/en/het-verschil-tussen-coachen-en-faciliteren --- # The difference between coaching and facilitating. ![The difference between coaching and facilitating.](https://thehouseofcoaching.com/media/571499a68bd768e3.webp) You are in a meeting again, or no wait, yet another team meeting... You have prepared a tight agenda and you are ready to lead the troops through the maze of action points. While you hope for a meeting where everyone contributes constructively, you notice that the energy is gone... A few colleagues dominate the conversation, the usual suspects. The rest look absent or secretly try to answer their emails... For twenty minutes you listen to the same mediocre ideas from the same two people who are always arguing. You know this is the moment to intervene. But how? You do not want the energy to drop even further. You also do not want to point fingers. You do want to get the group going. You want EVERYONE to participate actively. What are you going to do? Coach people? Or facilitate the group? Good news, there are tools for this. So if you recognise the scenario above, definitely read on! Because here is your survival guide for deciding when to wear which hat. Because yes, even that one participant who thinks they know everything better has potential... but you need to know how to bring it out. ### Do you steer or do you let go? You can almost predict what is going to happen... Mark starts talking about the same project he has brought up a hundred times, and Marieke is deeply absorbed in her phone. What do you do now? It sometimes feels like you are leading a nursery class, but you are not a teacher, right? No, you are a manager. You want everyone to join in and come up with new ideas. But yes, if you let go too much, the whole thing falls apart. And if you steer too much, you are just spoon-feeding everything again. Then you are doing all the thinking for the entire group again. ### The fear of making the wrong choice The problem is that you are afraid of losing control. Because what if you intervene too early? Or what if you let them swim and they drown? You can already picture it: everyone looks to you for a solution, while you secretly want people to put their own brains to work. Spoiler alert: that does not happen by itself! ### When do you use which approach? Right, here is the simple answer: you do not have to choose! You can be both, as long as you know when to switch. Let us go through a few situations so you do not get stuck. #### Coaching: bringing out the best in people without saying a word (okay, almost) As a coach, you are there to help people come to solutions themselves. You know they already have the answers inside them somewhere, but sometimes they need a nudge. Or a firm push, let us be honest. Example. You are in a brainstorm, and after three suggestions the creative well runs dry. What do you do? Instead of bringing in a brilliant idea yourself (I know you have one, but just do not do it for a moment), you ask questions like: "What would you do differently if there were no restrictions?" or "What are you overlooking that can really help us forward?" Yes, coaching is about asking questions that trigger the thinking process of others. Spoiler alert 2.0: people often think it is fantastic to come up with the solution themselves (and they secretly like it when you respect that). #### Facilitating: be the director of the process, not the star of the show Facilitating is your thing when the group could use some steering to prevent the conversation from turning into a wild west show. It is your job to monitor the time, keep the structure and ensure that everyone gets a chance to contribute. You are not the main act, but without you the circus falls apart. Example. The same meeting, the same few people talking. But now you can activate the whole group: "Let us collect some ideas first. Each take a piece of paper and write down 3 things that you personally find important. And then another 3 that you already know are too difficult." Then you let people compare their ideas in pairs and open a discussion. That way you give people space without dominating the conversation. You are the conductor of the orchestra, not the violinist who has to step into the foreground. ### Reframing, the secret sauce for both coaching and facilitating And here is the trick: reframing. In other words, looking at the problem from a different angle. Whether you are coaching or facilitating, this is your secret weapon to make people look at the situation differently. #### Example as a coach: "What if this problem is actually an opportunity? How would you tackle it then?" #### Example as a facilitator: "Interesting discussion, what stands out? And what if we look at it from the customer's perspective? What do we notice then?" These kinds of questions sharpen the thinking without you having to come up with a ready-made solution yourself. When do you choose which role? Now comes the best part: you do not have to constantly take on the same role. The key lies in sensing what the group needs at that moment. Here is a simple guideline: - **Coach**: when you know the group is capable of coming up with ideas, but is stuck in familiar patterns. - **Facilitator**: when you notice the group needs structure and the conversation is going in all directions (except the right one). It is not an exact science, but with some practice you learn to switch effortlessly between both roles. The result? Better sessions, more engagement and, oh yes, a lot less stress for you. ### So it is time to put things into practice Do you want to experience for yourself when to coach and when to facilitate? Then register for our Facilitation Masterclass and learn how to switch effortlessly between these roles. Because let us be honest: sometimes you just have to practice to know what works. Register for our Facilitation masterclass Register for our Facilitation masterclass *By Steff Vanhaverbeke*