Facilitation is difficult. “What? That’s not much of an observation!” OK, fine, so perhaps the matter is a bit more complex than that one sentence, but it does sum up what I’m going to go into.
The process of remaining both goal oriented as well as critically neutral is a balancing act that not everyone is cut out for. It takes a level of multitasking and attention to detail that is often applied to analytical thinkers, but the ability to gain insight to personalities and drives that comes from someone with specially suited empathy. While it is certainly not unheard of to have both of these traits gained naturally over the course of life experiences, it is not commonly found without (I feel) certain specialized training.
Now, even once you have a facilitator, there are still a number of obstacles that can stand in the way of the team and their goal. Despite what the textbook says about eliminating chronic problems from a team, this is not always a solution that is available to facilitators and leaders. Then there are the situations where a facilitator may not have the respect or trust of team members that offer critical aspects to the cause.
Facilitation is difficult, and often thankless. It’s a skill that is often valuable when others get credit for successful results and might often be blamed when matters end in failure. But it is still a skill and a practice that is critical to not only business, but also life.
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