‘Staying neutral is one of the five skills of a master facilitator.’

This statement, from a professional association, pulled me up.

An external facilitator can be independent but neutral? I’m not sure if that’s even possible.

I think it’s a huge ask for an internal facilitator to be either.

I wondered how a novice facilitator might interpret this.

So, I took a little dive into the question.

First, I went back to basics – the dictionary.

For a ‘colourless’ concept, it turns out that neutral can mean a lot of things, according to my trusted Macquarie.

Neutral: ‘refraining from taking part in a controversy or war between others.’

That sounds like no involvement, no ‘mucking in’. Like Switzerland during World War II. An example that highlights that ‘neutral’ can be less pure than it looks. History shows that the country’s banking system certainly benefited from its neutrality.

Rather than assuming a ‘neutral’ stance on the sidelines, I think that controversy calls for ‘leaning in’, not stepping back. It’s the facilitator’s job to help the group do that.

The trick is to lean in to support the group, not muck in with them. How? By not showing any preference for views and arguments. It’s a trick because you will have them.

I know I’m there where I sort of ‘float’ above the group, and what they are saying.

I respond to their comments with the bare minimum. Lots of ‘ahas’ ‘hmms’ and ‘thank yous’. Even if I find it excruciating. Like when some decide to take their frustration with my client out on me. (True. Don’t let anyone tell you that this can’t happen.)

It’s like my journalist friend explained. She constantly checks if she is letting her personal views reflect on her reporting. Remaining impartial is a matter of professional pride.

This means ‘listening to the Jiminy Cricket in your head saying, ‘now, just because you don’t agree, or think this person is a total dickhead, don’t let your standards slip’.

Nice one. That helps me understand why I sound like I’m a bit on auto-pilot with my ‘neutral’ responses. It’s because I’ve got one ear out for my Jiminy Cricket.

Let’s consult the dictionary again.

Neutral: ‘Of no particular kind, colour, characteristics’. Blah. Makes me think of an umpire. Come to think of it, that’s all that some groups want. Not for me.

It gets worse.

Neutral: ‘Grey; without hue; of zero chroma’. Sounds like I have to ditch the cartoon, red lippy, bright earrings and fun playlists. No thanks. In these days of bringing our authentic selves to work, that won’t wash.

On the other hand – well, we do have two…….

Neutral can be surprisingly powerful. Let me explain.

Neutral was a handy gear when I had my first car at 18.

You remember – 18 means ‘no money’.

Neutral kept my 1970 VW beetle (it was vintage, even back then) rolling when the petrol tank was low. Literally. Down every hill, I slipped into neutral. That kept me on the road until my next pay day.

Quite a powerful trick for a gear with no grunt.

My car was also a neutral colour – ‘fawn’ according to its registration papers. Don’t laugh. That probably explained why I could afford to buy it on waitressing wages. And why it was never stolen.

A colourless car but it was full of character. And its weakest gear often proved the most effective – at least for my circumstances.

Which brings me to my conclusion.

‘Staying neutral’ sounds a bit like a journalist ‘staying objective’. It looks good on paper and in professional codes of ethics.

Applying it in practice is another thing.

Despite its bland appearance, ‘staying neutral’ as a facilitator is a strength that we can aspire to. It can have a powerful impact on groups. But it demands constant vigilance, self-awareness and a few Jiminy Crickets.

As my friend explained, journalists bring their personal views to every choice they make – of stories and of the contacts they listen to.

We facilitators also bring our personal views to our work. They influence who we choose to work with, the questions we design, how we frame a topic and yes, the music we play.

I didn’t know if exploring such a colourless concept would be helpful. It took me on a bit of a surprising journey. I uncovered a few nuggets. Did you?

I’d love to hear what you think. Should a facilitator ‘stay neutral’? Can we? How? Just comment below and let me know.

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