How do you respond to this suggestion, in the middle of a session, as a facilitator? This is a dangerous trap, but I realized it only after I got into it.

“Sure what do you have in mind?”

The participant explained his view. Soon enough the situation became a free for all and finally my client, who was the senior most person in the group, intervened and suggested a process step, something he does all the time in regular meetings. By that time I had lost control and I acquiesced. As you can imagine, the session was a disaster. My client was unhappy and I was miserable.

This happened years ago. After nine years in the business I do not fall into this trap any more. I have realized that as a facilitator, I can be open minded and listen to various views but I must stick to my process. The bottom line is this. I must know why I chose a particular process step and why it will deliver the goods. Here’s what to do when your process is under fire.