Becoming a Reflective Practitioner

As Facilitators we are architects of trust. We owe it to our clients to act in a conscious manner and with an informed appreciation of the ethical issues and values inherent in our profession. As individuals, and as professionals, we must be continually mindful of how we exercise our power when helping groups achieve their desired outcomes. Awareness is the first step towards insight. Consideration and reflection are the best mechanism to enhance our collective understanding of the ethical choices we make. We must all consider the fundamental values of our profession and be prepared when our ethics and values are challenged in practice. This book is will help you explore your ethical values and expand your awareness of the ethical choices we make and the possible affects of those choices on our clients.

The use of facilitative processes has expanded around the world. We see corporations, governments, communities and NGOs using Facilitators to help their groups make the best use of the contributions from their members, build sustainable outcomes and achieve meaningful results. Similar trends are happening in the fields of public participation, dialogue and deliberation and coaching. As society expects more collaborative and cooperative interaction, our profession will be heavily relied upon to provide guidance on the ethical issues that will arise. This book is for everyone who works with groups of people as Process Facilitators, Learning Facilitators, Virtual Facilitators, Visual Facilitators, Public Participation Professionals, Dialogue and Deliberation Professionals, Alternative Dispute Resolution Professions and Coaches. It will assist you to become a reflective ethical practitioner by making you conscious of the ethics and values of our profession and how we each personally resolve tensions in the ethical choices we make.

Kimberly Bain is Senior Partner in Bain Group Consulting, based in Ontario, Canada. Kimberly is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and holds the appointment of visiting scholar at Queen’s University. Ms Bain also holds certificates in mediation and dispute resolution and is an instructor at the Mediation Centre of Southeastern Ontario. Kimberly has an Honours Degree from Queen’s University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Carleton University. She is currently the Chair of the International Association of Facilitators which provides her the opportunity to share her passion for the profession with Facilitators around the world. Kimberly is a vocal advocate for the power of facilitation and often speaks on the topic at international conference. Kimberly lives in Kingston, Ontario, where she splits her time between family, her extensive volunteer responsibilities and her busy consulting practice. You can follow Kimberly on Twitter @baingroup where she posts facilitation tips and professional development activities and events happening around the world.