Can facilitation save lives ?

Can facilitation save lives ?

During a training session, I found myself in a captivating survival exercise …

We were the only six survivors of a plane crash in the Canadian subarctic. Before the plane sank with all communication devices, we had time to save some equipment. Soaked and homeless, we had to agree on a survival strategy with the equipment that was left.

We were on our own in a deserted and hostile area.

Our task was to set a priority order for the equipment essential to our survival. First, we had to create our individual lists, and then, through communication, the entire group had to create a final list that everyone approved. Our survival depended on our group cohesion and the tools we prioritised.

Being a professional facilitator and passionate about how groups work, I felt the need to help our group succeed in this task.

From experience, a group has a better chance of success if one of its members steps back from the task to assist with communication and the working method, ensuring everyone feels heard.

While everyone was making their list, I thought about a visual canvas I use during urgent meetings. That’s why I structured the discussion as follows:

Getting to know each other and our skills

When everyone had completed their list, I asked them to introduce themselves and explain which skills or knowledge could be useful for our survival. I also took the time to explain my role as a group facilitator and asked if I could take on this role. Everyone quickly agreed.

After the first round, we realised that two people were first responders and that one person had survival techniques for a hostile environment. Others knew how to tie knots, build structures, and had knowledge of fauna and flora.

This step helped build trust among the group members, setting a solid foundation for the rest of the exercise.

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Situation analysis : evaluating and prioritising risks

The next step was to list and classify risks so we could address them effectively. First, we needed to protect ourselves from the cold (dry off and find shelter), secure access to food and drinkable water, find a way to signal for help, and ensure protection from wild animals.

The first responders’ opinions were crucial, but encouraging the quieter group members to share their perspectives also provided valuable insights and survival strategies, which improved our decision-making.

Tools analysis and decision-making

We then reviewed each tool we had rescued from the crash, questioning :

• • How else can we use this object ?
  • What are all its possible uses ? 

Objects that initially seemed useless became indispensable when viewed from a different perspective.

By categorising our tools into three groups—« definitely useful, » « uncertain, » and « less useful »—we easily established a hierarchy. Encouraging each survivor to share their perspective gave legitimacy to our classification. This led to a quick consensus because we had a shared vision of the situation, and every opinion was considered in our solution development.

In short, we survived. Our final list closely matched the one established by survival experts, with only minor differences. We also got creative with some tools. This was just a fictional exercise, but when compared to the second group, which did not have a facilitator, the difference was striking :

Without a group facilitator

❌ The group was anxious, with members arguing
❌ Everyone wanted to be right
❌ Illegitimate leadership attempts
❌ Unclear roles
❌ Lack of trust
❌ Delays
❌ Chaotic process
❌ Poor situation analysis
❌ Members didn’t listen to each other

Situations like this can happen in any group meeting.

What if you, too, had a group facilitator to help you save time, stay calm, and increase your chances of success ?

 Want to discuss it ? 

#Facilitation #Creativity #Innovation #CreativeProblemSolving #softskills