Facilitators: who needs them? Your guide to picking the right facilitator for your wargame.

Wargames used for training or educational purposes often require facilitation. Facilitators are able to make or break the game. Their purpose is to ensure that the game processes and timings are adhered to and the wargame objectives are met. A good game is a flowing game.

In our experience too many facilitators are frustrated rockstars. They seek to reinforce their own opinions and attempt to play the game their way.

So, how do you pick the right facilitator?

#1 Go for the safe option, find a person with relevant experience.

Preferably from outside your organisation, you should find a facilitator who is also an expert wargamer. The facilitator should be fully cognisant with the mechanisms and rules of the particular game being played. Often the facilitator is also a game designer.

#2 Is impartial

Facilitators who have a vested interest in the outcomes of a game tend to be biased. A wargame run by your boss will invariably fail. Players will be too busy scoring brownie points and not game points. This will ruin your game as you will not be able to fully test your concepts, ideas or plans. It might even affect your experience, and fun, as this bias could seriously affect gameplay. A good facilitator is a good referee. A good facilitator doesn’t succumb either to the opinion bias of the client.

#3 Acknowledges all participants and doesn’t attempt to lead the discussion

Too many facilitators like to hog the limelight and showcase their own knowledge and / or expertise, strutting around the floor plan armed with a big pointer. Whereas a good facilitator will intervene