ADVISORY ARTICLE
By Jeff Oltmann
Oregon, USA
Good facilitation creates leverage. It helps groups focus on what matters most, make better decisions, and move important work forward.
I recently facilitated a series of small-group discussion sessions with about 40 participants. Timelines were tight, with most people available for only 25 minutes at a time. We needed to quickly identify disconnects, get rich information flowing, and keep everyone on time and on topic. In other words, herd the cats without making people feel pushed.
These constraints made it clear that success in the room depended on careful preparation before anyone even showed up. I included several of the facilitation techniques I’ve written about before, such as consolidation and drawing out quiet participants. Those tools helped, as they often do, but they represent only a small part of the value facilitation provides. Effective facilitation isn’t just about deploying tactics in the moment. It’s about the choices you make in advance to help a group do its best thinking together.
Here’s the way I think about the work of a facilitator—drawing on ideas from the International Institute for Facilitation and Change—and why so much of that work happens before the meeting ever begins.
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How to cite this article: Oltmann, J. (2026). Better Outcomes Start Before You Convene, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue IV, April. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/pmwj163-Apr2026-Oltmann-Better-Outcomes-Start-Before.pdf
About the Author
Jeff Oltmann
Oregon, USA
Jeff Oltmann helps organizations accelerate results through strategy deployment and project portfolio management. He consults, teaches, and leads forums for senior PMO leaders. He is principal at Synergy Professional Services (spspro.com) in Portland, Oregon and is on the faculty of the Division of Management at Oregon Health and Science University. He was previously on executive staff at IBM and is the founder of the Portfolio and Project Leaders Forum, a gathering of senior managers who lead project-based organizations (pplforum.org). Jeff welcomes your questions and ideas. You can contact him at jeff@spspro.com or read previous articles at www.spspro.com/article-library.
