We all have to handle problems sometimes, technical, logistical, or managerial. And the basic process for solving them is pretty straight forward.
It all seems easy ... until you have to do it!
Often, the problem is that we try to solve them alone. Gathering a group of people who understand the situation allows you to combine their knowledge and creativity.
There are two unique roles in a meeting, information and process. The people trying to solve the problem need to be able to dive deep into the details of the information. The person managing the process of the meeting has to stay out of the details and manage the progress. It is very difficult for a member of the group to manage the process, they are drawn to the information. An outside facilitator allows the group to focus on their field of expertise, often making faster and better progress than they thought possible.