There are several reasons why you may want to use an external facilitator for your planning retreat or planning team meetings. First, it allows all members of the Leadership team to fully participate in the discussion and each agenda item without trying to simultaneously manage the meeting(s). An external facilitator also brings neutrality and an unbiased perspective to sensitive discussions. Finally, an external facilitator can draw upon their experience with other organizations, circumstances, and planning process knowledge and tools, to maximize the productivity of the meeting(s). If you already have an effective planning process, using an external facilitator could lead to even better results.