Facilitation: how to, tips and reminder
Before kick-off
Depending on the event logistics, consider mixing with the audience beforehand and meet and greet as many people as possible. This is a great way to start building rapport so you're not a stranger when you start the event, plus the group isn't full of strangers to you. If you're one of those people that subconsciously feels that the group is full of judging, bored or mean people, meeting them first and reassuring yourself that they are kind people who are on your side can really help.
Opening
This is a useful template for opening an event or workshop
- I like to start with a greeting to honour the mana whenua (people of the land). e.g. Tena koutou katoa.
- Welcome the group, introduce yourself. You may want to add a little about your background, but remember the point of this is to reassure them they are safe in your hands and you're qualified to lead them, not to give a long list of accomplishments or your CV. It may be a brief story that shows you understand their challenges. e.g. Hi, I'm Kit and I'll be your host for today.
- Offer some kind of gratitude or acknowledgement in advance for paying attention and being respectful. e.g. Thanks for your time and energy
- The purpose of this workshop is [overall purpose and outcomes]
- Today we’ll be [overall mission ] by doing [activity] and then [activity] and after lunch, we’ll [activity]. This gives the group the opportunity to manage their energy and expectations for the duration of the event.
- You might want to include what kind of things you'll be doing and what is expected of them. Reassuring them hat they will have time for talk and activities. e.g. There will be some teamwork, some individual writing and some group sharing. We’ve got a lot of exciting activities to do today. So when we’re doing individual writing, it’s important you focus on that.
- By the end of the day, you’ll have [overall outcomes with tools].
- Explain your role and what they can expect from you. e.g. My role today will be as host and facilitator. I’ll be giving instructions and keeping time. So I’m asking for your permission now to potentially interrupt your conversation or raise my voice in order to keep us on task. Can I get a show of hands that you give me permission?
- Set the tone. e.g. This is a space for you to feel free to be experimental and creative. There are no stupid questions here, so ask anything!
- fail, experiment and to challenge each other.
- Housekeeping. Let them know about toilets, exits and break times
- Finally engage them in an interactive conversation. This ends the one-way presentation and starts the flow between you. It also helps keep them awake and engaged. e.g. Show of hands, how many of you…? or Turn to the person next to you and tell them....
Basic workshop outline
1. What, why, purpose and outcomes
2. How to, Explainers, Frameworks, Stories
3. Exercises, group work, conversations and action
4. Reflection, recap and closing
Facilitating activities
Ensure participants understand:
- How long they have for the activity
- Exactly what is expected of them
- Clear steps for each stage of the activity
- Examples of what an outcome might look like
It’s easy to forget that what is obvious to you is brand new to them, so adopt a beginners mindset and make sure all your explanations can be easily grasped by participants from at all levels.
Ensure particpants feel
- Encouraged and supported
- They have time and space to do the work without too much input or commentary from you
- You are available for questions and aware of who might need support
Closing activities
- Allow time for questions.
- Ask the groups to reflect on and share anything they've learned at the end of the session.
Walk-through
Individual exercise
Group exercise
Reflection
Ideas Generated by Brainstorming Groups
Ideas generated by the same number of people who work alone and later pool their ideas
