How To Be A Great Facilitator - The 8 Facilitation Skills You Need (With Tips To Improve Them)

Summary

This video provides an in-depth guide on the eight essential facilitation skills that every facilitator should master to improve team collaboration and decision-making. Key skills include being a guide rather than the hero, managing time effectively, avoiding circular discussions, maintaining high energy levels, curbing team politics, dealing with troublemakers, giving clear instructions, and adapting to unforeseen changes. The video also emphasizes the importance of remote facilitation as a growing skill. Viewers are encouraged to practice, focus on their strengths, and continually learn to become more effective facilitators.

Takeaways

• 😀 A great facilitator encourages the team to think critically and find solutions, rather than solving challenges for them.
• 😀 Facilitators should be active listeners and guide the group to their best outcomes, not try to be the hero of the workshop.
• ⏰ Time management is crucial for facilitators to keep the workshop on track and avoid overwhelming participants.
• 🛑 Circular discussions can hinder progress, so facilitators should use techniques like parking lots or note-and-vote methods to redirect conversations.
• ⚡ Energy management is essential to maintain engagement and ensure participants stay activated throughout the workshop.
• 🗣️ Team politics and group dynamics can disrupt a workshop; facilitators should use methods like 'together alone' to avoid issues.
• 🤔 Dealing with troublemakers effectively involves giving them tasks, asking probing questions, and using strategies like the parking lot method.
• 📋 Clear instructions are key—facilitators should use the 'what, why, how' framework to ensure participants understand the exercise.
• 🎯 Flexibility and adaptability are essential skills, as workshops are unpredictable and facilitators need to remain calm when things don’t go as planned.
• 💻 Remote facilitation is an increasingly important skill, and facilitators must learn how to handle virtual workshops effectively.

Q & A

What is the role of a facilitator in a team setting?

The role of a facilitator is to guide the team to think critically, ask vital questions, and arrive at solutions without directly solving the challenges themselves. They help the team stay on track and arrive at outcomes efficiently.

Why is it important for a facilitator to 'be the guide, not the hero'?

It is important because the facilitator's job is to lead the group to their best outcomes, not to showcase their own skills. By adopting this mindset, facilitators can listen more actively and help uncover the group's best ideas.

What does effective time management look like for a facilitator?

Effective time management involves planning a workshop so that it’s not overwhelming for the participants. Facilitators should avoid cramming too many exercises into the schedule and ensure there’s adequate time for preparation and handover.

How can facilitators handle circular discussions that derail progress?

Facilitators can handle circular discussions using techniques like the 'parking lot' method, where off-topic ideas are parked for later discussion, or the 'note and vote' method, where participants write down their ideas and vote to make decisions.

Why is maintaining high energy levels crucial during a workshop?

Maintaining high energy levels ensures participants remain engaged and activated. This is important to keep everyone focused and productive throughout the workshop, especially during long or complex sessions.

What are some effective ways to boost energy in a workshop?

Energy can be boosted with simple activities like taking a 10-minute walk, giving high fives after completing exercises, using energizer exercises like 'Touch Blue', or asking participants to share fun facts about themselves.

What is the 'Together Alone' method, and how does it help with team politics?

The 'Together Alone' method involves participants working individually on the same challenge without discussing their ideas during the process. This method helps reduce team politics by allowing everyone to have an equal voice without fear of judgment.

How can a facilitator handle troublemakers during a workshop?

Facilitators can manage troublemakers by giving them specific tasks to keep them engaged, asking probing questions to understand their concerns, using the parking lot method to address off-topic issues, or, as a last resort, having a one-on-one conversation with the troublemaker.

What is the 'What Why How' framework, and why is it useful for facilitators?

The 'What Why How' framework helps facilitators give clear instructions by explaining the purpose of an exercise ('why'), the expected outcome ('what'), and the detailed steps to complete it ('how'). This helps participants understand the exercise better and reduces confusion.

What is the most crucial skill for a facilitator to master in a workshop?

The most crucial skill is the ability to adapt. A facilitator must remain flexible and maintain their composure when things go wrong or when unexpected challenges arise during the workshop.