Facilitation is an Art
Facilitating a discussion — especially an adult learning session — is a work of art.
Despite how many Train the Trainer sessions we have done, and despite how many people we have coached and mentored, advised, and consulted, it still takes practice. Today I’ll share with you some of the “secrets” of the program that participants claim have helped them stay engaged, and what I’ve learned observing some of the best facilitators globally.
With the ability to facilitate and observe — as well as provide feedback — I’ve enjoyed watching people flourish once they understand it.
Facilitation is an art, and we’ve done this in one hundred+ countries, despite being told it’s not gonna work in this country, no one is trained for that. They expect you to lecture rather than facilitate. They expect you to share information.
The feedback we’ve received has always been that our sessions are some of the best trainings and results they have seen as program organizers.
So, what are the secrets?
It’s not about You! The program is about the participants, not about the facilitator or the facilitator’s knowledge or the effort put into it. I’m not saying there are not programs that should be all about you… there are keynote speaking, an address, a lecture, all these things are different methodology and different approaches. I’m talking about facilitating a training program to support entrepreneurs as well as entrepreneurship support organizations, and leaders running organizations. It’s not about the facilitator, it’s about the audience! The easiest way to do that is by engaging them.
Use a timer. I used to set a timer to 3–10 minutes, at which point I stopped and asked a question, asked for feedback, or broke them up into groups to do some activities. Engage your audience to see what is comfortable for them. Somewhere between the 3–10 minute mark insert a pause in your speech, in your facilitation, in your conversation to allow them to either speak, respond, or put them in groups to discuss something is key. If you have a day-long you can go longer than 3–10 minutes, but most of our programs run 3–5 hours and there is not much time to keep talking.
Start on time, end on time! No matter what happens, you start at the right time even if only one person is in the room — and you end on time no matter what happens! This doesn’t mean you can’t be earlier for those who want to talk bit before you start, or that you can’t stay later for those that want to ask more questions, but starting and ending on time must be standard practice. If you think you are done before the program time, you probably didn’t cover the information in detail. Revisit some of the keys to make sure everything is covered.
Facilitation is an art. I’m not saying you can’t teach or lecture or consult or advise or mentor. Facilitation for entrepreneurs and leaders must be about them, and the three “secrets” are critical.
BEFORE YOU GO
We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.
Define Facilitation and what it means to you.
What techniques or tools have you used to engage your audiences?
What other resources have you used to be trained as a facilitator?
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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.