Top 10 pain points that show you’re already a facilitator (even if you don’t call yourself one)

I've been having a lot of conversations recently with people who don't use the label ‘facilitator’ but are coming to me with some very familiar challenges.

These challenges come up again and again in the Facilitation 101 training I run - and they are all things you can learn to overcome!

So, here are the top 10 pain points I am hearing which tell me you are facilitating, even if you aren't using that term: what others would you add?

😬 Trying to fill the awkward 10 minutes at the beginning of a meeting as people log in late.

😬 Staring at a screen of people with their cameras off (or worse, getting sea sick as someone has their camera on and takes you for a walk around their house).

😬 Asking a group a question and watching tumbleweed roll across the room.

😬 Setting up an activity with a group only to be met with blank faces.

😬 Finding yourself trying to do a check out, evaluation form and next steps in the last 30 seconds of a workshop as you watch people disappear at high speed.

😬 Juggling multiple conversations in the chat while trying to lead a discussion, share screen and troubleshoot someone's tech problems in a private message.

😬 Realising halfway through a meeting that half the group has totally misunderstood the objective of the session.

😬 Trying to bring a conversation back on track when it's gone off on a tangent.

😬Trying to stop a few voices dominating a group discussion - with all the diplomacy you can muster!

😬 Trying to summarise a complex conversation and capture actions and next steps while still keeping track of your workshop plan.

If any of these resonate, come along to the next free facilitation 101 taster session on Wednesday 2 April 2025 from 3pm - 4.30pm GMT. You'll learn 2 new facilitation skills, meet some brilliant people and come away with top tips you can apply immediately. It's also a chance to dip your toe in the water if you are interested in signing up for a course.

Sign up to join the taster session here, it takes 2 minutes >>