Facilitation 101 Spring Cohort: Live Training and Practice Group

How you can create the conditions for great group work, both in the run-up to a meeting or event, and in the opening moments. We’ll cover:

• your role as a facilitator

• the essential ingredients for a successful session

• how to create inclusive, welcoming environments

• opening and leading the first part of a workshop.

The key factors to consider when designing group events. You’ll get a winning framework for workshop design, a checklist of crucial components and tips on timings. We’ll cover:

• questions to think about when designing a session

• the main choices you’ll need to make

• a structure for developing strong workshop plans.

How to listen deeply to a group, and frame clear and incisive questions. You’ll learn how to ask open questions and avoid moments of silence and confusion. We’ll cover:

• the difference between open and closed questions 

• how to frame powerful open questions

• how to use silence well when facilitating groups.

How to reflect back what a group is saying so that they can hear the thread of their own dialogue. You’ll learn two simple methods to help groups stay on track. We’ll cover:

• why reflecting and summarising is a key facilitation skill

• what not to do and what the common pitfalls are 

• two methods to reflect well and summarise simply

• being aware of ‘the power of the pen’.

How to overcome distractions, understand barriers to participation and bake engagement into the design of your events and workshops. We’ll cover:

• how to design for engagement

• how to engage people in a range of different ways

• tools to engage quieter people in a group 

• how to deal with dominant or louder voices.

How to identify barriers to access, proactively prevent exclusion, ask the right questions and make thoughtful design choices that foster inclusivity. We’ll cover:

• a facilitator’s role in creating inclusive events 

• the impact of gathering information in advance

• small changes to enhance accessibility in every session

• what questions you can ask to improve accessiblity 

• being aware of biases, stereotypes, and microaggressions

• an accessibility checklist you can implement immediately.

How to help groups think creatively together to develop ideas and options. You’ll learn how to respond to common challenges and design workshops that deliver impact. We’ll cover:

• what groups need to engage in divergent thinking

• how facilitators can support creative exploration

• 3 activities you can use to help a group generate ideas.

• how to confidently overcome challenges.

How to support group or peer learning, both online and in person. You’ll learn methods and activities to help groups tap into their collective wisdom. We’ll cover:

• methods to support communities of practice 

• facilitating groups focused on peer learning and exchange 

• extra skills to help enhance a group’s learning experience.

How to address challenges that come up when facilitating decision-making within groups, and build your confidence to help groups navigate different types of decisions. We’ll cover:

• the process of decision-making, and the role of a facilitator 

• difficulties and challenges that can emerge

• what you can do when these challenges arise

• 3 approaches to help groups make decisions.

How to ‘land the learnings’ from a session, help groups to think about how to apply new insights, and how to close the learning cycle. We’ll cover:

• the difference between reflecting on process and content

• ‘launch, explore, land’ as a framework for workshop design 

• Kolb’s ‘learning cycle’ and why it’s important for facilitation

• 6 methods to support group learning and reflection

• how to adapt this process for different group sizes and time limits.

A deep dive into what changes when you facilitate sessions online, what unique challenges present themselves, and how you can navigate these with confidence. We’ll cover: 

• maintaining engagement with groups online

• navigating tech – what to use and when

• tips and practical tools you can apply immediately.

How to adjust things on the go if your session plan needs to change, so you can work with agility and flexibility to meet the objectives of the workshop. We’ll cover:

• how to feel confidence facilitating groups when your plan isn’t working out

• two methods to use when you need to change plans part-way through a session.

How to close a meeting, workshop or event well, spaciously and with real intent. You’ll learn to design endings that create real moments of impact for a group. We’ll cover:

• what’s important when closing a meeting, event or workshop

• how to run engaging activities that close events with a bang 

• 3 different techniques, depending on how much time you have left.