- Facilitation 101.
What does it mean to facilitate?
In this video I'm gonna walk through the fundamentals.
Let's start with the definition of facilitation.
Facilitate, to make an action or process easy or easier.
To bring about an outcome by providing
indirect or unobtrusive guidance, assistance or supervision.
Our job as a facilitator is to do exactly this,
help groups through activities, instruction, guidance,
to do their best thinking.
You have to step back from contributing content
and focus purely on the process.
So when we act as facilitators, we have four primary goals.
First, encourage full participation.
We have to ensure that everyone has a space to contribute
in a democratic and comfortable way.
Number two, promote mutual understanding.
As the facilitator, it's our job to make sure everyone
is aligned and speaking that same language.
We often do this through creating
shared visuals and artifacts.
Three, foster inclusive decisions.
The output of a workshop is only as useful
as everyone believes in it.
This buy and accountability comes from
participatory decision making.
Co-creating conclusions are next steps that everyone
can really get behind.
And forth, cultivate shared responsibility.
As facilitators, we are the protectors
of the democracy within the workshop.
We help the group identify who will be responsible for what
in a way that is shared and fair.
So we have what it means to facilitate
and we have your four goals.
So next, I wanna give you a framework
of guidelines to practice.
First and most fundamental is practice a constant state
of active listening.
Do not interpret what others have to say,
you wanna guide them towards a better expression themselves.
Listen to truly understand, rather than listening to react.
Second guideline, create space.
Use your role as a facilitator to invite people
to contribute, even those who may be quiet and reserved.
As someone looks like they want to speak, invite them to.
Was there something you wanted to say?
Did you have an idea?
You look like you may have an opinion on this.
Third, improvise.
There's no one technique that's always going to work.
It's a situational matter of group dynamics,
attitudes and goals.
You can plan ahead, but you have to be ready to adapt
to what's happening in the moment.
Forth, be authentic.
You don't have to pretend you know everything,
nor is it your role to as a facilitator.
You are an expert in the process, not the content.
I've seen a range of incredible facilitators
and they all have their own style.
Some are reserved, others are bubbly like me,
others are stern and straightforward.
Your style should be authentic to who you really are.
Five, avoid advice.
As a facilitator, you should be objective.
At times, it's appropriate to express your viewpoint,
but never as a should or this is what I would do.
This can be really hard, but it's very important.
Start by avoiding phrases like I would,
if I were you, you should.
Lastly, embrace conflict.
Conflict has a bad reputation,
but it's actually extremely productive.
Disagreement is the natural result
of different personalities, different views,
all those different opinions.
The last fundamental piece of Facilitation 101
is really building out your toolkit.
Master facilitators all reference
having a toolbox of methods that they can pull on
during a workshop in planned or improvised ways.
So what's in a toolbox?
I think about it in three sections.
First, tools, these are the materials you use
to create artifacts.
And then the second section activities.
These are the interactive foundational methods
you use to encourage ideas, explore themes.
And then the third section are those techniques.
The ways you can intervene, encourage,
manoeuvre a conversation between participants.
Over time your goal is to expand the tools,
activities and techniques you have
in your facilitator toolkit.