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SUCCESSFUL FACILITATION

WORKSHOP

Companion Guide

for virtual sessions

2

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

You will only get out of this, what you put in. Use this

guide to help you though your learning. Look for these

icons throughout your journey.

As you progress through the

course(s) you will be asked to stop

and reect on what you’ve learned.

Use this space to think through

how to apply the concepts.

NOTE: Not everything in the online course will be spelled out here. It is meant to supplement the

online material.

Use this space to jot down your

thoughts or noteworthy

highlights from the video.

3

LET’S GET STARTED

Welcome to the Successful Facilitation Workshop self-study course!

These lessons have been designed to help you quickly learn facilitation

skills and techniques you can apply to your next client workshop, training

event, or team collaboration session.

Each module can be taken independently, or as a full course.

Think of facilitation skills as advanced collaboration skills. Because you

will see facilitation techniques used in dierent business contexts, there

are overlapping skill sets which are often grouped with facilitation but

have a dierent focus.

What is NOT in this course:

• Basic presentation skills training

• Basic meeting management training

4

WHERE TO FIND WHAT

Facilitation Dened 6

• Dierentiate Roles: Facilitator, Instructor, Presenter, Meeting Leader

• The facilitation process

• Skill set of successful facilitators

Facilitation and Setting Your Session Up for Success

12

• Why setting your session up for success is important

• Environmental factors

• Best practices to eectively set the stage

Facilitating Activities and Debriefs 19

• How to use adult learning theory to motivate participant engagement

• Create an activity using the ve characteristics of an eective activity

• Dierentiate between an activity and skills practice

• Best practices in conducting activities

5

Facilitation in the Virtual Environment 26

• Challenges in distance facilitation

• Best practices to overcome these challenges

Facilitation Communications and the Power of Questions 29

• Common communication cues that can negatively impact interpretation

• The importance and process of asking/directing questions

• How to respond eectively to participant questions

Facilitation in the Global Environment 31

• Identify communication barriers involved in global facilitation

• Global facilitation best practices

• Identify resources available to help facilitate in a global environment

Facilitation and the Management of Participant Behavior 33

• Identify root causes for common problem participant behaviors

• Strategies to address dysfunctional behaviors

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WHAT DO FACILITATORS DO

FACILITATION DEFINED

Facilitation skills are needed to help a group make a

decision, solve a problem, explore an idea, resolve conict,

gain consensus, or learn something new. Facilitation skills

are “people moving” skills – getting the group to move from a

current state to a future state to achieve a specic

outcome.

7

Dierentiating the Roles

A facilitator draws on presentation skills – stage presence, body language, storytelling skills,

etc., but there are real dierences between these roles.

Presenter

• Does most of the talking – they are the star of the show. Meant to be

engaging, entertaining, inuential, inspiring, and/or informative.

• Uses media, storytelling, and audience participation to engage attention.

• Uses a linear format through the material – a beginning, middle, and end.

Examples

• Formulate a

strategy

• Develop an idea or

product

• Acquire knowledge or

new skills

• Make decisions

• Make plans

• Achieve ownership

Facilitator

A facilitator’s job is to make it easier for groups to

accomplish their desired outcomes.

Facilitation can be particularly helpful in situations

where:

• The group is large, diverse, and/or in conict

• The issues under discussion are complex and

there is no one clear “right answer”

• Successful implementation of a plan requires

the informed consent and active support of

key stakeholders

8

Dierentiating the Roles

You may hear facilitator mentioned in relationship to meetings, and often the person who

is leading the meeting is also responsible for facilitating the meeting. However, the focus of

the roles is dierent.

Meeting Leader

• Plans, organizes, and manages the logistics of the meeting and invites

participants.

• Responsible for the progress of the meeting and documenting action items.

Facilitation is also found in training. Yet, the role of instructor and of facilitator also

dier. If you are an instructor, there are times you are fullling the role of an instructor

and times when you are fullling the role of facilitator – sometimes in the same session.

Instructor

• Seen as the expert and uses their expertise in a subject area to help

transfer knowledge to the group.

• Uses a combination of exercises, case studies and presentation to deliver

content and then assess learner comprehension.

• Often used in technical training (hard skills) with specic skill development

as the target.

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REFLECTION

Which roles (i.e. presenter, instructor, meeting leader) are you most comfortable play-

ing? Where do you see opportunities for you to improve in these roles?

________________________________________________________________________________________

Where do you see opportunities for you to play the role of facilitator in your meetings and/or

training sessions?

________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you nd most challenging about facilitation?

________________________________________________________________________________________

10

Facilitation Process

Before the session (Architect)

________________________________________________________________________________

At the start of the session (Pilot)

________________________________________________________________________________

During the session (Guide)

________________________________________________________________________________

Behavior Management

_______________________________________________________________________________

Communication

_______________________________________________________________________________

Group Process

_______________________________________________________________________________

Facilitation Skills

11

REFLECTION

Identify an opportunity where you will need to play the part of facilitator for at least a portion

of the session.

Examine each agenda item carefully, determine what needs to be produced as a deliverable/

outcome (e.g. acquire a new skill, formulate a strategy, develop an idea, achieve ownership,

make a decision, etc.), and challenges you anticipate when facilitating this portion of your

session.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

12

SETTING YOUR SESSION UP FOR SUCCESS

As a facilitator, you are creating a temporary

environment for your participants to get work done

and accomplish their objectives. To create the best

environment possible for your purposes, there are two

main considerations to think through and carefully

execute. One, is the intentional design of your session.

The other is the intentional start of your session. Both

are important and shape how eectively your

participants will work together.

Why Invest in Environment Set Up and Session Start?

Session set up and setting the stage activities address these needs for your participants

which allows them to more fully focus their attention and energy on the session goals

and objectives.

13

MASLOW’S THEORY

14

SETTING YOUR SESSION UP FOR SUCCESS

To create an eective environment for everyone to do their best thinking, carefully consider

factors that could negatively impact your participants’ focus and proactively address them.

Factors to Consider and Address prior to event

• Invitation process/enrollment process

• Pre-session communications (e.g. agenda, course description, pre-session

assignments)

• Required session materials (handouts, ip chart paper, etc.) and

technology

• Practice content delivery and activity directions/debriefs

• Room set up

Room Set Up

Attention to the environment will increase audience comfort and attention span

as well as help prevent unpredictable disasters during your sessions. The most

important tip is to inspect the room before selecting your visual aids, and make

any special arrangements for your activities, such as separate break-out rooms.

• Location

• Outlets, data ports

• Furniture

• Telephone

• Noise

• Atmosphere

• Lighting

• Temperature

• Layout

15

SETTING YOUR SESSION UP FOR SUCCESS

Room Layout

Classroom Style

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Circle with Tables

__________________________________________________________________________________________

U-Shape Tables

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Pods

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Theater Style

__________________________________________________________________________________________

For your next session, consider how you will create an environment that

maximizes collaboration. What will you do, who will you need to involve,

and when do you need to complete your tasks?

__________________________________________________________________________________

16

Setting the Stage

Setting the Stage in Facilitation is about setting the tone for your training event or client

workshop and letting everyone know what to expect. It is a process used at the start of an

event to set up expectations for participation, and gains group consensus on the purpose,

goals and objectives.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Components of Setting the Stage

SETTING YOUR SESSION UP FOR SUCCESS

Power Openings

What are a few ideas for tailoring an attention-grabbing opening for your next

event?

__________________________________________________________________________________

17

SETTING YOUR SESSION UP FOR SUCCESS

Setting the Stage

Components of Setting the Stage

Audience WIIFM

• Identify Audience Expectations

• Review Objectives

• Check for Alignment

Housekeeping

Addressing this up front is essential to establishing a safe and eective

learning environment. Housekeeping items cover logistical details for your

session.

What are the common housekeeping items you'd like to cover in your events?

__________________________________________________________________________________

18

SETTING YOUR SESSION UP FOR SUCCESS

Setting the Stage

Components of Setting the Stage

Ground Rules

Gaining agreement at the beginning of the

session on ground rules is a proactive behavioral

management technique.

How do you plan on establishing ground rules and gaining agreement in your

next event?

__________________________________________________________________________________

19

ACTIVITIES AND DEBRIEFS

Activity facilitation is an important skill in a facilitator’s

toolkit. Activities provide opportunities for skill practice

and performance feedback, increase participant

engagement and improve retention of new information.

While you may use activities more often in a training

setting, they can be incorporated into meetings to

support the achievement of objectives too.

The Value of Activities

The use of more active learning delivery approaches results in a higher retention of

learning. The more participants are involved in the learning process, the more likely they

will remember the session concepts.

While debate exists on the reliability of assigning

exact percentages to how much learning is retained

based on delivery method the key point is to keep

in mind the WHAT and WHY you are teaching

should be enhanced by HOW you are teaching it.

____________________________________________________

20

ACTIVITIES AND DEBRIEFS

Adult Learning Principles

Adults bring more life experiences with them and are more goal oriented in their learning

needs. An understanding of how adults learn is helpful to keep in mind as you structure

your session and design activities. Consider incorporating the following principles when

planning the next event you will facilitate.

Self-directed—Adults want to choose what, when, and how they learn.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Experience—Adults bring experience that can be leveraged to learn new things.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Goal-oriented—Adults want to understand how the learning will help them to solve problems.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Relevancy-oriented—Adults want to know how the learning will benet them.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Practical—Adults want to understand how they can use the information in their lives/on the job.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Respect—Adults want to be treated with respect.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

21

Think of a training session, workshop, or continuing education opportunity

you've attended that just did not work for you. Review the six principles list

above. In retrospect, did that training session fall short because it didn't take

into consideration one or more of the principles? Which? If you were the

facilitator, how might you improve the experience?

__________________________________________________________________________________

SIX ADULT LEARNING PRINCIPLES

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ACTIVITIES AND DEBRIEFS

ACTIVITIES

Activity vs Skills Practice

Giving Directions

Provide Clear Directions

• Share the purpose (include WIIFM)

• State deliverable, how to

accomplish it, and time allotted

• Give verbal and written instructions

• Oer simple example

• Check for understanding

SKILLS PRACTICE

23

Think about past meetings and events you have attended. What activities

and skill practices have you experienced? Where can you add an activity to

help a group explore a concept or workow? Where can you add a skills

practice to help your participants perform a function eciently?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Think about a recent activity you participated in or led. How could the directions

oered have been improved?

__________________________________________________________________________________

What is the one new way you will check for understanding?

__________________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITIES AND DEBRIEFS

Check for Understanding

How do you know participants are engaged?

• Facial expressions

• Gestures

• Nod/shake head

• Paying attention

• Say they understand

• Ask questions

• Quiet/talking at the appropriate times

• Preoccupied while you are talking

24

Feedback

The opportunity to process one’s experience is a critical step towards the motivation and

ability to modify one’s behavior. Receiving and applying feedback is one way to drive,

reinforce, or correct skills application.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are two techniques you will use the next time you oer feedback?

_______________________________________________________________________________

• Invite Dialogue

• Be Specic

• Think Objectively

• Focus on Growth

• Brainstorm

ACTIVITIES AND DEBRIEFS

25

Debrieng

In addition to Providing Feedback, Debrieng

is a second technique you can use to help

participants process experiences. At its core,

Debrieng is recapping the session and

getting your participants take aways.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

In the events you lead today, where can debrief help you realize your desired

outcome?

What is one new debrief technique you will use in your next event?

___________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITIES AND DEBRIEFS

26

VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

Virtual, distance, remote – these are all terms used to

describe facilitation where you, as the facilitator, are leading

workshops, meetings or events with participants who are

virtual from you, or from one another. This type of facilitation

requires additional planning and management strategies

beyond what you would use for an in-person event.

Virtual Facilitation Really is More Dicult

Meetings, educational sessions, and even conferences are increasingly being conducted

virtually using technology. There are obvious benets – reduced or no travel costs, no jet

lagged facilitators/attendees, and the virtual aspect reduces the requirements and

logistics needed for a meeting space. But there are still numerous challenges facilitators

face when leading these sessions.

Challenges Include

• Participant attention spans are short

• Participant multitasking is easier to do

and easier to hide)

• The loss of non-verbal communication

(aka body language)

27

Common Virtual Facilitation Fails

Planning Components

METHODS/CHOICES

VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

TECHNOLOGY

28

VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

Virtual Best Practices

• Session Prep

• Allow for “Gathering” Time

• Welcome Participants

• Start on Time

• Introduce Yourself

• Conduct Participant Introductions

What will you do dierently to prepare for your remote sessions? How can you

incorporate these best practices into your sessions?

__________________________________________________________________________________

• Set the Stage

• Encourage Participation

• Involve Participants Cognitively

• Provide and Use Structure

• Close the Session

29

COMMUNICATION AND THE POWER OF QUESTIONS

Eective communication is central to successful

facilitation. Whether you are facilitating a complex

discussion, navigating strong opinions to build

consensus, teaching new skills or changing behavior,

your ability to eectively communicate can mean the

dierence between success and failure.

Communications Checklist

Prior to Event

 Is my message consistently expressed

across my communication channels?

 What can I do to ensure my physiological

needs and those of my audience are

met?

 Where do I anticipate psychological

noise coming into play and what can I do

about it?

 Does my message contain any semantic

noise which I will need to modify?

After Event

 Were you intentional with your

body language?

 Were you consistent in your

messaging across channels?

 Where do you see opportunity

to decrease noise in your

facilitation?

30

COMMUNICATION AND THE POWER OF QUESTIONS

When done well, asking questions spurs conversation, encourages new ideas, and motivates

participants to learn. When done poorly, asking questions shuts down conversation, creates

confusion, and alienates participants. Eective questioning is an important skill to continue to

develop and master throughout your career.

Basic Types of Questions

Open-ended

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Closed-ended

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Probing

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

COMMON FACILITATION QUESTION CATEGORIES

31

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

Eective communication is central to successful

facilitation. Ensuring you are eectively transmitting

your message and your audience is correctly

interpreting it is a constant eort. This challenge is

magnied when facilitating in another country.

Cultural Prole Tools

If you are going to be facilitating in another culture, you’ll want to learn as much about the

culture as quickly as possible.

Globe Smart

________________________________________________________________________________________________

32

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

Depending on the number and depth of dierences between your native culture

and that of your facilitation location and/or participants, there may be many

more factors that could impact your session. For example:

• What language choices will I need to avoid?

• What body language habits will I need to modify for my

communications?

• Where can I go to learn more about the culture?

• How do I build relationships before my event?

• Build cultural uency

• Build relationships ahead of time

• Consider the impact of your

language choices

• Consider the eect of your body

language

33

MANAGEMENT OF PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOR

One of the most challenging aspects of facilitation is

the eective management of group and individual

participant behavior. An important facilitation skill

you’ll want to develop is your ability to monitor the

group and eectively intervene when necessary. This

is an important part of classroom or session

management.

Dysfunctional Behaviors

Disengaged

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Disruptive

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Aggressive

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

34

MANAGEMENT OF PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOR

Root Causes of Dysfunctional Behaviors

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Common Mistakes

The main goal in managing and redirecting behavior is to achieve a win/win

situation – where you and the participant understand the root cause of the behavior, its

negative impact, and then come to agreement on behavior change. Before we review

behavioral management strategies to accomplish this win/win interaction, let’s look at

some common mistakes facilitators make in addressing unproductive behaviors.

Ignore

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Overreact

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Over Accommodate

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

35

MANAGEMENT OF PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOR

Proactive Strategies

Establishing competency in behavior management is a three step process:

• Identify strategies

• Put them into practice

• Reect on improvement opportunities

Establish Behavioral Norms

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Use Structured Session Procedures

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Manage Environmental Factors

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reactive Strategies

(for mild disruptions)

• Ground Rules

• Eye Contact

• Proximity

• Participant Engagement

• Call for a break

• Parking lot

• Silence

36

MANAGEMENT OF PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOR

Reactive Strategies

(for persistent or serious disruptions)

Prepare

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Engage

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Resolve

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Importance of Self-Management

Occasionally, there can be an especially dicult behavioral challenge from a participant.

When this happens, self-management of your emotions becomes very important.

DON’T DO

37

MANAGEMENT OF PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOR

Think of a dysfunctional behavior you encountered recently while facilitating or

participating in a meeting or learning session. Make note of the behavior...

__________________________________________________________________________________

Go back to the Root Causes of Dysfunctional Behavior section of this lesson. Can you

identify one or two potential root causes for the behavior? Maybe physical factors

were at play; perhaps the room was distractingly cold or warm. Did a late

development require a last minute, controversial change to the agenda, or were there

other extenuating content/resource issues? Write your suspected root causes down

below the behavior.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Navigate to the Reactive Behavior Management Strategies for Mild

Disruptions section, and go back through the circles to review the various

tactics. Keeping in mind the potential root causes you identied, which 2-3

tactics might have worked best for resolving this particular behavior?

__________________________________________________________________________________

38

MANAGEMENT OF PARTICIPANT BEHAVIOR

Finally, imagine your mildly disruptive behavior resolution strategies weren't

eective. Find the Prepare, Engage, Resolve information in section 7 of this

lesson (Reactive Behavior Management Strategies for Persistent or Serious

Disruptions). Take a few minutes to review it, then organize some notes, an

outline, a mind map - whatever your preferred method - for a more serious

behavior management discussion.

__________________________________________________________________________________

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