effective facilitation top 10 tips_nicol cave

Facilitator comes from Latin word meaning

“the one who makes things easy”.

Facilitation is the art , not of putting ideas

into people’s heads, but of drawing ideas

out.

A good facilitator is one who talks little.

When the work is done, the aim fulfilled,

they will all say, “We did this ourselves”.

I am nervous

Be prepared

Practice, practice, practice

Participants in their underwear

Greet everyone when they

arrive

Start sitting down/hide your

nerves

Fail to prepare &

…. prepare to fail!

People have experiences to share Offer praise & encouragement

Get participants to answer questions

asked by other participants

Silence is ok. You don’t have to fill it!

NOTE: Not everything can come from participants – share your knowledge/deliver content

We have one tongue and two ears

so that we can listen

twice as much as we speak

Nod you head

Yes, I understand, OK, tell me more

Eye contact

Facial expressions

Check Understanding; what you are

saying is …

4. Your energy = their energy

5. Time Management (balance with process)

6. Stay focused on the topic

“Parking Lot”

Pairs, buzz groups Supportive group Encourage within and outside the group

“You look like you wanted to say something” Ask direct question: tell me about your

experience with … Praise & refer back to their ideas

No one speaks twice until everyone speaks once

give them something to do

Take notes & summarize

Write on the flipchart paper

Thank you … like to hear from others / gender / age / location

Same group together

Talking stick

Speaking cards – if desperate!

Talk to them outside. Group Rules

Don’t take sides/be objective

Bring out as many ideas as possible

Participants will disagree!

Your job = summarize at the end

Correct facts, not opinions

Your opinion not that important

Get to know each other

Pass the pen

Discuss and agree roles and

activities

Pay attention to small group

work

PREPARATION

LISTEN

ENERGY

PARTICIPATION

STATEMENTS

Most important is that group reaches clear decision

A good trainer speaks more than listens

Anyone can be a facilitator

The key job of a trainer is to pass knowledge

Good facilitator answers all questions

Definition of a facilitator is “one who teaches others”

A good facilitator corrects facts, not opinions

A good facilitator changes sessions or ends early if group too tired

A good facilitator communicates clearly their position/view on issue

being discussed

Flexible Encourages humour

Patient Humble

Confident Inclusive; gender sensitive

An encourager An enabler

Affirming of everyone’s knowledge Sensitive to needs of others

Willing to learn from mistakes Dynamic, a motivator, energetic

Summarising other peoples ideas Accepting

A good, clear communicator A good listener

Says when they don’t know Watches non-verbal communication

Makes participants feel valued & encouraged

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Deloitte & Touche, 2010

Whitmore/Stevenson: Strategies for

Engineering Communication, 2011