Tools and Resources

Facilitation Principles

Facilitation Tools

Session Design

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Developing a Workshop Plan

Whether you’re facilitating a training session, a process, or a collaborative conversation, having a workshop plan is an important part of doing well on the day. Great facilitation depends on being well prepared and understanding the waypoints you need to hit as you go along. When I am developing a workshop plan, I like to […]

Facilitating Strategic Planning

I’m often invited to help groups develop a Strategic Plan, and over the years I’ve learned that Strategic Planning means different things to different people. What makes it more confusing, is that many people don’t realise there’s different definitions or expectations when it comes to developing their plan. “We just want a Strategic Plan. You […]

Room Set-Up for Workshops

We’ve all been in workshops with uncomfortable chairs, poor acoustics and terrible table set-up. Whether you can’t see the whiteboard or it’s difficult to hear other participants, poor room set-up can make a real impact on how well your workshop runs. There is no one-size-fits-all room set-up, however there are some things that need to […]

Top Tips for Running Hybrid Workshops

Not that long ago, running an online workshop was considered a poor second to an in-person event. However, the pandemic gave us no option but to take workshops online, and in the process, we developed ways to make remote meetings fun, productive and engaging. For a while we thought mastering online workshops was the height […]

Decision Making with Groups

Most facilitators find it relatively easy to generate ideas, suggestions or recommendations from a group. However, when it comes to prioritising those ideas or deciding which suggestions should be taken to the next step, it’s easy to panic and assume you’ll never get everyone to agree. While agreement or consensus can be challenging, it’s definitely […]

5 Ways to Facilitate Large Group Introductions

When hosting a workshop with a small group, it’s easy to facilitate a quick introduction round which allows everyone to speak and get comfortable in the room. However, when you’re working with a large group, it can be more challenging to facilitate introductions in a meaningful way—especially if you have limited time. Remember, introductions are […]

What is Facilitation?

The dictionary definition of facilitation is: “To make something easier or possible”. So, when we think about facilitation in the context of meetings or workshops, facilitation is about making it easier or possible for a group of people to discuss a topic and achieve an outcome. What that outcome is, will depend on the purpose […]

Maintaining Energy and Engagement

No matter what kind of workshop you’re facilitating, maintaining energy levels is critical for maintaining engagement. If people feel physically or mentally tired, they’ll lose concentration and check-out. The simplest way to maintain energy levels is to keep the workshop—and workshop participants—moving. Use a range of different exercises and activities; change up group sizes and […]

Cross Cultural Facilitation

Facilitating group dynamics is not without its challenges, and when you are facilitating cross-culturally, there is another layer of complexity that needs to be considered. How do you make sure that everyone feels heard, valued and acknowledged? How can you address power inequities—especially ones that people aren’t conscious exist? How do you ensure that language […]

Encouraging Creative Thinking

Brainstorming, Idea Generation or Problem-Solving Jams. Whatever you call them, the theory is these sessions bring out the biggest, brightest and best ideas from a group. However, truly innovative thinking takes more than gathering some people and supplying them with post-it notes. If you want to generate truly creative ideas, you need to have a […]

Running an Effective Brainstorming Session

5 Ways to Use Picture Cards

Picture cards are a versatile facilitation tool that can be used in a range of different ways, depending on the workshop or people you are working with. My picture cards live in my suitcase, so I can pull them out whenever the discussion needs an extra prompt. I often use picture cards to help with: […]

20 Icebreaker Questions

The purpose of an icebreaker is to help people feel comfortable sharing into the room. While interactive games and activities can help to break the ice, sometimes they can feel a bit like hitting an ice-cube with a hammer. For some people, traditional icebreakers make them feel less comfortable, not ore so. Used well, icebreaker […]

7 Ways to Facilitate Small Group Discussions

When working with large groups, it can be helpful for people to break into smaller groups, so that everyone gets a chance to share ideas and have their voice heard. However, there is more than one way to facilitate small group discussions, and depending on the situation, some methods work better than others. Here are […]

5 Principles of Facilitation

In its purest form, facilitation is about guiding a group of people through a conversation. In contrast to training, a facilitator focusses on process—not content. Facilitation is about asking great questions and allowing participants to decide on the answers. Facilitation shows up in various contexts and can be seen in situations such as Strategic Planning, […]