What can you learn from expert facilitators who inspire creativity and innovation?

1 Know your purpose and audience

Before you design and deliver any facilitation session, you need to be clear about your purpose and audience. What are you trying to achieve? What are the desired outcomes? Who are the participants and what are their needs, interests, and expectations? How will you measure success? Knowing your purpose and audience will help you choose the right methods, tools, and techniques for your facilitation. It will also help you communicate effectively and build rapport with your participants.

2 Prepare and practice

Preparation and practice are essential for any facilitator who wants to inspire creativity and innovation. You need to plan your agenda, select your materials, test your technology, and anticipate potential challenges. You also need to practice your facilitation skills, such as asking open-ended questions, listening actively, giving feedback, and managing conflicts. By preparing and practicing, you will increase your confidence and competence as a facilitator. You will also be able to adapt and improvise if things don't go as planned.

3 Create a safe and stimulating space

One of the key roles of a facilitator is to create a safe and stimulating space for creativity and innovation. This means setting up the physical and psychological environment for your facilitation session. You need to consider the layout, lighting, temperature, noise, and comfort of the space. You also need to establish the ground rules, expectations, and norms for the session. You need to foster a culture of trust, respect, and openness among the participants. You need to encourage participation, diversity, and experimentation.

4 Use a variety of methods and tools

Another way to inspire creativity and innovation as a facilitator is to use a variety of methods and tools that suit your purpose and audience. You can use different formats, such as presentations, discussions, games, simulations, or exercises. You can use different techniques, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, voting, or ranking. You can use different tools, such as flipcharts, sticky notes, whiteboards, or online platforms. By using a variety of methods and tools, you will keep your participants engaged, motivated, and curious.

5 Facilitate the process, not the content

A common mistake that some facilitators make is to focus too much on the content, rather than the process, of facilitation. This can limit the creativity and innovation of the participants, as they may feel that the facilitator has the answers or the agenda. As a facilitator, your role is to guide the process, not the content, of facilitation. This means asking questions, not giving answers. It means listening, not talking. It means supporting, not directing. It means empowering, not controlling.

6 Learn and improve

The final tip to inspire creativity and innovation as a facilitator is to learn and improve from your facilitation experiences. You can do this by asking for feedback, evaluating your performance, and reflecting on your strengths and weaknesses. You can also learn from other facilitators, by observing, mentoring, or collaborating with them. You can also learn from new sources, by reading, researching, or taking courses on facilitation. By learning and improving, you will develop your facilitation skills and knowledge, and become a more effective and inspiring facilitator.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?