What do you do if your facilitation skills are not keeping up with emerging trends and technologies?

1 Assess your current skills

The first step is to honestly evaluate your current facilitation skills and identify your strengths and gaps. You can use self-assessment tools, feedback from participants and clients, or peer review to get a sense of how you are performing and where you can improve. You can also compare your skills to the competencies and standards of professional associations or certifications in facilitation, such as the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) or the Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) designation.

2 Learn from others

One of the best ways to keep up with emerging trends and technologies is to learn from other facilitators who are already using them. You can join online or offline communities of practice, attend webinars, podcasts, or conferences, or read blogs, books, or articles on facilitation topics. You can also seek mentorship, coaching, or shadowing opportunities from experienced facilitators who can offer you guidance and feedback.

3 Experiment with new tools

Another way to keep up with emerging trends and technologies is to experiment with new tools that can enhance your facilitation practice. You can explore different platforms, apps, or software that can help you design, deliver, or evaluate your facilitation sessions. For example, you can use online collaboration tools, such as Miro, Mural, or Jamboard, to create interactive and visual activities for your participants. You can also use digital polling, survey, or feedback tools, such as Mentimeter, Slido, or Kahoot, to collect and analyze data from your participants.

4 Adapt to different contexts

A third way to keep up with emerging trends and technologies is to adapt to different contexts that may affect your facilitation practice. You can consider the needs and preferences of your participants and clients, such as their culture, language, background, or learning styles. You can also consider the purpose and format of your facilitation sessions, such as whether they are online, hybrid, or face-to-face, and whether they are synchronous, asynchronous, or blended. You can then adjust your facilitation methods, techniques, or strategies accordingly.

5 Reflect and improve

A final way to keep up with emerging trends and technologies is to reflect and improve on your facilitation practice. You can use various methods, such as debriefing, journaling, or recording, to capture your insights and learnings from each facilitation session. You can also use data, feedback, or evaluation tools, such as surveys, interviews, or analytics, to measure the impact and outcomes of your facilitation sessions. You can then use this information to identify what worked well and what can be improved for future sessions.

6 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?