What's the best way to facilitate your group's goals?

1 Plan and prepare

Before you facilitate any group activity, you need to plan and prepare for it. This means defining the purpose, objectives, and outcomes of the activity, as well as the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the participants. You also need to design and select the appropriate methods, tools, and materials to facilitate the process, such as agendas, questions, exercises, feedback forms, etc. Planning and preparing will help you create a clear and coherent structure for your facilitation, and avoid confusion, ambiguity, or conflict.

2 Engage and empower

During your facilitation, you need to engage and empower your group to participate actively and collaboratively. This means creating a positive and respectful atmosphere, where everyone feels welcome, valued, and heard. You also need to use effective communication skills, such as listening, questioning, summarizing, and paraphrasing, to elicit and clarify ideas, opinions, and perspectives. Moreover, you need to encourage and support creativity, diversity, and inclusion, by inviting and acknowledging different inputs, perspectives, and contributions.

3 Evaluate and improve

After your facilitation, you need to evaluate and improve your performance and impact. This means collecting and analyzing feedback from the participants, as well as from yourself and other observers, to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your facilitation, and the extent to which you achieved the desired outcomes. You also need to identify and implement actions and strategies to improve your facilitation skills and practice, such as learning from others, seeking coaching or mentoring, or taking courses or workshops.

4 Adapt and customize

One of the key skills of a facilitator is to adapt and customize your approach and style to suit different contexts and situations. This means being flexible and responsive to the needs, preferences, and dynamics of your group, as well as to the challenges and opportunities that may arise during your facilitation. You also need to be aware and respectful of the cultural, social, and ethical aspects of your facilitation, such as the values, norms, and beliefs of your group, and the potential impacts of your facilitation on them and others.

5 Facilitate online

In the digital age, you may need to facilitate online as well as face-to-face. This means using technology and platforms that enable you to communicate, collaborate, and interact with your group effectively and efficiently. You also need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of online facilitation, such as the accessibility, convenience, and cost-effectiveness, as well as the technical issues, distractions, and isolation. Moreover, you need to apply the same principles and practices of facilitation as in person, but with some modifications and adaptations.

6 Develop your career

Facilitation is a skill that can enhance your career prospects and opportunities, as it is in high demand in various fields and sectors, such as education, business, health, social work, etc. You can use your facilitation skills to advance in your current role or organization, or to pursue new roles or opportunities as a facilitator, consultant, trainer, coach, mediator, etc. You can also network and connect with other facilitators and professionals, to learn from them, share your experiences, and find potential collaborations or projects.

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?