Here's how you can establish trust and credibility when facilitating large group discussions as an executive.

Introduce yourself quickly. Set the goal and how engagement needs to work. Right now, I’m big on QR codes so that people can ask questions. If it’s less and 100 people, open dialogue works best. Someone takes notes or records, and constructive or positive feedback wherever possible. Hardest part is getting the first person to engage. Once that happens, usually the energy shifts and dialogue begins.

Something I tend to do is openly name power differentials and hierarchies within the room to raise awareness and invite participants to recognise their own ‘power’ within this particular group and the impact it may have on interactions and decision-making processes. Contracting for psychological safety can also help to ensure that everyone feels valued and supported to express themselves so I might ask what the group might need from me (as facilitator) or from the group to feel more comfortable in the session. I tend to also emphasise the importance of bringing ‘lived experience’ into the group as a way to enrich discussions.

Today everything is transparent. The audience can google you in a few minutes. Tell the truth. Focus on what you have accomplished that is relative to the topic you are speaking on. And prove yourself just as you would in front of a potential client. Talk confidently. Address the audience, answer questions, get them engaged. You need to earn the respect and trust with your knowledge and content.

Building rapport is about vulberability. Great leaders don’t just lead with vulnerability, they give others the permission to be vulnerable. And they protect the safety of the space. My favourite exercise with a large group is Patrick Lencioni’s Personal Histories exercise. Give everyone a chance to share something vulnerable that’s pretty safe. That’s why Lencioni’s question about a challenge or difficulty you faced as a child is genius. It’s separate enough from the board room that most people will give vulnerability a go when answering that question. Once the lid’s off then vulnerability about current issues or behaviours is possible.

Building rapport can’t be faked - in this age where being authentic and building rapport have become ‘bumper sticker’ type slogans, it’s critical to actually take some time upfront with executive leadership and executive leadership teams to openly talk about things that will make them uncomfortable. Set some ground rules for how to have these types of conversations and embrace all perspectives in a non judgemental manner - this will make all people feel valued for who they are and what they bring. It’s also a critical element of building rapport that is often overlooked, yet profoundly effective.

People want to know that you hear them, both while they’re speaking and when they’ve finished. Active listening is critical in encouraging them to share fully. It’s also important to be sure they’ve completed their thought and you heard it all rather than preparing what you’ll be saying next. This helps to build trust and and a place safe for vulnerability.

Most people ‘listen’ with a full mind, waiting for a time to interject with the thought or opinion that comes pre-loaded. Learn the art of not formulating a question or comment until you have heard the person out. This can be tricky as most of us are trying to establish credibility quickly, so the trick is to do it in a spacious and collaborative way, not relying on your authority to get your point heard.

active listening is critical. Use your ears twice as much as your mouth, repeat key words from speakers and let them elaborate, not dominate their conversation or the meeting. Remembering names, and smiling when facing a participant acknowledging them, is important - especially eye contact. Referring back to points linking previous questions to build group connections are very positive steps to maintaining attention and confidence in the room.

Setting expectations from each other is often overlooked by executive level leaders - try these exercises to help strengthen how executive leadership teams work together effectively. Individually, discuss your expectations of each executive and what you expect of your peer level executive. Next, talk about what your expectations are of your CEO. Finally, ask your CEO what their expectations are of you as an executive leadership team. Use the outputs of the above three exercises to develop and regularly monitor and update an executive level expectations charter. This charter will guide and shape how you interact as a team and provide clarity to your direct reports and the wider organization about what to expect from you as an executive.

Lead the room by defining the purpose of the meeting, priority outcomes to be achieved, what participants can expect. L =listening to the details and acknowledging E = evaluating what's been said by the room A = Action planning steps after a decision is reached D = Developing the conversation further It is good to have some form of record in the room to take down key comments you can reflect on, especially if key decisions need to be voted on by everyone.

Unfortunately facilitate in a ‘neutral’ way and as an ‘executive’ is a polarity that must be understood and navigated. If you can understand power, rank and authority then you’re more likely to facilitate it well.

everyone has a voice and deserve to be heard, but time in meetings is a killer, and if you lose control of time, you lose control of the group. This means disappointing some in the room. Key is to make sure in your planning there is consideration to timing. You can never facilitate fairly because there will always be an outlier who will test your knowledge and in some instances your grasp on the room and topic. Thats okay - they also deserve to be heard. That said props like a whiteboard with a title - parking lot for questions to come back to - is critical, but also making a commitment to go back to the group with responses if time elapses afterwards helps.

feedback is the breakfast of champions. The more that flows the better the meeting grows. Honesty transparency and sensitivity will always help you overcome bumpers and barriers to a progressive discussion.

Talk less, listen more, be willing to identify specific points that others bring up and then encourage the group to look at options, make it about the group. And instead of calling someone out on a point, dig into why they considered the point important and how it contributes to the success of the overall group.

Self-Reflection: Regularly assess your facilitation approach. Example: After a heated debate, reflect on how you managed emotions. Feedback Loop: Encourage input from participants. Example: Request suggestions after a brainstorming session. Adaptability: Adjust based on feedback. Example: Modify time management strategies after feedback on meeting efficiency. Continuous Improvement: Embrace change for growth. Example: Implement new icebreakers to enhance engagement. Leadership Commitment: Show dedication to improvement. Example: Act on feedback promptly to build trust and credibility.

When opening the discussion as a leader, be willing to share a personal experience that may be relevant to the topic which will open up the idea of self reflection to others. Be willing to share a situation that you have dealt with in the past and ask for feedback from others on what they think you could have done differently, be willing to get the negative feedback, actually seek it out, ask for them to rip it apart.

Any time I’m facilitating a meeting or training session I always start by letting the participants know my job is to facilitate, not lecture or give solutions. I am sure to let them know that in order to have a successful gathering, I need them to actively participate. In addition, I try to stay out of their conversations and let them offer their ideas and solutions before I offer any of my own thoughts. As people realize it’s on them to interact and work together, they relax and the magic begins.

Provide a safe space. You can do this by learning to read the room and ensuring participants feel comfortable sharing their experiences without being criticized or judged. As a facilitator, setting ground rules at the start of the workshop can help you establish this.