How can experienced facilitators continue to grow?

I think we can sometimes co-facilitate with others expert facilitators, asking them a truthful feedback at the end of the session.

I don’t have just one mentor, I have many of differing masteries. I attend masterclasses, workshops and conferences to immerse myself in the powerhouse learning space of others. I’m like a sponge - what worked well, what not to do, what could I try, how would my clients embrace that approach… The key is be curious and adaptive - learn, unlearn and relearn.

If you're already an expert facilitator and you know deeply your content you can focus on other areas of personal development like being really present in the moment or get deeply into something happened in previous sessions by another facilitator. Reflecting on others stories can help you facing the same situation in the future

Try new things and explore with new people who bring a different perspective. Growing happens when you go beyond the routine and what’s worked in the past. Hold on tight to your purpose and then use it to pivot, explore and try new things. Growth will be the result. And the beautiful thing about human beings is we can grow until our dying day.

I would suggest using Improv techniques with your participants. As an Improv teacher I can tell you some "games" could be really appreciated icebreakers, plus you will learn to react and to adapt yourself to what actually is really going on in your activities. You will learn to actively listen your people, being deeply connected and let others opinions and ideas, rise.

I work a lot with applied theatre techniques. I find they are challenging as a facilitator, as they encourage us to explore our need to "control" situations. The results are always unpredictable, and it forces us to step outside of our comfort zones.

I believe that you have to continuous learn about how to better yourself as a facilitator through taking short courses and classes as well as updating the resources that you utilize. I agree with Stephen S. you need to keep what works and discard what does not. The topics for discussion must be balanced and interesting in order to captivate your audience!

I have just started a community of practice for trainers and facilitators in gender equality. This will formalise the network I have already created of committed practitioners, and allow for meaningful exchanges. Regular check-ins are important to celebrate successes and explore remaining challenges.

I think it is important to consistently challenge our own biases, privileges and standpoints. While I don't think it is necessarily helpful or interesting to "state" privileges upfront, I think it is useful to explore how they may affect our facilitation skills. Paying attention to the power dynamics in the room will always lead to better outcomes for facilitators.

Reflection is key to personal and professional growth. Taking the time to look back on our experiences and learn from them allows us to continue evolving and improving. One great way to incorporate reflection into our daily routine is by scheduling meditation and reflection time. Whether it's a few minutes in the morning or a longer session at night, carving out time for quiet contemplation can be incredibly beneficial. Another way is discussing experiences with a mentor or trusted colleague, or simply taking a few moments to pause and think about the lessons learned from a particular situation.

Keep learning! I now have two coaches, I’m learning marketing techniques and I’m continually reading and gathering real life examples and stories I can share. As a trainer and L and D practitioner, I have to be an active learner in order to deliver the best learning experiences to my clients.