How can you stay confident as a large group facilitator?

Being ready and organized gives you the self-assurance to guide big groups. The more you prepare, the more at ease you'll feel, and the better you'll be at helping everyone engage and understand. It's like studying for a test; the more you study, the more sure you feel answering questions. So, always get ready thoroughly to shine as a facilitator!

Have a stakeholder conversation to understand business goals and major challenges. Speak to 1-2 participants and listen to the business lingo ( their internal jargons). Understand pain points. You would need all these to connect all your activities with business relevance.

The best facilitators are the ones who completely in service of their group - not only does this mean letting go of their own self doubt, criticism, judgements, and comparisons that may come up, but it also means tapping into something greater than yourself - in order to access the wisdom and intelligence that can help serve your audience.

It is not about you, it is about the group. When you give your attention to their needs and interests, you'll feel more at ease. Think of yourself as a helper, guiding everyone to their goal. By putting the group first, any nerves you have will fade away, letting you be the best facilitator you can be!

One feels less confident when the Facilitator takes the sole burden and responsibility for group learning. Whereas large group facilitation, at core, is about making explicit the tacit group energies and wisdom. To feel confident do the following 1) Not taking the burden of knowing all the content . Transferring the responsibility of learning to the learners. 2) Be a guardian for group processes, rather than content. Allow learners to bring in content. 3) Do not be attached to your planned outcomes. Be ready to be led by the group energies. 4) Wherever you feel a process breakdown, be vulnerable and inclusive to ask the group for - "what do we do now"

In every profession, individuals have unique talents that make them stand out. As a facilitator, tap into your professional strengths! Whether it's your deep knowledge on a topic, your ability to ask thought-provoking questions, or your knack for keeping discussions on track, these are your tools. By relying on these strengths, you can guide your group effectively and confidently. As it's these professional qualities that brought you to the role of a facilitator, so use them to ensure sessions run smoothly and productively.

Most people will feel nervous at some point when facilitating groups (especially large ones). To combat these nerves, remember that you were asked to facilitate this group. You have skills, knowledge, and experience in your domain which others appreciate and want to learn from. You can do this!

Listening to what others say can really help you get better. When people share their thoughts on how you did, it's like a treasure map pointing to where you can shine even more! By understanding and using this advice, you'll feel more sure of yourself next time. Think of feedback as a helpful friend, guiding you to be the best you can be when leading a group. So, always be ready to listen and learn!

It can be easy to breeze over positive feedback and overly focus on the critical. Try to take a balanced approach. Critical feedback is great (it's how we learn and get better!), but it's important to also reflect on what you did well.

Leading a big group takes a lot out of you. To be your best, it's super important to look after yourself. Think of it like keeping your car's tank full. Do things that make you feel good and healthy, both in your mind and body- like take short breaks. Even if it's just 5 minutes, step away from a busy setting to clear your mind. When you're feeling great, you'll be more sure of yourself and do a fantastic job helping your group.

I was addressing 300 sales leaders of a large automobile manufacturer. The collar mic was switching on and off. At one time, it got so distracting that I calmly asked my audience, what do you do with tech that prevents your high performance? The audience laughed and I moved to a hand-mic.

Be open to feedback - don't interpret difficult questions or challenges as undermining your authority.. but as an opportunity to truly display your expertise. Slow down... Breathe... Look back at all the knowledge you have, and somewhere there... You will find something that will help you respond appropriately

1) Be clear on the outcomes you want to drive and yet if you see the group energy somewhere else, be present to group energy and let go your plans. Support the group Go where it wants to go. 2) Design the session activities in synch with objectives 3) Make sure your debrief questions are drafted well 4) Keep sensing the energy of your group, if you are not getting sense of coherence in the room, keep checking with the learners if they are with you and remember there are always learners who are present to something else, allow them. 5) Respect your learners' choices and difference