Facilitating large groups can be challenging, especially if you are not used to managing diverse opinions, personalities, and dynamics. However, with some preparation, practice, and feedback, you can improve your skills and confidence as a large group facilitator. Here are some tips to help you learn to do it better.
Before you plan or run a large group session, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. What are the goals and objectives of the session? Who are the participants and what are their expectations and needs? How will you measure the success of the session? Having a clear purpose will help you design a relevant and engaging agenda, choose appropriate methods and tools, and communicate effectively with your group.
Always plan with your audience in mind - is it a high level presentation or are you getting in the weeds with your content? Start with your END GOAL in mind- at the end of this large session, what do I want my learners to walk away with AND apply? I am going to take it from the angle of a fully remote company (where I work). You have to work extra hard to get those audience engagements. Prior to getting into the presentation, set Rules of Engagement. In my case, it is everyone is on camera, raise a virtual hand if you have a question, or drop a comment or question in the chat. My rule of thumb is every 5-10 minutes be deliberate about audience engagement. The goal is to make the session fun and engaging!
Once you have your purpose, you need to plan your process. How will you structure the session to achieve your goals? What activities, techniques, and formats will you use to facilitate participation, interaction, and learning? How will you manage time, space, and resources? How will you deal with potential challenges or conflicts? Planning your process will help you create a smooth and effective flow for your session, as well as anticipate and prepare for any issues that may arise.
One of the key skills of a large group facilitator is to engage your participants in meaningful and productive ways. You want to create a positive and supportive atmosphere, where everyone feels welcome, valued, and heard. You also want to stimulate interest, curiosity, and creativity, where everyone contributes, learns, and grows. To engage your participants, you need to use a variety of methods and tools, such as icebreakers, energizers, discussions, brainstorming, polls, games, and so on. You also need to use effective communication skills, such as active listening, asking open-ended questions, summarizing, paraphrasing, and giving feedback.
As the facilitator of large groups, it's your responsibility to manage the energy of the entire room. On one hand, having a larger audience creates more energy, and the room can start to feel electric when people are engaged and connected. But on the other hand, there are so many ways you can lose the attention and focus of your audience (especially when folks are far away, having trouble seeing the stage, or if the music is too loud/too soft). I believe the facilitator needs to be both the floor (depth/vulnerability) and also the ceiling (joy/high energy) of every room they lead.
Setting AGREEMENTS in the beginning for full ENGAGEMENT allows you to return back the group commitment when necessary. GOOD DESIGN in the beginning helps eliminate challenges later. CLEAR IS KIND and being clear on groups intentions, outcomes and how we choose to show up for one another can help steward the co-created experience.
Another skill of a large group facilitator is to adapt to the situation. No matter how well you plan and prepare, you may encounter unexpected situations or changes during your session. For example, you may have more or fewer participants than expected, technical glitches, disagreements, misunderstandings, or distractions. To adapt to the situation, you need to be flexible and responsive, as well as calm and confident. You need to be able to adjust your agenda, methods, or tools according to the needs and feedback of your group. You also need to be able to handle any difficulties or conflicts with respect and empathy.
Finally, a skill of a large group facilitator is to seek feedback and improvement. After your session, you need to evaluate how it went and what you learned. You need to collect feedback from your participants, as well as from yourself and any co-facilitators or observers. You need to analyze what worked well and what could be improved. You also need to identify your strengths and areas of development as a facilitator. Seeking feedback and improvement will help you refine your skills and enhance your performance as a large group facilitator.