How can you customize team facilitation for your team?

1 Assess your team

Prior to planning and conducting a team facilitation session, it is essential to assess the characteristics of the team. This includes the size and composition, the level of trust and rapport among members, the stage of team development, the team's goals, expectations, and challenges, as well as their preferred communication and learning styles. Through this assessment process, you can identify any gaps and opportunities for improvement. This allows you to tailor your facilitation accordingly - for instance, using various icebreakers, activities, questions, and feedback techniques that best suit the team's needs.

2 Choose the right format

When customizing team facilitation, you should consider the right format for your session. Depending on the purpose, duration, and location, you can choose between in-person or online, synchronous or asynchronous, formal or informal, structured or unstructured, and directive or participatory formats. Each of these has its own advantages and disadvantages which must be weighed against your team's preferences and constraints. For instance, if your team is distributed across different time zones, an asynchronous online format may offer flexibility and convenience. However, you should also be aware of the potential challenges it poses in terms of engagement, interaction, and feedback.

3 Use the right tools

When customizing team facilitation, it's important to use the right tools to support your session. These tools can help to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and enjoyment of your facilitation. Examples include software and apps for online collaboration, such as video conferencing, chat, whiteboard, polling, and brainstorming tools. Templates and frameworks can also be used to guide the team through a process, such as agendas, checklists, action plans, and evaluation forms. Visual aids and materials like slides, charts, diagrams, and photos can illustrate and reinforce key points. Games and exercises like icebreakers, warm-ups, simulations, and role-plays can stimulate and energize the team. When choosing tools for your team you need to consider their relevance, suitability, accessibility of the tools for your team – for example if they are compatible with devices, platforms, and bandwidth – as well as ensuring that they know how to use them and are comfortable with them.

4 Adapt to the situation

Finally, customizing team facilitation means adapting to the situation as it unfolds. Even if you have prepared well for your session, you may encounter unexpected issues like technical glitches, conflicts among team members, changes in the agenda, or emergencies. In these cases, you need to be flexible and responsive to the new circumstances. Communicate clearly and calmly with your team, seek their input and feedback, and modify your methods, tools, or goals as needed. Monitor and evaluate the impact of your adaptations on the team and the outcomes. Customizing team facilitation is a complex process that requires a lot of preparation, research, and experimentation. However, it is also rewarding and can help you improve your facilitation skills and build stronger relationships with your team. By customizing your facilitation, you can help your team achieve their goals with greater satisfaction.

5 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?