What are the best ways to handle stress as a team facilitator?

One of the main stressors is the lack of resources. I agree that stress & triggers differ from person to person & self awareness is the first step to managing one’s stress. Self awareness includes knowing your triggers, thoughts, feelings, behaviours & physical responses in the moment.

Often, paying careful attention to our inner dialogue helps us identify our stress triggers. And, it's crucial to label our thought patterns when we notice them. For instance, instead of telling ourselves, "I’m leading the team astray" or “I’ve got to find a way to get the team its output before we’re out of time” we can reframe it as "I'm having a thought that I'm not facilitating efficiently" or “my inner critic is telling me the output is all on my shoulders”. This shift creates space for us to make a conscious, deliberate choice about how we think, feel and respond.

In my view, facilitators experience stress when their goal is to focus (or influence) the outcomes without listening and creating a space for participants to express their views. Facilitators who focus on expressing their views instead of encouraging balanced discussion can experience higher stress levels

First thing I found helpful is to understand the stage of the team. Is the team forming, storming, norming, or performing? Secondly, ensure you have leadership buy-in, share the purpose and benefit before implementing any changes to the team or their workflow processes. Lastly, allow the team to be involved in any meetings, workshops or sync ups. Once they know they have some ownership or provide an ideal or a solution you will find less friction and stress.

As a facilitator, it is essential to be honest, genuine and vulnerable. Very often, sharing vulnerably the reasons that are causing you stress while holding the space objectively without blame or shame humanises the entire conversation and makes people feel relaxed and related to you. It builds a connection not just to you but also the whole group as it becomes a safe space. Recently, doing this in a workshop enabled a more intimate, warm and safe conversation after which everyone felt lighter. Honest, real conversations are at the heart of facilitation, and i always wonder why we try and run from it so much :)

The old adage “You can’t pour from an empty cup” comes to mind. There’s a difference between putting self first & being selfish. Selfish means I only think of self. Prioritising self means that I ensure that I have adequate resources before I think of others, so that I can take care of others.

As a facilitator I find it's essential to be present, open and aware. I need to be hyper self aware. Which means that it's really important to know your own triggers and emotions. And for me, seeing therapist twice a year helps to learn who I am.

One way to practice self-care is by developing a real-time playbook of moves we can use while facilitating. One popular technique is based on the use of self-empathy by talking to ourselves the same way we would talk to our child or best friend in the same situation. Another move involves anticipating triggering events, such as disengaged clients, and creating a plan to remain focused. This four-step process includes identifying an essential action during the facilitation session, anticipating a triggering behavior that could interfere with the action, and having a plan to regain calmness and focus (like focusing on breathing) to respond more effectively, guiding the team toward its goal.

Great discussion. On of my biggest stressors would be lack of preparation, in regard to unexpected events that I don't feel equipped for. Having the tools to manages these stressors well certainly takes the edge off. I believe a lot of it also comes with more experience.

Absolutely, facilitation is a high energy activity. You need to be able to provide the energy needed if it is lacking in the room and you need to keep your own energy up at all times. Being able to think on your feet is a key skill of a facilitator - that is very hard to do if you are not feeling your best.

In the midst of a difficult, stressful facilitation, I've found it helpful to give myself permission to call for a "time out" and invite the participants to take a short break. This helps all of us - including me - to pause and think before we take the next step. This technique has been useful for me countless times when teams are in a challenging moment in the workshop and emotions are rapidly gaining momentum, threatening to derail the process. And it normalizes for participants that it is okay to pause during conflict or stress and catch your breath.

One personal practice I've found invaluable is 'journaling'. After a particularly tough session or day, I spend 10-15 minutes jotting down my thoughts and feelings. It's a way to offload and process the day's events. By externalizing my stressors on paper, I am able to create a space between the challenges and me, allowing for reflection rather than rumination. It's not about crafting perfect prose; it's about understanding and acknowledging my emotional landscape. Over time, one is able to identify patterns, giving insights into triggers and strategies for managing them.

We spend a lot of time thinking and problem-solving and staring at a computer screen. Our eyes need a rest and our brains need healthy blood flow and nutrition to function properly. Getting up from your desk and away from your computer, walking around and stretching are an excellent ways to shift your focus and get your blood flowing. Have a snack; eat healthy brain food if you can. Take the time to care for your body throughout the day. The small things we do for our health can really add up over time.

Coping strategies and being positive on top of something that does not work is futile. Better to build a structure that has integrity — the you don’t need to cope or be positive. Please read the book Smile or Die about toxic positivity.

Trusting in yourself is one of the best strategies for dealing with the stress of facilitation. Having a well thought out process, and some ttricks to use to get things back on track, diffuse situations etc is also a good way to deal with stress. After the event, avoid more overthinking - look at what went well and take any learning into your next session.

A growth mindset is important for success. Focus on your strengths & growing them while acknowledging your areas of weakness & compensating for them.

Reflection and learning is key. Facilitation is not an exact science, what might work in one setting will not necessarily work in another. Building a toolbox of tehniques will help with future sessions. But also, don't be afraid to move outside your comfort zone, experiment with techniques and assess the outcome (keeping participation safety in mind)

I agree! A key strength is knowing when to ask for help. Asking for help is not a weakness. It requires the ability to be vulnerable which comes from courage.

From where I stand, effectively managing stress is a continual journey that should not be overlooked. It is vital to possess the ability to identify stressors in order to address them. Equally important is having a reliable team to share the burden of responsibilities with. Furthermore, having a supportive family member to confide in plays a critical role. Lastly, keeping open channels of communication with your supervisor is essential. In times of stress or overwhelm, seeking professional support is highly recommended.

Another key aspect, is knowing yourself & what you enjoy doing when it comes to facilitation & doing more of it. Keeping abreast with the latest research & tools, always iterating & bettering your skills.

External situations don't cause stress, they only trigger it. The solution to stress is gaining mastery over one's inner experience. Meditation, Yoga, Inner Engineering are tools to gain mastery over one's interiority.

Set expectations up front. One of the first things any team should do is collaborate to develop a team charter that outlines how the team will handle things like conflict, ensuring all have a say, and identifying their core purpose and ensuring that is visible at each meeting to keep everyone on track. If you are a team facilitator stepping into an existing team, take the time to set or reset expectations. It will pay off in the end and help minimize stress for everyone.

Take time to get to know the stakeholders you are dealing with.Understanding their motivations, concerns and background is very important in order to shape your facilitation strategy and mitigate potential conflicts that might come up