Your facilitation session hits unexpected hurdles. How do you ensure your objectives are still met?
Facing unexpected challenges in a facilitation session? Dive in with your strategies for staying on track and achieving your goals.
Your facilitation session hits unexpected hurdles. How do you ensure your objectives are still met?
Facing unexpected challenges in a facilitation session? Dive in with your strategies for staying on track and achieving your goals.
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One thing I have found helpful, for not just me as the facilitator, but also the attendees, is to stop and do a reset. I share what we have left to cover or tackle. I ask the group which items will provide the most value to their outcomes and next steps. Then, we have buy-in on how WE will spend the remainder of the session. This approach allows the participants to be part of the solution.
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When things get tense, take a moment to breathe deeply. Staying calm helps you think clearly and maintain control of the situation. If the group is off-topic or stuck, guide them back by reframing the issue in a way that connects to the overall goals. For example, “How does this conversation tie into our goal of [state the goal]?” Remind the group of the overall purpose of the session. Re-establishing the larger goal can help refocus attention and mitigate short-term distractions. For off-topic discussions, use a "parking lot" to capture ideas or issues that need attention later. This keeps the current session on track while acknowledging that other topics are still important.
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When unexpected hurdles arise in a facilitation session, adaptability and focus on the core objectives are key. 1. Address the challenge openly with the group, ensuring transparency and collective awareness 2. Identify the must-achieve objectives and focus on those 3. if a group discussion stalls, pivot to smaller breakout discussions 4. Empower participants to contribute ideas on overcoming hurdles 5. Keep the group’s energy up with quick re-energizing activities Overall, stay calm and adaptable
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When unexpected hurdles arise during a facilitation session, take a brief pause to assess the situation and engage the group in problem-solving. Reframe objectives to align with the current situation and leverage technology to bridge gaps. Introduce creative elements like games or storytelling to re-energize the group. Be flexible and ready to iterate on the fly. After the session, send a follow-up email summarizing key points and adjusted objectives. Embrace agility and creativity to turn challenges into opportunities for deeper engagement and learning.
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Flexibility is one of the key attitudes of a good facilitator. What enables me to confidently adapt when unexpected situations arise is having a broad "toolbox" of exercises and strategies that can achieve the same objective through different methods. I believe this "toolbox" expands with ongoing research and hands-on experience across diverse settings. Additionally, inviting participants to share their thoughts on how to proceed, or offering them choices, not only fosters a sense of inclusion but also helps sustain their motivation.
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