You're a facilitator with a large group to manage. How can you make the most of your training program?

Firstly understand the difference between facilitation and training - they are mutually beneficial but distinct skills. How I prepare for a large group when facilitating is different to when I am training. With facilitation there is more focus on the contract with the group, to be given the tacit permission to lead the required group process. With training, when attended voluntarily, the contract is there, so the focus moves to establishing the relevance of the content to the learner's needs.

One of the trickier aspects of designing a program to meet goals is to clarify who is the actual client for this program. Is it the group itself? Their managers? Leaders at the strategic level of the organization? Don't assume the impetus comes from your direct client; explore the deeper meaning behind the set of goals that is initially presented to you. How do these goals connect with larger issues and intentions in the organization? To whom else should you speak as you are planning it? What should you emphasize in connection with current strategic initiatives or challenges? In this way, training becomes an intervention aligned with leadership goals rather than a "nice to have" experience.

My mantra is "Plan. Plan. Plan. Then do what's needed." It is vital to have lots of options to choose from so that your approach and content melds with the needs of the learners. I am deeply influenced by the military message that 'no plan survives first contact with the enemy.' or as von Moltke said it "“No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main strength.” While (of course) I do not see learner's as 'an enemy' I do think of the learning context as a terrain to traverse with care, paying close attention to the strengths of those who occupy it. To 'make the most' of a program I use John Heron's insights for balancing the competing demands of 'teaching/telling' and 'facilitating/guiding'.

Large groups bring in a different level of energy for me personally. A deep-dive diagnosis of the group via assessment tools/pulse surveys etc. always comes in handy to gauge the finer nuances of the group. Other #Tips - Talk to key-stakeholders before hand to understand performance levels and expectations - Zero in on the top 3 outcomes that are expected from your sponsor - Convey these to your participants and get their expectations ahead of time All of the above will help align your content, activities and methods with purpose and people!

I take prior knowledge assessment and according to the data I plan my training program and strategies. My subject is music enjoy, explore and experience so my goal are mostly enjoy learning, explore possibilities, and experience the results.

As a baby consultant, I learned the value of designing a group process using the term "EIAG." This meant Experience, Identify, Analyze, Generalize. First, design an experience or reflect on one they recently had. Then, ask the group to identify the elements of that experience that had meaning beyond the experience itself. Next, analyze those elements for relevant knowledge about one's self or others and finally, generalize what was learned that can be applied to other situations. Later, I learned the simpler model of What, So What, and Now What. What happened, what does it mean, and how can we apply what we learned.

I love the EIAG approach as shared. Just to add is that choosing your method is also influenced by you knowing your audience well and their diverse abilities, the space available if it's a physical meeting and capacities of the clients when using online methods and tools. So clarity on who your audience is will give guidance on the choice or methods to use.

Experiential learning is the one method I fine useful the most as it helps them to learn from the experience itself From their own behaviours and thought process in the Game From each other's peer to peer learning and from the Facilitators' experience of facilitating it with many different companies and industries

As an anti-oppression facilitator here are my top 2 utilized approaches for large group facilitation: - Encourage and remind move or wiggle their bodies. Whether it's virtual or in person, our bodies become fixed and stagnant every 30 - 60 mins. Our brains only take about 15-25mins of new information in a go. What better way to refresh the room by giving everyone less than 10 seconds to readjust, yawn, stretch, move their necks or shoulders or grab water! - I believe virtual sessions offer new exciting tools to integrate into our sessions. Remind people there are multiple ways to engage: via chat, reactions in chat, real life thumbs up, raising hands, etc. It also serves as immediate feedback or guage of the room as a facilitator.

By incorporating as much theory AS practice (even on the lunch break) in order to model and embed participants in the learning.

Again emphasizing big group! Make it visibly, easily understandable and clear! Experiences and Activities / Games should be tested and stress tested cause some games are doable for smaller groups but less engaging when it comes to bigger crowds

The ability to check competency levels in any number of available online apps cannot be overrated. Microsoft offer it within their office suite, and I use theirs. But there are many other options. My target is generally a reading level below 7 or 8 years of high school, unless my audience is quite a specific target. Multiple degrees and 6 years of schooling are targets I regularly serve. Perhaps the reason that multiple degrees seek me out is to deal with 6 year schooled audiences.

One of the most important strategies in engaging large groups is to get them to work with each other in small groups. Small group work and then reporting back to the larger group is a simple but effective way to ensure that everyone is able to contibute, prevents a few voices from overpowering the dynamic, and creates a network of 'co-facilitators' that help guide the discussion

I have used music in engaging large groups and this brings humour into the room but also encourages innovation and creativity. Music helps bring the group together with a shared ambition.

3 cosas que me han funcionado cuando trabajo con grupos grandes son: 1. Promover la participación activa con ejercicios prácticos que lleven a la interacción entre el grupo, participar no es una opción, 2. Crear un ambiente colaborativo entre los grupos, llevándolos a compartir ideas y soluciones, y por último 3. No olvidar el aprendizaje personalizado, invitar a cada participante a compartir sus desafíos personales y a crear su propio camino hacia el objetivo final.

If you are designing an in-person session, make sure there are times built in for physical movement - for example, changing groups, posting charts or adding things to charts already posted, arranging or categorizing ideas using postable notes on a wall or board, giving stand-up presentations to the rest of the group and/or other movement activities to keep the group energized.

It can be difficult to engage large groups solely by speaking to or at them, even if your content is relatable. Instead, look for ways to break them into smaller groups and get the conversation going. They'll learn from each others' perspectives and have a chance to discuss their own experiences as it relates to the content. I use small group participation early in programs so participants feel more comfortable around each other sooner. They're more likely to contribute, ask questions later during large group discussions, and offer constructive feedback to their peers. This improves their learning and retention overall. Also provide opportunities for interaction after the event to foster the relationships that began during the program.

Prepare to adapt as the session unfolds. What you think is the premise of the session is more often than not what the session will be about. A central theme will appear from the group, be willing and ready to meet the needs of the group as it evolves.

Peer learning and clinics can be really useful for large group facilitation. Create an environment where participants can be able able to share what the know about the topic of discussion with their colleagues. By so doing they will remain interested and active.

You should always prepare for mishaps. For example, extra seating in case more people attend than expected; the projector isn’t working which is a big one; and prepare for questions from your audience other than your course objectives.