You're new to Large Group Facilitation. How can you find a mentor who will help you grow?

1 Identify your goals and needs

Before you start looking for a mentor, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what kind of support you need. For example, do you want to improve your presentation skills, your interaction techniques, your design thinking, or your facilitation frameworks? Do you need someone who can coach you, challenge you, or cheer you on? Do you prefer a formal or informal mentoring relationship? Having a vision of your goals and needs will help you narrow down your search and communicate your expectations to potential mentors.

2 Explore your network and beyond

The next step is to explore your existing network and see if there are any people who have the skills, experience, and personality that match your goals and needs. You can reach out to your colleagues, managers, peers, or former mentors and ask them if they know anyone who is a good large group facilitator and would be willing to mentor you. You can also look for mentors outside your network, such as in professional associations, online communities, events, or courses related to large group facilitation. You can use social media, blogs, podcasts, or newsletters to find and follow facilitators who inspire you and reach out to them with a friendly and genuine message.

3 Assess the fit and compatibility

Once you have identified some potential mentors, you need to assess whether they are a good fit and compatible with you. You can do this by having an initial conversation with them, either online or offline, and asking them some questions about their background, style, approach, and availability. You also need to share your goals and needs with them and see if they are interested and able to help you. You should look for signs of rapport, trust, respect, and mutual benefit in the conversation. If you feel comfortable and confident with the person, you can ask them to be your mentor and agree on the terms and expectations of the relationship.

4 Maintain and evaluate the relationship

After you have found a mentor who will help you grow as a large group facilitator, you need to maintain and evaluate the relationship regularly. You should keep in touch with your mentor, schedule meetings or sessions with them, prepare and follow up on your action plans, and seek and apply their feedback. You should also show your appreciation, gratitude, and recognition for their time and effort. You should also evaluate the relationship periodically and see if it is meeting your goals and needs, or if it needs any adjustments or improvements. You should also be open to feedback from your mentor and see how you can improve as a mentee.

5 Learn from multiple sources and perspectives

Finding a mentor who will help you grow as a large group facilitator is a great way to learn and improve this skill, but it is not the only way. You should also seek to learn from multiple sources and perspectives, such as books, articles, podcasts, videos, courses, webinars, or workshops related to large group facilitation. You should also observe and interact with other facilitators, either as a participant, a co-facilitator, or a peer, and learn from their successes and challenges. You should also reflect on your own practice and experience and identify your strengths and areas for improvement. By learning from multiple sources and perspectives, you will enrich your knowledge, skills, and confidence as a large group facilitator.

6 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?