50 Questions Facilitators Can Ask Participants/Learners!

by Vanessa Trower, from Nexperk Learning

I'm sitting at my desk preparing to deliver a workshop next week to the wonderful team at Chanel (and, yes, their office always smells lovely, and the office in North Sydney is gorgeous). Apart from the usual preparations of PowerPoint slides, activities, etc., I also prepare my facilitator questions.

Facilitators can use a vast range of questions for facilitation. These questions are designed to engage participants, encourage critical thinking and reflection, facilitate the transfer of learning to real-world situations, and support integrating new information into existing knowledge.

Here is a list of my favourite questions. Each question below is accompanied by a description of its value or link to learning or theory, providing a deeper understanding of how these questions can support effective facilitation.

1. What are your goals for this session? This question helps facilitate a clear focus and direction for the session, ensuring that participants know what they hope to achieve. I often ask them to write it down on a Post-it note or paper.
2. How will you apply what you have learned in your work or personal life?- This question helps facilitate the transfer of learning to real-world situations and encourages participants to consider the practical implications of the material. Many participants reflect on thier personal life, not just work. Our Nexperk human powerskills workshops have topics of emotional intelligence, creative problem solving, etc., which are useful for personal development. But if you deliver on Mircosoft dynamics or similar, I suggest you drop how this could be applied in your personal life!
3. What actions will you take to implement what you have learned? - This question helps facilitate the transfer of learning to future actions and encourages participants to consider the practical steps needed to apply their new knowledge or skills.
4. How will you measure the success or effectiveness of applying this new knowledge or skill? - This question encourages participants to think critically about how they will assess the impact of their learning and determine if it is meeting its intended goals.
5. How can you continue to develop and grow in this area going forward? - This question encourages participants to think about their own ongoing learning and development and identify ways to continue to grow and improve in this area.
6. What resources or support do you need to successfully put your learning into action?- This question helps participants identify any potential barriers to implementation and consider what resources or support they may need to effectively apply their new knowledge or skills.
7. How will you share your new knowledge or skills with others in your organisation? - This question encourages participants to consider the importance of sharing their learning with others and think about effective ways to do so.
8. What challenges do you anticipate in applying what you have learned, and how will you overcome them?- This question encourages participants to think critically about potential barriers to implementation and consider creative solutions.
9. How will applying what you have learned impact your work or personal life?- This question helps facilitate the transfer of learning to real-world situations and encourages participants to consider the potential impact of the material on their own lives.
10. How can you stay motivated and accountable in putting your learning into action?- This question encourages participants to think about strategies for maintaining motivation and ensuring that they follow through on their learning goals.
11. What do you already know about the topic at hand? This question helps facilitators gauge the current knowledge level of the group and tailor the session accordingly.
12. What questions do you have about the topic? This question encourages participants to actively engage with the material and helps facilitators identify areas that may need further clarification.
13. Can you give an example of how this concept has been applied in your work or personal life? This question helps facilitate the transfer of learning to real-world situations and encourages participants to reflect on their own experiences.
14. How can this concept be applied in your work or personal life going forward? This question helps facilitate the transfer of learning to future actions and encourages participants to consider the practical implications of the material.
15. What do you think are the key takeaways from this session? This question helps facilitate the synthesis and application of new knowledge, encouraging participants to reflect on what they have learned.
16. How does this concept relate to other concepts or ideas that we have covered? This question helps facilitate the integration of new information into existing knowledge and encourages participants to see the big picture.
17. What are some potential challenges or limitations to implementing this concept? This question encourages participants to think critically about the material and consider potential barriers to implementation.
18. How could this concept be improved or refined? This question encourages participants to think creatively and critically about the material and identify potential areas for growth or improvement.
19. Can you explain this concept to someone who has no prior knowledge of it? This question encourages participants to clarify their understanding of the material and apply their knowledge in a new context.
20. How does this concept relate to your values or beliefs? We are open to hearing all perspectives in the room. This question encourages participants to consider the personal significance of the material and how it aligns with their values and beliefs. This is used to welcome diversity. Please use this one genuinely and offer psych safety for inclusive workplaces.
21. How does this concept apply to current events or trends? This question helps facilitate the relevance of the material to current events or trends, encouraging participants to see the real-world implications of the content.
22. What are some possible ways to overcome the challenges or limitations identified in this concept? This question encourages participants to think creatively and critically about potential solutions to identified challenges or limitations.
23. How might this concept be applied in different contexts or industries? This question encourages participants to think about the broader applications of the material and consider its potential impact in different contexts.
24. How does this concept align with the goals or mission of your organisation? This question helps facilitate the relevance of the material to the goals or mission of the organisation and encourages participants to consider the potential impact of the content on the organisation.
25. How could this concept be used to solve a problem or challenge you are currently facing? This question encourages participants to apply their new knowledge to real-world challenges and think creatively about potential solutions.
26. How does this concept fit into the larger picture or context of your work or personal life? This question helps facilitate the integration of new information into existing knowledge and encourages participants to consider the big picture.
27. Can you provide a case study or example of how this concept has been successfully applied in the past? This question encourages participants to think about the real-world applications of the material and consider the successes and best practices of others.
28. What are some potential ethical considerations related to this concept? This question encourages participants to think critically about the potential moral or ethical implications of the material and consider the potential impact of their actions on others.
29. How does this concept relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion? This question encourages participants to consider the potential impact of the material on diverse populations and the importance of equity and inclusion in their work or personal lives.
30. How does this concept relate to sustainability or environmental responsibility? This question encourages participants to consider the potential impact of the material on the environment and the importance of sustainability in their work or personal lives.
31. How does this concept relate to global or cultural perspectives? This question encourages participants to consider the potential impact of the material on a global or cultural scale and the importance of diverse perspectives in their work or personal lives.
32. What are some potential benefits or drawbacks to implementing this concept? This question encourages participants to think critically about the potential consequences of implementing the material and weigh the pros and cons.
33. How could you measure the effectiveness or success of implementing this concept? This question encourages participants to think about how they could assess the impact of the material and determine if it is meeting its intended goals.
34. How could you adapt or modify this concept to better suit your needs or goals? This question encourages participants to think creatively about how they could tailor the material to fit their specific needs or goals.
35. How could you share this concept with others in your organisation or community? This question encourages participants to consider the importance of sharing their new knowledge with others and think about effective ways to do so.
36. What resources or support would you need to successfully implement this concept? This question encourages participants to think about the resources and support they may need to effectively apply the material and identify potential barriers to implementation.
37. How could you continue to learn and grow in this area going forward? This question encourages participants to think about their own ongoing learning and development and identify ways to continue to grow and improve in this area.
38. What if we approached this problem from a completely different perspective?- This question encourages participants to think creatively and consider alternative viewpoints or approaches to problem-solving.
39. How might this situation be viewed differently by someone from a different cultural background? - This question encourages participants to consider diverse perspectives and challenge their own biases and assumptions.
40. What if we removed the constraints or limitations that we currently face?- This question encourages participants to think creatively and consider the potential impact of removing current constraints or limitations on problem-solving.
41. How might this problem be solved if we had unlimited resources or time? - This question encourages participants to think creatively and consider the potential impact of having more resources or time on problem-solving.
42. What would be the ideal solution to this problem, and how can we work towards it? - This question encourages participants to think creatively and consider the ultimate goal or desired outcome for problem-solving and how to work towards it.
43. How can we challenge our assumptions and biases to come up with new and creative solutions?- This question encourages participants to think critically about their own biases and assumptions and consider how they may be influencing their problem-solving approaches.
44. What are some unconventional or outside-the-box ideas for solving this problem?- This question encourages participants to think creatively and consider non-traditional or innovative approaches to problem-solving.
45. How can we use our creativity and imagination to come up with new and innovative solutions? - This question encourages participants to think creatively and tap into their imagination to generate unique and effective solutions.
46. What if we approached this problem as if it had never been tackled before? - This question encourages participants to think creatively and consider what new approaches or solutions might be possible if they approached the problem with a fresh perspective.
47. How can we think creatively and divergently to develop unique and effective solutions? - This question encourages participants to think creatively and consider a wide range of possible solutions in order to come up with unique and effective approaches to problem-solving.
48. I left the last three questions to you! What further questions would you ask?!- This question encourages you to think about what you have already been asking and what further questions you may ask now!

If you want a full list of these, welcome to copy-paste them from our website at:

https://nexperk.com/articles/50-questions-facilitators-can-ask-participantslearners

And, if time allows, have a sneaky peak at our workshops, including Human Powerskills, Leadership Essentials and Sales Workshops.

Nexperk Human Powerskills Workshops

• The Creative Solutionist
• Communication Game-Changer
• The Storyteller's Playbook
• EQ Starter Kit
• Discovering Your Resilient Superpowers
• Negotiation Bootcamp
• Empowering Your Influence
• Mastering Time
• The Office Pro Series: Outlook, OneNote, and Excel