9 Habits of Highly Effective Facilitators (Free Webinar)

Facilitating large groups is a highly delicate endeavor, where a single mistake, an erroneous judgment, or a lack of response can lead to losing the group’s commitment forever. In this article, I share nine principles derived from practical experience that can transform you into a highly effective facilitator, thereby minimising this risk.

With two decades of experience as a professional facilitator of design thinking innovation projects, I have led over 1000 workshops globally. Through numerous mistakes, unexpected challenges, and encounters with diverse human behaviours across cultures, I have gathered invaluable insights.

Yearly I train new facilitators of the proven?FORTH Innovation Method?sharing with them these nine facilitation principles. As you see below I wrote them on a whiteboard just a month go in Shonan, Japan, and decided at last to share them with the world as 'nine habits of highly effective facilitators', while there are actually ten ;-)!

I will introduce them one by one to you, starting each principle with the common facilitator mistake, the common group response and the principle which will make you a higly effective facilitator.

1. Non-Verbal impact is as important as your voice

It might not exactly be ninety percent, but non-verbal communication - eye contact, smiling, hand gestures - heavily influences how people in the room respond to you as facilitator.

Common mistake: The facilitator talks endlessly, instructing, explaining, answering questions in front of the group.

Common group response: The group gets bored, their thoughts wander off, and some people (in Japan) even fall asleep.

Effective principle: non-verbal impact is as important as your voice.

When you have ten, twenty or even more people in the room, for sure some of them are tired, some of them or not motivated, and some of them rather would be somewhere else. So to keep them 'onboard' not only the programme should be relevant, interesting and engaging but you as facilitator should be too! Be aware that when you are facilitating, you are onstage, and your body is as important as what you say. So you need to move around through the room engaging people actively, you might even kneel, jump, or ly on the floor, as I sometimes do. Moving your body is a great way to intervene too, for example when two persons are continually having private conversations. When you do two steps towards them, without saying anything, they will stop, as they feel your energy. So, be aware and starts using your body more to be an effective facilitator.

2. Balance act: onstage vs. offstage presence

A lot of facilitators are so dedicated to their role that they are continuously in the spotlights onstage.

Common mistake: The facilitator is always the focus point of the session, as he/she thinks that leading the process means being in front of - or in the middle of the group.

Common group response: The group is passive, as the facilitator is always there, demanding attention, and doing a lot of hard work.

Effective principle: Balance act: onstage vs. offstage presence.

An effective facilitator makes an engaging programme which makes the workshop itself a pleasant effective way of working. This makes that you only have to be a short time onstage to explain the next activity or facilitate presenting the results of the last activity. When you walk offstage, after the instruction, the group feels that it's up to them now. So, be aware that an effective facilitator is most of the time invisible offstage (drinking coffee ;-)).

3. Process leadership, not content control

Being in front of the group all the time as facilitator, you end up even presenting their results.

Common mistake: The facilitator is always upfront, even presenting the results or the outcomes of the activities done.

Common group response: The project leader and the participants remain passive and might even not feel complete ownership of the content.

Effective principle: process leadership, not content control.

A workshop is mostly part of a project, which would have a project leader. The most basic mistake is that the projectleader would facilitate the workshop with the group. It mostly ends in a complete mix-up of interests, and a disappointed group as the project leader leads to group in the direction he/she thinks is best. That's why effective workshops have a split between the content and the process. The project leader should be the one responsible for the content, and the facilitator leads the process. It means that a facilitator does all the instructions for the group activities, while the participants presents their own work, and the project leader present the results of for example a vote for the best option chosen.

A project leader and facilitator are like ying and yang: a great pair and complementary to each other with clear roles and their own responsibilities.

4. Group empowerment: delegate tasks

As facilitator you have so much on your mind, like are facilitating the process, facilitating the group, and creating a nice atmosphere. And most of you are handling the set-up of the venue too.

Common mistake: The facilitator, feeling responsible, is handling everything by him/herself.

Common group response: The group needs to wait for the next activity until the facilitator has re-arranged the room, and gets bored while the breaks get too long.

Effective principle: group empowerment: delegate tasks.

Facilitating the process does not mean that you have to do everything yourself. On the contrary. In my experience an engaged team will love to help you re-arranging the venue from a plenary setting to a break-out group setting or the other way around. If there are many activities to do, ask for help, and let the group do the work.

5. Triple Instruction: Show, Tell, Do

Instructing the workshop participants on what to do next, and how to do it ,is one of the most important tasks of a facilitator. Unfortunately that's where a lot group work takes a wrong turn.

Common mistake: Facilitators instruct the group what to do by telling them, and explaining it again, and again while it keeps being unclear.

Common group response: The groups hesitates to start an activity, everyone being puzzled by what to do next.

Effective principle: Triple instruction: show, tell, do.

Different people have different preferences when it comes to receiving instructions. Some participants may prefer listening to instructions, as it allows them to absorb information through auditory means. Others may prefer reading instructions, as it allows them to go at their own pace. Finally, some individuals may prefer watching instructions in the form of a demonstration, as it allows them to visually understand the process. Ultimately, it depends on the individual's learning style and personal preference.

That's why I formed the habit of 'Show it - Tell it - Do it'. I have written down the instructions on the (Miro) whiteboard as preparation, for everyone to read. Then I read the instructions out loud as facilitator, plenary in the group, and then I demonstrate the, by carrying out the task myself 'live' or on a digital whiteboard. In this way you have instructed the task three times, considerably reducing the chance of misunderstanding. So: Show it - Tell it - Do it.

6. The break is your best friend

As facilitator you have so many things on your mind at the same time. And sometimes, especially at my age, you just forget things or do not know what to do: "What's his/her name again?", "What's the next step?", "Somebody is sabotaging the workshop, now what ...".

Common mistake: Facilitators keep on continuing their workshop, even when they lost track of things.?

Common group response: The group senses the uncertainty and gets confused too.

Effective principle: The break is your best friend.

Of course you will lose track as facilitator during a full day workshop once or twice. It's a big deal leading a large group of individuals towards a common challenging goal during eight to ten hours. Now, there's one thing every participants likes now and then: a break. That's why, for a facilitator, the break is your best friend. So give everyone a break, especially when you lost track, forgot a name, or just to take a breath.

7. Give the opposite energy

Different activities during a workshop require a different energy from the group. Divergent activities like brainstorming are best done with a high energy level, while convergent tasks like voting or decision making work best when energy levels are lower.?

Common mistake: The facilitator mirrors the energy of the group, giving high energy to high energy groups, and low energy to low energy groups.

Common group response: Participants get extra high - or extra low in energy.

Effective principle: Give the opposite energy.

Suppose at the start of the workshop the project leader has disappointing news for the participants, lowering energy dramatically and your next task is to brainstorm new solutions, what do you do? Right, give opposite energy and energise them by being extra energetic and joyful yourself. Or just before voting and decision making, the group finds out somebody has his/her birthday and starts singing, what do you do? Right, give the opposite energy and slow them down by talking slower, with a lower voice to get them in the right mindset again for voting, giving the opposite energy.

8. The venue is your home

Being a facilitator is a very demanding profession, especially at workshops where there's a lot at stake, and the participants are tensed. With so many things on your mind just before the start of a workshop, you might feel nervous too.

Common mistake: At the start of a workshop with a lot at stake, you are as facilitator a little nervous with many last-minute things on your mind.?

Common group response: When a facilitator is nervous participants feel it, which feeds the uncertainty of the group.

Effective principle: Make the venue your home

At home I am my most relaxed me, and at my best. That's why I created the habit of being at home at the venue of the workshop. I always check in the afternoon, or night before the workshop at the venue. It gives me all the necessary time to change the room setting with plenary - and break-out workspace, time to check the strength of the wifi, time to talk with the hosts about the breaks - and lunch time, and to discuss the menu in all quietness. I invite the project leader too in the evening to discuss the final details of the programme. And when the participants enter the workshop room the next day, I can be the perfect relaxed host, as I made the venue my home the day before.

9. Be authentic

The perfect facilitator still needs to be born. I see a lot of different types of personalities, both extraverts and introverts, facilitating groups. And each one of us, me too, has his/her strengths and pitfalls.?

Common mistake: Being aware of your own pitfal, a facilitator tries to compensate his/her behaviour, like an introvert facilitator starting to cheer out loud encouraging people.

Common group response: when a facilitator is acting, participants sense it, and you lose authority.

Effective principle: Be authentic.

As facilitator try to be the best version of yourself, but never overdo it. Remaining authentic is the way to get and to keep the authority of the group, allowing you to lead their process.

These were the nine principles I learned in practice the last twenty years, leading over more than a thousand design thinking innovation workshops and trainings. And then recently, while training new facilitators in Japan, I discovered a new principle which I will explain below.

10. Never ask: "are there any questions?"

The facilitator in question I was training is called Yuji. He had three training slots to facilitate by himself, as part of his education. At the start, of course as junior facilitator, he did not do a 'show it-tell it-do it-instruction', but just told participants what to do. And he then said "are there any questions?". Of course there were endless questions. His thirty seconds instruction created a 'Q&A' session of more than ten minutes. And of course all the momentum and energy was gone.

His second time before the same group, he asked again "are there any questions?", and the same pattern was repeated. His facilitation moment was another disaster, and an ultimate moment of learning for him. After some coaching, he facilitated another slot the next day, with a well prepared 'show it-tell it-do it-instruction', without asking the question he should not ask. The group went to work immediately and it was a great success.

Common mistake: a facilitator asking in a big group plenary: "are there any questions?".

Common group response: Of course there are a lot of questions. Some people never stop asking questions, to great irritation of the rest of the group.

Effective principle: never ask "Are there any questions?"

It's our task as facilitator to get participants with instructions in the 'do-mode'. So after a 'show it-tell it-do it-instruction, get them to work: "... go ... go ... go ...!" When someone has a question answer them individually while the rest is performing the task!

Everyone can join us December 5th, 2023 from 13.00-14.00 CET for our webinar on the nine habits which will make you a highly effective innovator. Register for FREE here, then the link will open to the ZOOM registration. Do it now, as there are limited places.

These ten principles have guided me through over 10,000 hours of facilitation. By embracing these habits, you too can excel as a facilitator, whether you’re leading large group trainings, workshops, or meetings. Remember, continuous learning and adaptation are essential; even at 63, I consider myself a perpetual student in this ever-evolving field.

Innovative regards,

Gijs van Wulfen

Global Speaker on Innovation, Founder FORTH innovation method, LinkedIn Influencer 300.000+, Author of Management Book of the Year, Milano, Italy ????

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