FACILITATOR SKILLS AND TIPS

FACILITATOR SKILLS AND TIPS

Here are a few more points to remember that will help to maximize your role as a facilitator:

DON'T MEMORIZE A SCRIPT

Even with a well-prepared agenda and key points you must make, you need to be flexible and natural. If people sense that you are reading memorized lines, they will feel like they are being talked down to, and won't respond freely.

WATCH THE GROUP'S BODY LANGUAGE

Are people shifting in their seats? Are they bored? Tired? Looking confused? If folks seem restless or in a haze, you may need to take a break, or speed up or slow down the pace of the meeting. And if you see confused looks on too many faces, you may need to stop and check in with the group, to make sure that everyone knows where you are in the agenda and that the group is with you.

ALWAYS CHECK BACK WITH THE GROUP

Be careful about deciding where the meeting should go. Check back after each major part of the process to see if there are questions and that everyone understands and agrees with decisions that were made.

SUMMARIZE AND PAUSE

When you finish a point or a part of the meeting process, sum up what was done and decided, and pause for questions and comments before moving on. Learn to "feel out" how long to pause -- too short, and people don't really have time to ask questions; too long, and folks will start to get uncomfortable from the silence.

BE AWARE OF YOUR OWN BEHAVIOR

Take a break to calm down if you feel nervous or are losing control. Watch that you're not repeating yourself, saying "ah" between each word, or speaking too fast. Watch your voice and physical manner. (Are you standing too close to folks so they feel intimidated, making eye contact so people feel engaged?) How you act makes an impact on how participants feel.

OCCUPY YOUR HANDS

Hold onto a marker, chalk, or the back of a chair. Don't play with the change in your pocket!

WATCH YOUR SPEECH

Be careful you are not offending or alienating anyone in the group. Use swear words at your own risk!

USE BODY LANGUAGE OF OUR OWN

Using body language to control the dynamics in the room can be a great tool. Moving up close to a shy, quiet participant and asking them to speak may make them feel more willing, because they can look at you instead of the big group and feel less intimidated. Also, walking around engages people in the process. Don't just stand in front of the room for the entire meeting.

DON'T TALK TO THE NEWSPRINT, BLACKBOARD OR WALLS--THEY CAN'T TALK BACK!

Always wait until you have stopped writing and are facing the group to talk.

Regards,

Sumit Tripathi

Trainer

ACF-SEDI