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A step-by-step guide to planning a workshop

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cycle of workshop planning steps

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A young woman reading a book in a library

The top 11 most recommended facilitation books you’ll want to read

Looking to fill your bookshelf (or e-reader) with essential texts on facilitation and workshop design? This is the place to be!  Here at SessionLab, we've surveyed over a thousand facilitators, trainers, and leaders to uncover their top go-to facilitation books. Read on to find the 11 recommendations not to be missed! Reading facilitation books will help you understand the deeper roots of the role, give you a bedrock of activities and tools and of course, if you are purchasing these as actual books and putting them on a shelf, will also provide you with a lovely and appropriate background for all your video calls.  Why facilitation books matter Facilitation is…

Facilitators presenting at a whiteboard

What to keep in mind when hiring a facilitator

When a group faces tough challenges, effective facilitation can help create space for inclusive and engaging change. But when should you consider bringing in a professional facilitator to host a workshop or event? How can you ensure it's a worthwhile investment of your time and money? In this guide, we'll explore what to keep in mind when choosing to hire a facilitator, what to expect from them, and give you some idea of the cost of a facilitator's services too! Understanding the role of a facilitator Before diving into the specifics of hiring, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of what a facilitator does and how they'll be able…

What is group facilitation? 12 tips for better group management

Group facilitation is more than just bringing people together in a room and hoping for the best. It’s about removing obstacles and creating the right conditions where collaboration can thrive. When a meeting or event flows well, it can feel like magic. But it actually isn't: you can easily improve your day-to-day meetings or stakeholder events by applying some simple group management tips. In this article, we’ll explore what makes group facilitation effective and share 12 tips to help you bring out the best in any group you’re working with. What is group facilitation? Whenever a group of people assembles to get something done, there is a need for guidance…

Six icons representing the roles of a facilitator. A compass for guide, a heart for community builder, a flag for team coach, a microphone for host, a dove for peacebuilder and a checklist for experience designer

What is the role of a facilitator?

Facilitators play a crucial role in helping groups have productive discussions and make tough decisions. As a facilitator, understanding the various roles you might occupy during a workshop or meeting can help things flow seamlessly and ensure group discussions and training sessions are effective. In this post, I’ll explore the six roles of a facilitator and how to use them in your practice. Each one highlights a unique set of skills that facilitators use to help groups stay focused, energized, and productive — much more than simply handing out sticky notes. 6 roles of a facilitator Facilitation is a relatively new field of interest and, as such, we don’t really…

What is a facilitator and what do they do?

As a professional facilitator, there are certain questions I find it really hard to answer. Such basic, chit-chat-at-the-dinner-party questions, in fact, that it’s almost embarrassing. Questions like: What is a "facilitator"? Why do people hire you? What is it that you actually do? To get to the bottom of these matters I’ll be using my own experience, that of colleagues from my networks and, in particular, data drawn from the State of Facilitation in 2023 report, which is based on over 1100 responses to a global survey. If you are considering starting a career as a facilitator or want to brush up on your skills, read on to be prepared…

What is facilitation? Definition and principles

Facilitation is a powerful skillset that helps improve collaboration, generates results and improves group dynamics. But what does it truly mean to facilitate and approach situations like a skilled facilitator? How can managers, leaders and anyone running meetings and workshops learn to bring a facilitative approach to their work? In this post, we'll share a definition of facilitation before exploring the key principles of facilitation you can use to embody the approach successfully, whether you're looking to have more effective meetings, handle conflict and do more productive group work. Below, we'll explore the meaning of facilitation in simple terms while also giving you a better sense of the core principles…

a woman writing on a whiteboard with a sharpie pen

How to become a (professional) facilitator

Facilitation is moving into the mainstream, and getting increasingly recognized as a rapidly growing profession and an essential set of skills.  A quick look at Google Trends told me that worldwide searches for the word “facilitation” have almost doubled from 2019 to today. A recent uptick in interest may be credited to the new needs of complex remote-first or hybrid workplaces. Whatever the reason, facilitation is on the rise.  Do you want to improve the way you run meetings or manage teams in your current position, or to set up your own freelance business? In this article, we’ll look at all you need to know if you are interested in…

10 great facilitation training courses (and more ways to learn facilitation)

Where can I learn facilitation? What facilitation training courses should I attend? How useful is it to get certified? Over at SessionLab we hear these questions all the time.  We're dedicated to sharing the benefits of facilitation in the world and increasing the number of people with facilitation skills, so we put together a handy list of the best facilitation courses you can join, remotely or in person. Boost your career and increase your confidence in leading groups with these hand-picked and vetted facilitation training courses. Facilitation skills are considered “the best kept leadership secret” (that’s from a Forbes article) and a workplace superpower. Knowing how to design a meeting…

How to have a productive kickoff meeting (and empower your team!)

Have you ever been a part of a group project that went nowhere or was badly organized to the point of chaos? Perhaps no one knew who was accountable for what, everyone had a different idea of the goals, or the final results were poor. So, what went wrong? When it comes to empowering your team to do great work and complete projects, one of the most important things you can do is hold a kickoff meeting.   With a comprehensive project kickoff, you can position your team for success, create alignment and structure, and build resiliency to potential issues. By creating clarity, excitement, and preparedness in this short, focused meeting…

cycle of workshop planning steps

A step-by-step guide to planning a workshop

Going from a mere idea to a workshop that delivers results for your clients can feel like a daunting task. In this piece, we will shine a light on all the work behind the scenes and help you learn how to plan a workshop from start to finish. On a good day, facilitation can feel like effortless magic, but that is mostly the result of backstage work, foresight, and a lot of careful planning. Read on to learn a step-by-step approach to breaking the process of planning a workshop into small, manageable chunks.  The flow starts with the first meeting with a client to define the purposes of a workshop.…

design thinking process sticky notes

28 best Design Thinking tools and software

Design Thinking isn't just a buzzword. Bringing a human-centred design thinking process to your organization can help create meaningful solutions that solve the real problems your users are facing. But what tools exist to make design thinking more efficient and effective? In this guide, we'll share a working definition of design thinking and a collection of Design Thinking tools that will help you at every stage of the Design Thinking process. Since its debut in 1969 when Simon Herbert introduced the model in the Science of the Artificial, Design Thinking has revolutionized business models, processes of innovation and many aspects of product and service design. One of the reasons for…

What are facilitation skills and how to improve them?

Facilitation skills are the abilities you need in order to master working with a group. In essence, facilitation is about being aware of what happens when people get together to achieve a common goal, and directing their focus and attention in ways that serve the group itself.  When we work together at our best, we can achieve a lot more than anything we might attempt alone. Working with others is not always easy: teamwork is fraught with risks and pitfalls, but skilled facilitation can help navigate them with confidence. Facilitation can be a workplace superpower.  Whatever your position, career path, or life story, you probably have some experience in facilitation…

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