Well-orchestrated workshops have something in common: (1) someone thought about their structure and (2) someone facilitates them. The ToThePoint eBook covers a good structure for an inception. This post uncovers some thoughts about the inception facilitator role.
The facilitator’s role during the inception workshop is focused on providing a guide “to lead the discussion” of the participants during the workshop. In order to do this, the facilitator is a person with great familiarity and experience with the workshop format, its collaborative nature and the sequence of activities to be carried out.
But beware, to lead the discussion does not mean that the facilitator is the main participant, but rather is a guide to promote the flow of ideas and activate conversations among everyone involved in the workshop.
Consequently, the work of the facilitator focuses heavily on making the inception workshop participants take responsibility, leadership and collaboration throughout all the planned activities.
But how should a facilitator behave? Here are some characteristics of the facilitator work during the workshop:
- The facilitator should have a higher level of vocal participation when explaining the process of inception, introducing the activities, and also when answering queries and questions about what is expected during the workshop and its activities.
- During the various discussions that will take place, the facilitator should take a completely neutral position without interfering at all during the decision making process. By contrast, the approach taken by the facilitator during discussions should focus on helping the group to follow the activities, identify their needs, solve their associated problems and make decisions about it.
- To achieve this, the facilitator provides structure to the activities and interactions of the participants, so they can reach the expected results in each activity effectively.
- Throughout the inception, the facilitator uses various techniques to give fluidity to the activities and close them, reaching the expected results (e.g. brainstorming and pomodoro techniques)
- Finally, the facilitator dominates the use of everything needed in the workshop: post-its, flip charts, markers, and also has special ability to organize spaces, moving chairs, rearranging tables and accommodating wall space.
In other words, the goal of the facilitator is to support the participants so that they can perform exceptionally well in each activity planned for the inception workshop, focusing on the process and content, and ensuring that the latter is generated according to the expectations and goals.
[content_block id=2985 slug=baixe-o-tothepoint]
