TWELVE ACTIVITIES THE BEST TRAINING FACILITATORS DO?

Some people lecture, some tell, some show, and some inform. But the very best trainers are facilitators who use a mix of all these teaching methods to help people learn.

So, what is it that the very best facilitators do on their workshops which helps participants transfer their learning to the workplace, and makes clients rave about them, and book more courses? Here are some tips.

The Best Facilitators ….

1.       Ask participants for their expectations of the workshop before getting into content. The participants then know what to expect, and the best facilitators can explain if the workshop is not going to cover something they are expecting (e.g. the classic expectation on time management courses is “I want to learn how to handle stress”. The time management course probably doesn’t cover stress management but a good facilitator will explain that it does cover how to “prevent stress”);

2.       Know their subject well, but use questions and discussions to engage the audience and draw answers out of them;

3.       Use a mix of teaching, lecturing, showing and informing and they know how to use it in face to face as well as virtual learning;

4.       Draw on participants’ real life experiences to help them understand the content, and apply it to their own jobs;

5.       Use a mix of skills practices, discussions, technology, video-clips, dynamic PowerPoint presentations, expert guest speakers, models, colour, experiential activities and personal learning contracts to help participants learn and transfer their learning to the workplace;

6.       Use flip charts (and strongly coloured pens) to brainstorm various learning points, and blu tack them around the training room (participants can then see the progress they have made as they look at the build-up of colourful learning charts in the room);

7.       Review the learning throughout the day, not just at the end of the workshop;

8.       Sit down when a participant is explaining something, or asking a question – and then take back control by standing when the participant is finished;

9.       Avoid “telling” or “answering” questions, and bravely use statements like “What does the group think?” or “Can anyone else answer that from your experience?” i.e. the best facilitators know the answer is in the room and that participants will learn more if they come up with the answers themselves;

10.   Are not afraid to allow participants to teach each other e.g. they may give a task to each table group which includes reporting back and teaching something to the whole group;

11.   Handles group conflict or poor training room behaviour professionally e.g. if a participant is disruptive give the group a discussion task, and ask the disruptive participant to come outside where you can have a private discussion about their behaviour – it’s a great way to take control of conflict in the classroom as you take the audience out of the equation; and 

12.   Use personal action plans to challenge participants to do something different back in the workplace as a result of their learning.