Become a facilitator

1. You are a role model! Create engaging contact by smiling and assuming a warm, appreciative, and tolerant attitude. Listen, listen, listen, speak and listen!

2. Trust yourself, your plan and process. Your script is a guide not the law. Be ready to change course on the way and keep plan B in reserve. Use what happens in the room and trust your own gut feeling.

3. Even though you might stand center-stage, you are not the star. It is the participants’ thoughts and views that you need to shed light on.

4. Be yourself. And be the best version of yourself. Concentrate on your strengths and work on developing the sides of yourself where you are challenged.

5. Be self-reflecting. And take your time to consolidate your experience after the workshop with a colleague, supervisor, or mentor.

6. Create a safe space/room and a good framework for dialogue to take place. Some of the things that can affect that space and ultimately the involvement of each participant:

• Disturbances (cellphones, noise: easy or difficult to hear)
• Comfort and temperature
• Size of the room (big or small)
• View of whiteboard and facilitator (Make sure everyone can see and hear you!)
• Make sure to greet everyone personally.

7. Create good rules that you agree on, so that everybody feels comfortable. You can do this as an activity. Frustration will occur when the group does not know what is going to happen and when the rules are not followed. Examples that you can adapt to your context could be:

• Smoking rules
• Timetable for the activities and the breaks
• Prayer times
• What you expect from the participants, like practicing punctuality!
• Respecting differences and encouraging people to be tolerant and respectful of others.
• Listening to each other.