Article by Director of Leadership and Executive Coach, Stan Peake. The article was originally featured on Business 2 Community.
Unlocking the full potential of your facilitated sessions involves considering your R.O.F. (Return On Facilitation). In business, we often assess ROI, but optimizing the benefits of facilitated sessions requires strategic planning and execution. As a certified executive coach and corporate facilitator, I’ll guide you through 8 strategies to enhance your pre-facilitation preparation and in-session practices, ensuring a higher return on your investment.
Pre-facilitation Preparation:
To create the most enjoyable, productive, and focused environment possible, we recommend these eight steps.
- Identify Key Issues: Collaboratively determine the central challenges facing your organization, using tools like SWOT analysis or directives from stakeholders.
- Define Intended Outcomes: Clearly outline the goals and expected outcomes of the facilitated session, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.
- Select Key Participants: Choose participants based on expertise and relevance to the session’s focus, rather than sheer job titles, to maximize engagement.
- Understand Personalities: Communicate with both the facilitator and your team about key personalities, fostering a more inclusive and effective environment.
- Share Agenda in Advance: Foster collaboration by sharing the agenda beforehand, allowing team members to provide input and feel more invested in the process.
- Set Team Up for Success: Provide ample notice for data-driven tasks and assessments, allowing analytical team members the time they need to excel.
- Ensure Comfort: Keep team members energized and focused by providing sufficient coffee, water, and snacks throughout the session.
- Be Organized: Double-check all logistical aspects, from technology setup to travel directions, ensuring a seamless and productive session.
In-Session Best Practices:
In addition to the above pre-session considerations, here are 8 in-session best practices to consider:
- Frame the Agenda: Begin each day with a clear agenda overview, highlighting key points and any relevant updates from the previous day.
- Communicate Logistics: Share important information such as break times, meal schedules, and emergency procedures, especially if the session is held in an unfamiliar location.
- Encourage Open Brainstorming: Create a safe space for idea generation by refraining from immediate debate to promote a culture of psychological safety.
- Set Ground Rules: Establish session-specific ground rules to maintain order and encourage active participation.
- Chunk the Agenda: Organize the agenda into sections that align with the cognitive and emotional demands of each topic, optimizing engagement.
- Conclude with Action: Wrap up each section with clear action items, assigned accountability, and predefined assessment criteria.
- End Positively: End the session on a high note, fostering team cohesion through appreciation exercises or team-building activities.
- Collect Feedback: Gather anonymous feedback from participants to assess the effectiveness of the session and identify areas for improvement.
Conclusion:
By implementing these 8 Pre-session and 8 In-session strategies, you can transform facilitated sessions into powerful tools for organizational growth.
Remember, the time invested in these sessions can either be a sunk expense or a valuable investment in your organization’s health and future. It’s within your control to elevate your R.O.F. and make the most out of every facilitated opportunity.