Chapter News

As project managers, we all do it: facilitating meetings. Sometimes, it feels like it's our core business… when we start a new planning, brainstorm new ideas, have a retrospective… This is so much more than just running a meeting; it's about guiding a group toward meaningful outcomes. It's about creatively energizing the team so they leave the room with concrete results.

But if it's that important, why do we spend so little time improving our skills to facilitate impactful sessions? I recently went to a training focusing only on this topic. I thought I had some skills in my pocket to do the job. But I came home with a backpack full of knowledge and practical experience in setting up the different kinds of sessions and so many working methods; my head was drizzling, and I wanted to use them all! And… it was so much fun!

It all starts with the intake and preparation, whether you are your own client or have someone who defines the assignment. You must determine the purpose of the session, the team, and the location.

Next, the design of the workshop. It all has a start, a middle, and an end. Each has its own purpose and needs.

1. At the start, you focus on an icebreaker and warming up for the central part of the session.
2. In the middle, for example, you want to generate new ideas during a brainstorming session. Different techniques can be used to facilitate the process of idea generation. Everyone knows the idea brain dump, but if ideas dry up, you have various other options like negative brainstorming, using superheroes, or storyboards.
3. With so many ideas, you have to make choices. To keep your workshop engaging and productive, you can use techniques like dot voting, love baby, and impact matrix, but many more options are possible.
4. Don’t forget to schedule time for the last part, the wrap-up and evaluation! It defines how people leave the room. You not only ask for feedback on the session, but you also align the next steps. And, of course, there are different techniques to be used during this part also!

As you can imagine, some power skills are essential to run a successful workshop, like active listening, conflict resolution, questioning techniques, and time management.

Mastering your facilitation skills will give you a boost in getting results for your projects. Different ways exist, such as training, books, and templates available online or by joining a facilitation community. And most importantly, practice and see what works for you in different situations.