TABLE OF CONTENTS What's in This Chapter?
How facilitators differ from presenters
Nonverbal and verbal ways to encourage participation
Tips for responding to questions
Tips for dealing with challenging situations and participants
Standing up in front of a group and presenting information is one thing; facilitating discussion and participant interaction is another. Each endeavour requires a different skill set. If you accept the changing role of the trainer from teacher to facilitator then you will have to understand and develop facilitation skills.
| Key Point | Anytime you work with a group in a participant-centred environment instead of talking at that group, you are facilitating the learning process. Facilitation skills are particularly critical when you process or debrief activities because the debriefing session is where the real learning takes place. |
Your behaviour throughout the session sends a message that either encourages or discourages participation. Sometimes the messages are pretty straightforward; sometimes they are much more subtle. Those subtle messages, often communicated without our awareness, can have a very powerful effect.
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What you do often speaks more loudly than what you say. Use the power of these nonverbal communication techniques to encourage participation:
Eye contact. Be attentive to the group by making eye contact with all participants.
Head nodding. Nod your head to show understanding and encourage the participant to continue with his or her comments or questions.
Posture. Avoid defensive postures, such as folded arms. Be aware of your body language. For...
