Facilitation Technique: How To Explain A Workshop Exercise

[@AJSmart]

🤔 Do you sometimes struggle with getting participants to understand the workshop exercises? What other methods do you use to explain your exercises clearly? Leave your answers in the comments below 👇 ➡And if you want to learn more about Facilitation and Workshopping then check out our FREE TRAINING 👉 go.ajsmart.com/start

[@El-yf3jm]

Yes, makes sense. Really useful reminder - thank you! And it's not just about 1 way of doing it - it's about that 1 way and being as specific as possible (just like you said the rectanglar yellow post it note's etc versus saying grab a post it note. )...In fact my sense is that the clearer we are in which material a client or participant should use (thick black pen, 10 red dots etc etc) the more safe the participant feels and is able to trust in the experience and allow ideas to flow through without feeling confused or anxious by small things...I also think using the same props as a facitator helps create a sense of safety and confidence in each workshop. My experience as an actress anyway, or a former one, is that props can really help us to feel more grounded and present somehow. So which one's we use and how we use them, really does make a difference!

[@DavidMathew82]

I agree that clarity and confidence are key. As far as instructing activities I've found having a visible example that clearly shows what to do is also helpful. This way if people were unclear or need a reference they have something easy to refer to during the activity. For this I've used an instruction slide, a written example on a whiteboard or flip chart. If you have common activities or just some extra time before a workshop preparing these before hand is useful so you can put them up quickly when you want the reference to be there.

[@AJSmart]

You're spot on David! Showing a clear example is one of the best ways to make an exercise understandable and to ensure that everyone is able to do the exercises correctly. Thanks for sharing!

[@wvvwwwvvw]

Also made that mistake, exactly about the amount of voting dots. I gave it as an option of 5 or 7, whichever they prefer.. but it didnt make me even feel confident about what I am doing, to be honest. So I can fully relate to the point given here! Thanks, Jonathan.

[@robnelson4510]

Yes, I've been specific like that with some exercises I run. There are also exercises where only the outcomes are specified, because there's some really valuable learning that comes from debriefing the different ways the results can be achieved and the various assumptions people make on that particular journey. Some lessons are better learned from practical experience rather than from theory books.

[@AJSmart]

Thanks for sharing Rob! Being flexible and able to adapt and improvise during a workshop is one of the most useful skills that a facilitator can have. If from experience you already know that the outcome is the most important thing for a specific exercise then that's the way to go. Cheers

[@cillboon]

After I explain the exercise I'll use ICQs or instruction checking questions such as, do you have 3 red dot votes? Yes. How many minutes do you have to do the exercise? 2 minutes. Can you work in pairs? No. Solo. The questions are simple and basic and the responses are Yes, No or the answer. Don't overcomplicate it. It's simply a check of the instructions you gave. It also helps those people who weren't listening the first time.

[@AJSmart]

Ohhh that's a great method William! Thanks for sharing!

[@shawncramer374]

I must know what paper you are so passionate about!

[@AJSmart]

😂 😂 You can't imagine how passionate Jonathan can get about just regular rectangular yellow post-its. He loves it. Cheers!!

[@rolfschierkowski8869]

The thing is that my in-house participants just don't give a shit. They just do what they want. For them this doesn't seem to be a real issue.

[@AJSmart]

Sorry to hear that Rolf. In some occasions working with in-house participants can be even more challenging than working with external participants because there is some sense of familiarity and the workshop might feel like a normal part of daily work and not necessarily as an essential way of solving problems. Maybe you can check out our free facilitation guidebook to learn a few techniques that might help : go.workshopper.com/facilitation-gb You might also find some valuable information about facilitation and workshopping in our youtube channel. I hope this was helpful. Have a great day!

[@charlesgoldstein4508]

You lost me at saying like constantly in the first minute or two. Just thought that might be helpful.