Always right?
Always.
The audience always knows more than the facilitator. If you, the facilitator, think you are smarter than the audience, leave the room. You are not smarter, just more arrogant.
The beginning of your work as a facilitator is to survey the audience before you are introduced:
- Do a quick audit as the participants enter the room.
- Say your name, ask for their name and what they hope will happen during the allotted time.
- Take mental notes.
- Scribble their responses on a pad if possible.
- If you have a co-worker, have that person record the audits.
- Begin your presentation with a summary of what you heard.
Make sure the audit is as large as possible. The beginning and the end of the session will be the most memorable and important.
Begin your session with what you heard without any editing. Announce everything, the profound, the silly, the frivolous, the giddy, and the flippant. Leave nothing out. When finished, ask the group if they have anything to add. Repeat what the participants say.
Keep asking for more input until there is silence, then say, “I want you to know that I flunked mind-reading in the first grade. In the second grade, I learned to wait. So, I’m waiting. This is still your chance to add to the brilliance of this audience.”
Put yourself in the chair of the audience, and emotionally become a member of the audience.
The skilled facilitator may even do as some politicians do: have an audience member planted to react with you. Example, an extraverted audience member named LIZ, agrees to work with you. During the beginning of the session, you might end the introduction by saying, SOMEONE SUGGESTED THAT I SHOULD NOT ASK LIZ any questions. Is there someone here named LIZ?
LIZ stands and waves her hands. “Here I am.”
‘What am I not supposed to ask you, Liz?”
“What I did last night. Don’t ask that.” Liz sits down.
Wait for the laughter to subside and then proceed with the agenda which hopefully emerges from the audit. Have your colleague or co-worker record the audit on a white board, and each time you address an item, cross it off and move to the next item.
If you reach an item foreign to your knowledge or experience, ask the audience for help. “I don’t have any idea what this item is or means. Can anyone help?”
If you are unable to cover all the audited items, name them and ask the audience to do the same. If there is to be a next session, promise that they will be addressed. If this is a standalone session, apologize for not being able to cover all items and end the session with your summary of what happened.
Complimenting the audience for specific things will enhance your credibility and their gratitude.
If all goes well, sing the Alleluia Chorus to yourself while smiling.
