Leadership Sr. Consultant, Executive Coach at Slalom Consulting, and Co-Founder of Hybrid Leadership Institute.
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"He monologues like a James Bond villain," joked a coworker about the meeting organizer over an instant message as we each clicked open a meeting invite for yet another video conference call. From "keep calm and carry on" to "keep apart and stay connected," we have all had to reconfigure how we work and live during this pandemic era.
Each of us has had to recalibrate our expectations of meeting agendas and training objectives based on who's leading the session. Seeing specific names on our calendars give us either a happy hit of dopamine with a tinge of anticipation or a stressful surge of cortisol and a sigh of motivation.
Do you know which reaction you are causing when people see your name on their calendar? Well, the answer is visible on the faces of your invitees. You can confirm your assumptions by looking at their faces on your next video call to see how many have what I call "resting blank face."
In a world fueled by algorithms, people are the drivers of engagement. To put it simply, you are the "X" factor. And although not everyone can engage a group for the full duration of a meeting session or training course, it is crucial to understand how to be the individual whose meetings add value and create high engagement with others.
Statistics show that poor facilitation of meetings and training harm productivity. In a survey conducted by Korn Ferry, 67% of respondents reported that "spending too much time in meetings and on calls distracts them from making an impact at work." In that same study, 35% admitted that, rather than decline a meeting, they would still attend even if they knew it was not going to be productive. Imagine the waste with one in three attendees not contributing. According to a study by 24X7 Learning, an online training company, only 12% of employees apply new skills learned in training for their job. This translates to approximately eight out of 10 people in a training program who are there just nodding along or nodding off.
Whether you're running a workshop or leading a meeting, facilitating in a virtual environment requires unique preparation, partnership and performance. Elevate substance over style without sacrificing content and value by applying The Facilitator Mindset. The framework is based on different perspectives taken from expert facilitators and designed to maximize virtual and in-person settings.
Here's how to improve your facilitation skills to give your colleagues and clients a better virtual experience by utilizing these five dimensions of The Facilitator Mindset:
1. Front: You're the cruise director, master of ceremonies and the charismatic presenter who ensures your audience knows where they are going and how to get there. You are leading the charge with executive presence, but it's not really about you; you're fostering a connection with participants, offering direction and purpose while creating space for others to step up and share their knowledge.
2. Back: From monitoring the chat to creating the quality of the environment, you're in service of the participant even when the attention is not on you. You're managing the behind-the-scenes work that supports the facilitator upfront so the facilitator can focus on the needs of the participants.
3. Together: A partnership around a shared vision and supporting each other's strengths generate a robust and diverse synergy. Building on each other's contributions leads to a session in which the whole is much larger than the sum of its parts.
4. Outside: From the outside looking in, you're paying attention to where the energy is and where it isn't, asking powerful questions to strengthen discussions. You help draw out diverse perspectives from participants verbally and via the chat.
5. Inside: Practicing self-awareness and managing personal stressors puts you in the headspace to lead the session and create a better experience for all participants. You're a fully present leader and make conscious, creative choices internally that serve your audience.
Employing these five perspectives will transform how you facilitate and your audience will look forward to your next session when they see your name pop up on their calendar. Feel free to reach out for more insights on how to apply these skills in your respective spaces.
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