Great facilitators aren't always subject matter experts. In fact, they may know very little about the workshop's topic. A successful facilitator acts in service of others and knows when to lead from the back, as well as from the front.
Jay Melone believes that being a great facilitator requires a unique mindset. He stresses that to be a good facilitator, you must practice curiosity, patience and leave your concerns about being the expert behind. After meeting Jay earlier this year, I couldn't wait to talk to him about his approach to facilitating, both as an expert in the field and as a "shy extrovert".
Jay is the Founder and Principal Facilitator at New Haircut, an innovation strategy firm. He shared many thoughtful insights into a facilitator's role and how you can effectively lead a group, even if you're not comfortable being the centre of attention. I hope this episode inspires you to step outside of your comfort zone and facilitate with confidence.
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Questions and Answers
[01:28] – When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?
[02:27] – What makes a good facilitator
[06:15] – To what extent is a facilitator a mix between a journalist and an engineer?
[09:40] – What is your experience placing yourself as a facilitator? Do you facilitate from the centre of the conversation or from the side?
[20:01] – What did you learn about being a participant in an 1,800 person workshop?
[21:36] – Do you think it's easier or more difficult for an introvert, or shy facilitator, to guide groups online versus on-site?
[28:42] – What would you advise aspiring facilitators who think they’re too shy to be a good facilitator?
[34:56] – What makes a workshop fail?
[36:06] – How do you know when your workshop is failing due to a design problem or an external problem caused by the group?
[44:01] – What is your favourite exercise?
[48:35] – How do you trust yourself to lead your team?
[52:51] – What is the main takeaway from our conversation?
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