Presentation Skills: Be More Productive Using a Facilitator Mode

There are many definitions for presentations. When you present there are also many different modes you can focus on. Are you a facilitator or an educator? The mode of facilitator is often misused in the corporate world and interchanged with words like trainer and educator. Facilitation is an exceptional skill, once you learn this skill you can boost your productivity and it can make you a better presenter.

A true facilitator is all about creating an environment where people feel safe and able to share their ideas freely. I believe the facilitator's role is to act as a conduit. The first process a facilitator will undertake is to create operating agreements with their audience. It is the facilitator's role to remove any blockages and conflicts within the group. They allow the thought processes of the group to be processed and expressed. They are responsible for establishing an environment that does that.

If this is a mode you are interested in developing yourself, the main proficiencies for this mode include:

Removing personal agenda - a facilitator's role is to set the agenda with the group, not be running their own personal agenda. It is more powerful to seek to fill the agenda of the team and you will be more engaging to your audience.

Creating trust - this can be established in many ways for a presenter. It can occur before the presentation with communications circulated to the attendees, it can be built into the introduction for the facilitator and it can also be established when the agenda is set.

Respecting diversity - valuing each person's input and recognising the variety of expertise and experience within the audience is the sign of a great facilitator.

Having active listening skills - one of the most important skill for any facilitator is the need to be able to listen and process what the audience is saying ... and quickly. Listening intently will assist this.

A good facilitator may take several hours or days to create an environment where all the work may finally come together in the last hour. Don't be fooled ... some may think a facilitator comes into a presentation or meeting unprepared but that is not the case. An exceptional facilitator spends time preparing by taking a comprehensive brief from the client, researching the group/audience they will be working with and determining the questions that need to be asked to facilitate the best environment.

A quick note: Many organisations choose to bring in external facilitators to work with teams to achieve objectives. An external facilitator is neutral, doesn't participate in office politics and is not influenced by the management hierarchy. If you team is grid locked or not co-operating, an external facilitator can be a great solution for you.

In a true facilitation style you may not even have the first question for your audience! Every discussion is a question i.e. does this feel right for you? Every facilitator should have an arsenal of great questions in their tool kit. Those questions include:

How is that working for you?
How do you feel about that?
I'm having trouble understanding that?
Does anyone want to add anything to that?
What's that a part of?
If you knew the answer to that, what would it be?
In your experience, is that correct?
Does that ring true for you?
What do you need to get more out of this?
So what else is coming up?
If you had more time, what would the answer be?
If you knew the answer, what would it look like?
What is the biggest problem with the world?
What is the biggest issue with the world?

Facilitators are able to hold the space in tension to understand. They don't try to fill the silence. They are able to capture conversations, check people's understanding and expose all opinions. Learning questioning techniques will increase your mastery of this mode.

Here is a Facilitation checklist for you to help build your skills in this mode ask yourself the following questions:

Do you have an arsenal of questions?
Are you an active listener?
Can you "hold the space" in the tension?
Can you continually ask questions rather than try and find solutions to the discussions?

When you master this facilitation mode you will become a more powerful and engaging presenter. This skill can assist you when you have a tough audience, when you need to change the environment and when you are helping a client find a solution.

Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy ? and where they focus their attention ? Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://neenjames.com/

---

10 Tips For Bringing Your Event To Life

Your job as an event planner doesn't stop with the... Read More

Be Bold, Branded, and Bespoke - Your Customers Want You to Choose

I had been working on a logo idea for several... Read More

Improve Your Bottom Line with What You Say

When was the last time you thought about what you... Read More

The End is the Beginning

People remember best what you say last. In a presentation,... Read More

7 Myths That Make Meetings Miserable

Myth 1: Executives belong in meetings.Although the demands of business... Read More

Steps to a Successful Audience/Trainer Relationship

A major cause of trainers being unreceptive to their audience... Read More

Preparation for Your Presentations

(Excerpted From the Jim Rohn Millennium Weekend Event)Persistence in your... Read More

Powerpoint Sales Presentations Are Boring - Stop It!

As the meeting began, the project manager of the buying... Read More

27 Tips For An Effective Presentation

So you're not a professional speaker. That's no excuse for... Read More

The Who, What, Where and When of Color In Your Documents

This article will help you to assess and maximise the... Read More

How to Give a Great Speech

As a former owner of a National Speakers Bureau, I... Read More

Story Telling As a Business Tool

Long long ago, it was the time when time itself... Read More

Total Recall: How to Remember Your Speech Without Memorizing

We all fear that moment. You look out on a... Read More

Qualities of Good Communication

Webster's Dictionary defines communication as "a giving or exchanging of... Read More

Group Meetings: Being Prepared Makes a Difference

MANAGING MEETINGS--BEING PREPARED MAKES A DIFFERENCE: You can schedule all... Read More

Shamus Browns Top 5 Sales Presentation Tips

When its time to give your next sales presentation, here... Read More

Why You Need a Lesson Plan

LESSON PLAN DEVELOPMENT: Lesson plans, believe it or not, are... Read More

Polishing Your Sales Presentation

Summer is here! It's time to bring out your summer... Read More

Tips to Temper Speaking Anxiety

People take it for granted that leaders have achieved some... Read More

Cell Phone Dos And Dont During A Meeting

What would we do without our cell phones? Wow, there's... Read More

The Seven Deadly Sins of Presentations

Every day, so many tens of thousands of innocent clients... Read More

Media Training 101: Mastering the Television Interview

As I travel around the world I always enjoy sampling... Read More

Grand Opening: The Key To Great Presentations

Whether you are speaking in front of a civic group... Read More

How You Can Save On Conference Calling

In recent years, companies have recognized the need to expand... Read More

Choosing a Company Shirt vendor

Where can you choose a company shirt vendor? There are... Read More

Keeping Meetings Productive

KEEPING MEETINGS PRODUCTIVE: Whether participants approve or disapprove of an... Read More

How To Run Your Greatest Conference Ever

Like most good achievements, a magnificent meeting depends on planning... Read More

PowerPoint Presentations: How to Use This Tool More Effectively

Many of us use PowerPoint to convey a message to... Read More

Incorporate Humor in Your Next Speech

Some speakers say, "I could never use humor in my... Read More

Facilitating Panel Discussions

A client recently called to say she was going to... Read More

Four Different Ways People Process Your Information

There are four different ways that audience members assimilate information.... Read More

Ten Tips on Using Flip Charts and Whiteboards

Flip charts are so common that we all think we... Read More

Audience Respect

One of the biggest mistakes most presenters make is in... Read More