The Facilitation Process
Notice how the Core Values show up in the following sections.
Be Prepared and Show up Early
Depending on what kind of group you are facilitating and how well you know the material, plan to spend some time preparing ahead of time. If you are not well-prepared, you could feel like a deer in the headlights if things don’t go as you expected.
You should arrive early to each session. You may have to set up the physical room before people get there and take care of things like making coffee or getting snacks ready. The way the room is set up makes a huge difference in the feeling of connection in the space.
When you are early, you also have time to get comfortable in the space, and relax.
Greet people as they arrive.
Power of Language
Words have power. Be aware of the power they wield and how deeply people can be affected by words. Notice how people are affected by language in the workshop.
As facilitators, we are aware of our language in regard to creating a sense of safety in the group. We want our words to be strength-based and to reflect hope.
We are aware of using people’s preferred pronouns. We remember to have people introduce themselves with their preferred pronouns, and ask people to include them on any name tags or place cards.
We take a decolonization mindset. We always remember to give time at the beginning of each session for a meaningful land acknowledgement. We are aware of how groups choose to identify themselves, and we use those preferred terms: Indigenous people, or First Nations, Métis, and Inuit.
We use inclusive language. Instead of saying something like “ladies and gentlemen” or “guys,” we say “folks.”
We are aware of avoiding stigmatizing language that could be triggering for participants. We choose to be intentional about avoiding words like “crazy,” “insane.”
We avoid words that create a hierarchy in the group.
When we mess up, we apologize, we say we will do better next time, and we move on.
We are also aware that words and language can mean different things to different people. When someone says something that could be open to interpretation (for example the words respect, or self-care) we ask the person to define what that means to them.
It’s Okay Not to Know
You do not need to know everything. It’s impossible to be knowledgeable on every single topic that could come up in a workshop. It’s expected that there will be questions that come up that you won’t have the answers to. Don’t make something up or share something you have a hunch about. It can cause damage to the group if you don’t own the fact that you just don’t know. When something comes up you don’t have the answer to, try the following:
- Ask the group! Draw on the wisdom in the room
- Look it up online or ask someone in the group to look it up
- Tell people you will research it and get back to them
You Don’t Have to be an Expert
Participants are the experts of their own experiences. Always honour that expertise.
Create a space where that w