Facilitation Is A Superpower, And Resources To Help You Get Better At It
When you think of facilitation, you might picture someone standing at the front of a room managing a meeting agenda. But facilitation is so much more—it's a philosophical approach to leadership that fundamentally shapes how we work with others.
At its core, facilitation is about handling people dynamics and steering humans toward achieving a shared goal. It's the art of making complex group processes easier, more productive, and more meaningful for everyone involved.
Over the years, learning about facilitation has transformed my approach to leadership, both philosophically and practically. It’s helped me not just run meetings and workshops successfully, but has reshaped how I think about working with humans, and given me tools to help groups of people achieve their goals. Throughout my own journey of learning to facilitate better, I've gathered resources that I’ve passed on to many others over time, and I'm excited to share them with you.
TL;DR
Facilitation is a mindset and approach to help steer humans toward achieving shared goals
Anyone can benefit from strengthening their facilitation skills, regardless of their role
Great facilitation increases meeting effectiveness, builds confidence in group settings, and provides frameworks for navigating complex team dynamics
Power dynamics between managers and reports require special consideration when facilitating
A curated collection of books, tools, and resources to help you develop your facilitation practice
Who Needs Facilitation Skills?
I firmly believe that anyone can benefit from learning to facilitate:
Technical leads, engineers, and product managers working with people
Those with dedicated people management responsibilities
Anyone who regularly runs or participates (!) in meetings, workshops, or other gatherings
If your work involves collaborating with humans (and whose doesn't?), facilitation skills will make a meaningful difference in your effectiveness. You don’t have to be a designated meeting leader or facilitator to bring facilitation to the table!
Why Facilitation Skills Transform Your Leadership
Facilitation skills are a powerful addition to your leadership toolkit. They help you:
Increase your confidence in running meetings and workshops while adapting to different groups' needs
Think holistically about the complexities of guiding people towards goals
Plan more effective gatherings where people come together to work (meetings, workshops, off-sites/on-sites)
Make better use of your group members’ time and achieve collective goals more consistently
Hone your group dynamics instincts based on adult learning principles
Navigate challenging conversations with more skill and less anxiety
A Note on Power Dynamics
If you have people reporting to you and you're facilitating conversations with them, be mindful of the inherent power imbalance. This dynamic can make it more difficult to have candid discussions or create an environment where everyone feels they can contribute freely.
The best facilitator-leaders recognize this challenge and develop specific strategies to mitigate these power dynamics—something we'll explore in the resources below.
Essential Resources to Develop Your Facilitation Practice
Getting Started
Great leaders are facilitators. Facilitation is the skill of the future | Jakob Knutzen, Butter
Creative Leadership Means Facilitation with Arne van Oosterom - Available in both video and audio formats
Deep Dives
Training from the Back of the Room by Sharon L. Bowman - One of my all-time favorites for all things facilitation. Though technically about workshops, the thinking about facilitation and working with groups is universally applicable.
The Complete Guide to Designing and Running Brilliant Workshops and Meetings by Nikki Highmore Sims - An exceptional guide for anyone serious about facilitation.
Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making by Sam Kaner - Comprehensive and invaluable; especially their guide on group decison-making dynamics is really good.
Coaching People through Organizational Change, by Sue Noble and Amy Tarrant - Offers a similar mindset and useful exercises that translate well to facilitation contexts.
7 Rules for Positive, Productive Change by Esther Derby - I've learned a ton from this book and Derby’s work was instrumental in helping me rethink how I work with groups of humans.
People, Newsletters, and Podcasts to Follow
Workshops Work Podcast - Regular insights from facilitation experts
Practical Tools and Frameworks
If you’re looking to bring in new tools and exercises to mix up your meetings, these free libraries are a treasure:
Session Lab - An excellent platform covering facilitation fundamentals and offering a free library of exercises for meeting preparation.
Facilipedia by Mischief Makers - A facilitation encyclopedia
Toolbox Toolbox - Collection of facilitation methods
Butter's Facilitation Toolkit Guide - Curated collection of facilitation resources
Taking Your Facilitation Practice Further
The journey to becoming an excellent facilitator is ongoing. The best facilitators are lifelong learners who continually refine their approach based on new insights and experiences.
Start small by implementing one or two new techniques in your next meeting. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't, and gradually expand your repertoire. Consider finding a mentor or coach who can provide feedback on your facilitation style.
Remember that great facilitation isn't about having all the answers—it's about asking the right questions and creating the conditions for groups to discover solutions together.
Your Turn
What's one facilitation technique or approach you're excited to try? I'd love to hear about your experiences implementing these ideas in your leadership practice.
