What are the best ways to showcase LGF skills in a project management interview?

1 Prepare relevant examples

One of the most effective ways to showcase your LGF skills is to prepare specific examples of how you have used them in previous or current projects. Think of situations where you had to plan, facilitate, and evaluate a large group session, such as a workshop, a meeting, a training, or a consultation. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe the context, the objectives, the methods, and the outcomes of your facilitation. Highlight the challenges you faced, the strategies you applied, and the feedback you received.

2 Demonstrate your facilitation style

Another way to showcase your LGF skills is to demonstrate your facilitation style during the interview. This means showing how you communicate, listen, ask questions, and interact with others. You can do this by using active listening skills, such as paraphrasing, summarizing, and reflecting. You can also use open-ended questions, such as "What are your thoughts on this?" or "How would you approach this problem?" to elicit responses and opinions from the interviewer or the panel. Additionally, you can use body language, such as eye contact, nodding, and smiling, to convey interest and rapport.

3 Share your facilitation tools and techniques

A third way to showcase your LGF skills is to share your facilitation tools and techniques that you use or would use in your project management role. These can include methods for designing and structuring your sessions, such as agendas, objectives, ground rules, and icebreakers. They can also include techniques for engaging and managing your participants, such as brainstorming, voting, grouping, and debriefing. Moreover, they can include tools for capturing and documenting your results, such as flipcharts, sticky notes, online platforms, and reports. Explain how you choose and adapt your tools and techniques according to the purpose, the audience, and the context of your facilitation.

4 Show your awareness of LGF principles and best practices

A fourth way to showcase your LGF skills is to show your awareness of LGF principles and best practices that guide your facilitation. These can include principles such as participation, inclusion, diversity, empowerment, and learning. They can also include best practices such as setting clear expectations, creating a safe and respectful environment, providing feedback and recognition, and following up and evaluating your sessions. Demonstrate how you apply these principles and best practices in your facilitation and how you measure and improve your performance.

5 Highlight your LGF training and development

A fifth way to showcase your LGF skills is to highlight your LGF training and development that you have completed or are pursuing. This can include formal courses or certifications, such as the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) or the ToP Facilitation Methods (TFM) course. It can also include informal learning opportunities, such as webinars, podcasts, books, or blogs, that you have attended or accessed. Mention how these training and development activities have enhanced your LGF skills and how you apply them in your project management role.

6 Express your passion and enthusiasm for LGF

A sixth way to showcase your LGF skills is to express your passion and enthusiasm for LGF and how it benefits your project management role. This means showing how you enjoy and value facilitating large groups of people and how it helps you achieve your project objectives, such as delivering quality results, meeting deadlines, managing risks, and satisfying stakeholders. You can also share your vision and goals for LGF and how you plan to further develop your skills and contribute to the LGF community of practice. This will demonstrate your commitment and motivation for LGF and how it aligns with your project management career path.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?