How can you innovate large group facilitation?

1 Understand the purpose

Before you plan any large group facilitation, you need to have a clear and shared understanding of the purpose of the session. What are the goals and outcomes that you and the participants want to achieve? How will you measure and evaluate the success of the session? How will you communicate and align the purpose with the participants and other stakeholders? Having a clear and shared purpose will help you design a process that is relevant, meaningful, and focused for the large group.

2 Design for diversity

Large groups are inherently diverse, with different perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and preferences. This diversity can be a source of richness and creativity, but also of conflict and confusion. To innovate your large group facilitation, you need to design for diversity, not against it. This means creating a safe and inclusive space where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued. It also means using a variety of methods and tools that cater to different learning styles, preferences, and needs. For example, you can use visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and digital modes of communication and interaction, as well as mix individual, small group, and plenary activities.

3 Foster participation

One of the main challenges of large group facilitation is to foster participation and engagement among the participants. How can you ensure that everyone has a voice and a stake in the process? How can you balance the input and output of information and ideas? How can you encourage dialogue and feedback among the participants? To foster participation, you need to use techniques and strategies that stimulate and sustain the interest and involvement of the participants. For example, you can use icebreakers, energizers, games, polls, surveys, and quizzes to warm up, activate, and motivate the participants. You can also use questions, prompts, challenges, and scenarios to elicit and provoke their thoughts, opinions, and experiences.

4 Facilitate collaboration

Large group facilitation is not only about sharing information and ideas, but also about collaborating and co-creating solutions. How can you facilitate collaboration among the participants? How can you leverage the collective intelligence and wisdom of the large group? How can you support the emergence of shared understanding and action? To facilitate collaboration, you need to use processes and structures that enable and enhance the cooperation and coordination of the participants. For example, you can use frameworks, models, templates, and canvases to guide and structure the collaboration. You can also use platforms, tools, and apps to support and document the collaboration.

5 Adapt to the context

Large group facilitation is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It depends on the context and the dynamics of the situation. How can you adapt to the context of the large group facilitation? How can you respond to the changing needs and expectations of the participants? How can you deal with the challenges and opportunities that arise during the session? To adapt to the context, you need to be flexible and agile in your facilitation. This means being prepared, but not rigid, in your design and delivery. It also means being attentive, but not controlling, in your observation and intervention. For example, you can use check-ins, feedback loops, and debriefs to monitor and adjust the process. You can also use improvisation, experimentation, and iteration to explore and refine the solutions.

6 Learn and improve

Large group facilitation is a continuous learning journey. How can you learn and improve your large group facilitation skills? How can you capture and share the insights and outcomes of the session? How can you celebrate and appreciate the contributions and achievements of the participants? To learn and improve, you need to use methods and tools that help you reflect and evaluate your facilitation. For example, you can use surveys, interviews, testimonials, and stories to collect and analyze the feedback and impact of the session. You can also use portfolios, blogs, podcasts, and videos to showcase and disseminate the results and learnings of the session.