Facilitate and flourish: Embracing a new season 

Exploring Psyche's Depths of Shadow and Transformation

Explore the art of great facilitation, interspersed with connection, curiosity and creativity with Fiona McBride

As we see seasons transition it prompts me to consider the potential for change and transformation within our learning and facilitation work. This could be the perfect opportunity to seek out opportunities to evolve our approach, try new tools and techniques, or explore new trends in learning and development. 

It’s useful to look at the areas you work in and explore strategies for continual improvement

Looking up

When I work with learning and development professionals, I often find people to be head down, focused and moving at speed to deliver and support where they are needed most. Whilst the energy and effort to help others to develop is admirable, we must remember that working in this way 100% of the time can risk us missing opportunities for growth, new potential, and exploration within our practice.

As learning professionals and facilitators, part of our practice should be proactively seeking out ways to evolve. There are huge benefits to this, not just for ourselves, but for those we support. So let’s use this flourishing time of the year to bring our mindset into one of growth and change. 

To begin this process, it’s useful to look at the areas you work in and explore strategies for continual improvement. Here are some areas you might like to begin with: 

Defining facilitation for you

Facilitation is holding space for others, creating an environment where people feel comfortable to explore, think and learn. You might like to use the questions here to take time to think about you as a facilitator, how you show up for others.

  • What does your facilitation skill set currently look and sound like? 
  • How are you showing up for those you are supporting to learn? 
  • Where do you feel strong, and where are you not so confident? 

Facilitation practices

Over time, you have likely built a solid collection of tools and techniques which you bring into your learning design and deploy when necessary in certain situations. Humans are creatures of habit, and it could be possible you have a core set of practices that have become your ‘go to’. Use the questions below to help you explore what your current facilitation practices are, and if there are areas for something new.

  • Thinking back over the last few sessions you’ve facilitated, what tools or techniques have you been using?
  • Is there room for improvement or new ways of supporting others you’ve been wanting to try but haven’t had time to yet? If so, what are they and how might they be useful?
  • Perhaps you have read about a different type of group activity, style of questioning or facilitation approach – what’s stopping you from giving it a try?

Reflection after facilitation 

What do you do to reflect after a session or programme? Do you reflect or simply move onto the next thing? 

Reflection can be like a debriefing process, helping us see where change might be useful and where we might let go of outdated practices or approaches we’ve used. It supports us to build a continuous improvement mindset and shift our practices when needed. 

You might like to reflect by writing down your experience or going for a walk, seeking out comments and feedback from those you’ve been supporting, asking a trusted colleague for feedback or utilising a reflective practice model like Gibbs Reflective Cycle or Rolfe et al.’s Reflective Model. 

As we welcome changes of seasons, let’s embrace what comes up for us, build a habit of continuous improvement and perhaps get ready to see what new growth we can bring into our learning and facilitation practice.


Fiona McBride

Fiona McBride is a Learning Consultant and Facilitator at her own company Fiona McBride Consulting

Fiona McBride

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