How can you create a safe and inclusive environment in large group facilitation?

This is why we need leadership development professionals skilled in conducting needs analyses and instructional design. If you spend time assessing what needs your learners have and which of those needs training can meet, then the goals of the training become clear from the beginning during the design phase. This means by the time you are prepping to facilitate, you've already invested time in understanding your objectives and the learner profiles of those in the room.

Inclusivity cannot be forced and/or manufactured. It’s an emotional sense of “togetherness” that stems from a healthy environment created by the leaders. In large group facilitation this is even more pertinent as each individual that participates is driven by different factors that makes them comfortable in large group environments. Accepting the fact that not all participants would engage in the same manner is crucial, and the leader needs to have the ability to accommodate and adapt accordingly.

Creating a safe and inclusive environment in large group facilitation is essential for fostering collaboration, innovation, and productive discussions. To achieve this, it's crucial to acknowledge and leverage the diversity of experience levels within the group effectively. Audience Profiling: Start by thoroughly understanding your audience. Gather information about their experience levels, expertise, and backgrounds. This data will help you tailor the facilitation approach to meet their specific needs and expectations.

One simple way of creating a safe space is by having some sort of indicator of who is speaking at any given time... similar to the "conch" from Lord of the Flies... the idea of one mic one voice creates mutual respect and fosters and environment for only one person to be speaking at a time. Additionally, forcing folks to be more intentional with their voice ensures they also listen carefully and thoughtfully contribute to the conversation as opposed to responding reactively.

Inclusive Agenda Design: Craft an agenda that deliberately includes topics and activities catering to varying experience levels. Begin with a shared context-setting session, ensuring everyone is on the same page, followed by more specialized discussions that allow individuals to delve deeper into their areas of expertise.

As facilitator of 100+ innovation projects, I love to share a CHECKLIST: 15 TIPS for LARGE GROUP BRAINSTORMS: 1. Define a relevant challenge 2. Create with the sponsor an assignment 3. Create momentum 4. Invite people for whom it is relevant. 5. Invite people for content as well as decision-making 6. Include outsiders 7. Invite the senior problem-owner 8. A special venue 9. An psychological safe environment 10. Never at the office 11. Spend twice as much time on the convergence - as on the divergence process. 12. Apply various idea-generating techniques 13. Keep up the pace 14. Appoint an expert facilitator 15. Make the output concrete Extra Tip: Check the FORTH innovation method for a structured approach.

As a leader in a group setting, how you carry the conversation makes tremendous impact in the discussion. Making sure to say things like "let's hear from folks who haven't contributed" or "X, we haven't heard from you yet, do you mind sharing your thoughts?" Often times people can feel "called out" so it's important to do so in a way that makes them feel "called in" to contribute and participate in the conversation.

Feedback Mechanisms: Implement feedback mechanisms, such as anonymous surveys, to gather input on the inclusivity of the facilitation process. Use this feedback to continuously refine your approach and address any concerns raised by participants.

Ice breakers are one of the most overlooked tools in group facilitation. They are often skipped to spend more time on the agenda items. Don't be fooled! A good ice breaker is an investment that can make the difference between an average group session and an amazing one🚀 Processes and agreements are a great way of establishing structure, common goals and the means of getting there but BEFORE you embark on any of that you need to create opportunities where people can connect on a very HUMAN level. Seeing people beyond their professional masks blurs the boundaries between "us" and "them" and is a much better way of creating safe and inclusive environments than any rules or processes.