How do you test and refine your facilitation agenda before the session?

As you consider purpose, think meeting objectives and desired outcomes: what should happen DURING the meeting and what should come OUT of the meeting. And then litmus test these with your client. I will typically do a kickoff session, from which I develop an initial set of objectives and outcomes, and then go back to the client(s) to gauge against their expectations. This is very much tied to knowing your audience (see below). It is important to not forge ahead with a purpose that hasn't been vetted with key stakeholders. Having their buy-in will also allow you to keep on track during the session by reminding them what we are all striving towards together.

Always start designing from the desired outcome. The measure of success is reaching that outcome. The all process to design the right sequence is stars down from outcome until initial state, providing all participants are always in flow (or a little bit more challenged. When the sequence is in place start crafting the right questions.

It is also important to prioritize objectives into “must accomplish” and “would be nice to accomplish” during the session. Then during the planning stages, you build around the objectives that need to happen, but plan extra activities that can used to further expand upon the objectives if there is time. Simply put, over plan the session but ensure that there is ample time for the baseline goals.

Understanding the Purpose of the session is key for success. As part my preparation for facilitating, a session is to spend time with the client and understand why they are meeting and their goals for the session. I develop a draft agenda and share with the group before we finalize to ensure our goals are aligned. It’s important so the event will give most benefit to participants and help them achieve their intended Goals!

One thing I’ve found helpful is to work with your executive sponsor to create a “cast of characters“ who will be in the meeting. Gather information like: 1. their role, tenure and path to their current job 2. Their goals and motivators 3. Their responsibilities related to the the work you’ll be facilitating the meeting for 4. Information about their demeanor to help you draw them out or keep them from being the loudest voice in the room 5. Any specific pearls you should be hoping to draw out from them in the session or any specific biases you have to try to help them see past during the session Preparing for the people in the room is just as important to preparing the content for the meeting if you want to drive the outcomes you want.

I don’t like to know too much about the audience apart from the one connecting factor for me, which tends to be they are teachers. If I can remain ‘clean’ of who is in the audience it allows me to remain neutral and avoid presuppositions about people. I believe that if your processes are well design with the principles of Andragogy in mind, then your facilitation can be fully inclusive and allow for individualised pathways.

Among many many questions I ask my clients in the preparatory meetings are the ones that help me prepare for making healthy changes to the agenda during the meeting. Investigating these questions help me bring flexibility to the table and keeping facilitation light and playful even if the topic can be charged. What are the non-negotiables for the event? What do I need to know about the people in the room? What are the assumptions and possible unwritten rules I need to be aware of?

Agreed! No agenda is complete without listing our required resources. This helps document assumptions that may not be true when the day comes or when we decide to reuse the same design in the future. We list all necessary resources in our SessionLab along with all other details for a smooth experience for participants.

I always test (stress test) the script with a member of the community. We know a script is somehow a guide that may not fully happen, because if your focus are the outcomes (the knowledge shared from unlocking individual potential) this can impact on the script itself. Though allow you to quickly adapt to the unexpected and maintain you focus on holding the space and in reaching the outcomes

And test it with yourself… how does it feel and how does it flow when you put yourself in the participants shoes? Test the processes thoroughly

One thing I've found useful is to test my facilitator agenda with a colleague who is unfamiliar with the subject matter or material. Doing this helps ensure that I provide enough context to ground my target audience in shared understanding.

Refining is a key step in the process. It helps to have either a co-facilitator or a colleague to run through the agenda with to check for flow & consistency as well as format/content issues. It's good to have a sounding board & someone to bounce ideas with as well as talk through "what ifs" and potential conflict points. This helps point out areas where conversation may run long (using ELMO helps!) as well as when we could check with the audience to see if a break is needed.

I always start with a draft agenda, as off the second or third meeting with the client. It helps to make the session more concrete and visual for all stakeholders. Then I keep adjusting it as the participants list is fine-tuned, the venue is chosen and we have a final, clear and detailed goal. In this refining process, I take into account both changing facts and prevailing emotions. Changing facts can be, for the example, doubling the number of participants or choosing a venue closer to the airport. And prevailing emotions, how my stakeholders feel about the time, the dynamics and the techniques. If there is a strong discomfort, I choose to pivot.

Sometimes a topic needs more time than expected. Ask the meeting sponsor and even the participants if they want to finish the current topic. In that case, they should agree what other item is shortened or removed. Changing a one-hour lunch break to a working lunch is one way to regain time but be sure to give people a break!

Know why you are running a session and what the desired outcomes are. Plan in detail, with purpose for every element of your programme. And when the session starts, be willing to let it all go and move with the group and where they are at. If the goals are clear, you will be able to shift your process and focus on where you will have most impact in the time you have. And, always add spare time to your agenda.

The ability to design an agenda with built-in flexibility improves over time and is strongly tied to knowing the purpose for the facilitation. When strategic planning is the aim, staying on track helps the participants see what they are able to accomplish. When the focus is on all things DEI, making space for examples and stories is part of helping people work best together across areas of difference. One way I like to build in flexibility is through intentional breaks that allow me time to make adjustments along the way. Most of all, I aim to let each group know that an agenda is an ideal roadmap but we might exit onto or off the main interstate of the agenda to attend to the moments of inspiration or even frustration that may arise.

Practice makes perfect. Having a debriefing session to reflect on what went well & where improvements could be made helps make the experience better the next time around. :-)

Improvisation is a great skill for a facilitator to practice - take a few classes, learn how to make sure ‘everything’s an offer’.

Don't forget to collect feedback, reflect, and consider what you might do differently next time. While no two sessions are ever the same, certain things will be evident that need repair or more nuance. Take the time to make those repairs. It will not only improve the current design but your future designs as well because you'll internalize the lesson.