What do you do if you want to leverage your strong facilitation skills for a successful executive career?

Facilitation skills develop strong people skills. I've had numerous students go on from being facilitators to becoming CEOs, CIOs, and CTOs because they had both effective technical skills, but also strong people skills - people drive the organization.

It’s important reflect on how your facilitation style reflects your personality and how you to be perceived. One of the best questions you can ask yourself is “how do I want people to feel after they leave a session with me?” And then document what those characteristics look and sound like. Start practicing those techniques. Facilitation is a muscle that requires repetition to get stronger. The more reps, and the more diversity, allow you to practice in a variety of ways. Soon you’ll find what you like/dislike about your style and grow into it, own it. You’ll soon understand what makes you unique and diverse amongst others.

Becoming an effective Facilitator develops strong communication skills. You practice presenting, reading others, and active listening - all outstanding communication skills.

Mastering communication is a key skill for not only facilitation, but also executive leadership. It’s important to understand everyone’s perspective and diverse backgrounds. This will challenge you to think on your feet, respond to uncomfortable situations on the fly, and address and command an audience. Executive leaders need to be empathetic, actively listen, and address all types of issues or conflicts that may arise. How a leader and facilitator handles these situations, hopefully with diplomacy and tact, will influence the experience of others who are listening.

Reach out to existing connections who are currently executives or have executive experience in their resume. Ask to meet and have a proactive plan for the conversation. It's respectful of their time. Ask what facilitation skills they use as an executive. Ask how they grew and grow their facilitation skills. If they know you well, ask them for feedback on your facilitation strengths and weaknesses. After the conversation assess your facilitation skills in light of the conversation.

Continuous learning is critical for adapting to change in a timely and relevant manner. Executives need to be able to engage with their followers/audience in a way that is receptive to them. Staying up to date on leadership approaches, understanding the change in employee needs and communication styles, thinking about how generational workforces differ and tailoring messages to be consistent yet feel connected is hugely important. A dynamic leader can adjust their communication style for the needs of those who are receiving their message.

a) Champion diversity, innovation & inclusion: By promoting a culture that values diverse perspectives and fosters a sense of belonging, you’ll not only enhance employee wellbeing but also drive innovation and performance. b) Extend your facilitation skills beyond your organisation by participating in or leading industry panels, workshops, and conferences. Networking and sharing your expertise can raise your profile and open up new opportunities.

Consider working with an Inclusion Coach to develop strong intercultural competence skills. No matter how good your facilitation skills are, if you don't know what to do in conflict, when there's dissent, when there's significant power differentials standing in people's ways to collaborate...you will not be able to facilitate effectively. Inclusion Coaching is ESPECIALLY crucial in today's climate and context. It's why this is one of my main services. I heard another coach say this: An Olympic athlete would never be without a coach, especially in a competing year. 2020 and forward have been competing years.