I Want To Be a Facilitator

I get a lot of requests from individuals interested in facilitating workshops either through Purple Crayon Factory or wanting to pick my brain about how to go about offering workshops independently.

As this business grows, the good news and the bad news is that I am having less time to provide this type of support. In order to still be of assistance, I’m sharing some responses to questions I’m frequently asked about workshop facilitation here in hopes that it will be of help to you.

How do I know if I’m cut out to be a facilitator?

Do you prefer to be involved in a dynamic process where everyone participates or do you prefer to impart your knowledge with less interaction? Do people often remark that you are diplomatic, have a leadership style that brings out the leaders in others and that you help participants to feel comfortable in a group? Do others notice that you allow the expertise of the group to come out just as much or more than imparting your own expertise onto the group? In other words, are you willing and able to step back and say less so that others can share more? Are you aware of how to work with different learning styles and create a process that fits the dynamic of a particular group? If you find yourself answering “yes”, it sounds like you are cut out to be a facilitator. If not, you might consider sharing your knowledge in other ways such as keynote speaking, teaching or writing.

What are the most effective tools to use in facilitation?

The most effective tools will always be a combination of what fits with your own unique style and the unique dynamic and needs of the group you are serving. Intuition is one tool that I personally use to help me determine how to modify a process so that it works best for a group. If you are not intuitive, you might ask more questions of the group to determine how to proceed. To talk more in depth about this and to uncover what could work with your own style, you can schedule a consultation with me.

For a great free online resource for speakers/facilitators that is chock-full of effective tools, check out SpeakerNet News.

I’d like to offer a workshop through Purple Crayon Factory. How do I go about that?

There is a whole wealth of workshop themes would fit under PCF’s mission of helping participants to pursue their ideal lives with the resources they have. I need to be wary of spreading our offerings too thin. We will be of best service to our clients if we respond to the needs they bring to us. Our clients come to us because we offer refreshing, unique, interactive sessions in which they leave having made meaningful connections and eager to move forward on their goals. They also share that they like our creative tone and reflective approach.

Can I submit a workshop proposal to Purple Crayon Factory?

You certainly may. Please understand that we are selective in the workshops we include under our umbrella. Sometimes, we need to sit with a proposal for awhile to see how it feels. Or we may initially decline the proposal and then down the road hear from a client who wants precisely what you offer. The sessions need to fit our mission, tone and complement what we are already offering. Of course, I also want to feel 100% passionate and confident about all the sessions we offer. Click here to submit a proposal.

Where can I go for assistance with facilitation?

There are interest groups developed around developing facilitation and speaking skills. You might look into a facilitators’ or speakers’ association. If you are interested in one-on-one support with me on your facilitation ideas, you can purchase a ½ hour consultation.

Will you come to my workshop and give me feedback afterward?

If your workshop is personally compelling to me and works with my schedule, I am happy to be invited to participate in your workshop and to provide feedback. Let me know the theme, place, date and time. I do get invited to a lot of workshops and have a busy schedule. My participation in the workshop needs to be gratis but I will not share that information with your other participants. It will work best if you relate to me as a regular participant during the session. I will fill out the standard evaluation you provide. If you’d like additional feedback, we can schedule that as a follow up consultation.

I just want to connect and learn more about what you do. Can we meet?

To get the best sense of what we do, come to one of our workshops or networking sessions. Sessions that are open to individual registrations will always be listed in our free monthly e-newsletter. This way you’ll really get to know us and what we’re up to. Each issue also contains a simple reflection exercise that I'm sure you'll enjoy. Receiving our newsletter is an easy and convenient way for us to keep in touch.

I wish you all the best on whatever path you choose to take with your work. May it be fulfilling and rewarding!

Teresa Thomas-Carroll, director