How do you recruit and train community facilitators for consultation events?

Hoje na PipeLovers, contamos com o feedback dos nossos membros para entender quais temas devem ser apresentados na comunidade, em termos de conteúdo. Com isso em mente, buscamos pessoas em nossa rede de relacionamento. Como somos uma comunidade de vendas, fundada por um executivo de carreira, isso torna esse processo menos complexo. Outro ponto importante aqui é que sempre estamos pedindo indicações para os nossos membros, para trazer sugestões de experts e facilitadores para as nossas sessões semanais. Temos 5 sessões semanais, então por semana trago 5 facilitadores, e a responsabilidade deles é trazer vivências práticas de suas carreiras e dividir uma hora de seu tempo para compartilhar sobre temas que estão dentro da nossa metodologia.

Ao recrutar e treinar facilitadores comunitários, é importante buscar indivíduos que já tenham um relacionamento com a comunidade e sejam respeitados por ela. Isso facilita a comunicação e a confiança durante os eventos. Além disso, ofereça treinamentos que abordem técnicas de facilitação e enfoquem habilidades interpessoais e culturais, garantindo que os facilitadores estejam preparados para lidar com diversas situações e dinâmicas de grupo.

No-sweat guide to getting your facilitation team from meh to marvelous! What's the deal: Figure out what you really need. Do you want a talker, a listener, or a bit of both? Event vibe: Decide the mood. Formal, casual, or somewhere in between? Skills set: Jot down must-have skills. Can they handle a tough crowd?

I think a key strategy to help you define your key facilitation needs would be to poll your community. Meet with your events team to come up with different options and requirements for things you believe are required. Then check-in with the community. Getting their buy-in can also help with promoting the event itself!

Get this wrong, and nothing else matters. Nail down exactly what you need from your facilitators. Are you after specific expertise, language skills, or experience with certain groups? Figure out how many you need, their roles, and what you expect them to achieve. Set the tone—formal, casual, or a mix. Can they handle tough crowds and adapt on the fly? Define skills like communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. Detailed roles and clear expectations ensure everyone’s on the same page. Your facilitators must meet these criteria to drive successful consultation events. Expertise required Number of facilitators needed Roles and responsibilities Expected outcomes

Who knows who: Ask around. Friends, colleagues, or that cousin who’s into everything. Social shoutout: Post on social. You never know who’s scrolling and ready to step up. Local heroes: Check community centers or groups. Some gems might be hiding there.

Utilizing Community analytics to see who are the passionate members always showing up. Then reach out to them and set up interviews. These members already have a history and will have a lot of passion for the event! It's almost like a reward to them!

Quick chat: Have a convo. See if they get your event's vibe. Experience speaks: Check their track record. Led a circus or managed a library reading group? Gut check: Trust your instincts. If they feel right, they probably are.

Get them in front of more than you if possible. References are best for this type of role as well. If they can't give you three references they may not be a good fit.

Build out SOPs once to make this easier the next time around. Come up with a buddy system for newer facilitators to shadow experienced ones.

The lowdown: Give them the scoop on what’s what and who’s who. Tools of the trade: Provide cheat sheets, FAQs, or a bat-signal for when they need help. Practice makes perfect: Do a trial run. Let them practice their moves before the main event.

Feedback frenzy: Gather thoughts from everyone. What rocked, what flopped? Heart-to-heart: Chat with the facilitators. What did they think? Tweak and repeat: Use what you learned. Make the next one even better.

If you’re not evaluating, you’re not improving. Post-event, gather data and feedback from everyone involved. Assess what worked, what didn’t, and where improvements can be made. Analyze the impact on your project goals and stakeholder satisfaction. Use this feedback to sharpen future facilitation efforts. Collect detailed feedback and discuss insights directly with facilitators. Create an actionable improvement plan. Use these insights to refine your approach and ensure future success. Continual evaluation and improvement elevate the quality of facilitation. Gather data and feedback Assess strengths and weaknesses Analyze impact on goals Create improvement plan

We consulted for a client and they informed us about one of their current moderators/facilitators used to just be a community member. But he would show up everyday and guide people without evening being paid. Ultimately the whole community grew to know him and celebrated when the company hired him on as an official team member. It was beautiful.

Real stories inspire real action. Share success stories and practical examples. Highlight cases where community members have risen to facilitator roles, showcasing dedication and growth. This not only motivates others but also reinforces the value of internal talent. A community member who guided peers voluntarily became an official facilitator. His dedication was celebrated, demonstrating potential within the community and encouraging others to step up. This creates a culture of growth and recognition. Use real-life examples to inspire and drive action within your community. Share success stories Highlight practical examples Motivate through real-life cases Encourage internal talent growth