What are the best practices for preparing for a facilitated discussion?

1 Define the purpose

Before you plan any details of the discussion, you need to clarify the purpose and the desired outcomes. What is the main question or challenge that you want to address? What are the specific objectives and expectations of the participants and the sponsors? How will you measure the success of the discussion? Having a clear and shared purpose will help you design the agenda, select the methods, and communicate the value of the discussion.

2 Know your audience

To facilitate a discussion effectively, you need to understand who your audience is and what they need. How many people will participate? What are their backgrounds, perspectives, and interests? How familiar are they with the topic and each other? How engaged and motivated are they to participate? What are their preferred styles of communication and learning? Knowing your audience will help you tailor the content, format, and tone of the discussion to suit their needs and preferences.

3 Choose the format

Depending on the purpose, audience, and context of the discussion, you need to choose the most appropriate format and platform. Will the discussion be face-to-face or online? Will it be synchronous or asynchronous? Will it be a one-time event or a series of sessions? Will it be formal or informal? Will it be open or closed? Will it be structured or flexible? Choosing the format will help you determine the logistics, tools, and resources of the discussion.

4 Design the agenda

The agenda is the roadmap of the discussion that outlines the topics, activities, timings, and roles. You need to design the agenda carefully to ensure that it aligns with the purpose, meets the needs of the audience, and fits the format. You need to consider how to introduce the topic, set the ground rules, engage the participants, facilitate the dialogue, manage the time, summarize the key points, and close the discussion. You also need to plan for breaks, feedback, and follow-up actions.

5 Select the methods

The methods are the techniques and tools that you use to facilitate the discussion and achieve the objectives. You need to select the methods that are suitable for the topic, audience, and format of the discussion. You can use various methods to stimulate thinking, generate ideas, gather information, analyze data, build consensus, resolve conflicts, and create action plans. Some examples of methods are brainstorming, surveys, polls, case studies, role plays, fishbone diagrams, SWOT analysis, and SMART goals.

6 Prepare yourself

The last but not least step is to prepare yourself as the facilitator of the discussion. You need to review the purpose, agenda, methods, and materials of the discussion and make sure that you are familiar and comfortable with them. You also need to practice your facilitation skills, such as asking open-ended questions, listening actively, paraphrasing, summarizing, acknowledging, validating, and redirecting. You need to be confident, flexible, and respectful as you guide the discussion and support the participants.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?