Even the most seasoned of us as virtual facilitators, myself included, need support to create masterful facilitated experiences in the virtual realm. This post explores several supporting roles which can make the difference between a good and a masterful facilitated experience.
When considering the roll-out of a virtual program you will want to keep in mind:
1 What are all the moving parts - lecture, interactivity, breakouts?
2. What technology issues might people experience?
3. And of course, what the platform is. A bridgeline alone is often not as complicated as say a webinar platform with screen sharing, polls and breakouts.
Depending on what you are using you may want to have a co-facilitator who can take the lead on certain facilitated sessions, or a producer who will look after the technology end such as getting people on board, and also moving people into breakout configurations.
Regardless of whether it is a co-facilitator or producer you will want to:
Consider which roles each one of you will play throughout the session, and during different activities
Where are the major transition points where you may need to switch over control or presenter status - i.e. polls, breakouts?
What are the key points along the timeline you both need to be aware of - walk through the entire program and make sure you are both on the same page
What will you do if "technology" happens?
What are your requests of each other - for example, as a big picture person myself, I often ask my co-facilitator to help me keep an eye on the finer details such as numbers, details etc.
How will you have each other's back? Similar to what will you do if "technology" happens, this is about considering how you will support each other.
For more questions to ask yourself during co-facilitation, and how to prepare, please download this bonus digital chapter which accompanied my first book Effective Group Coaching on Co-facilitation. I hope that you enjoy it!
Best wishes
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork | Mentoring Skills Training
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance support for you or your team
Wanting to grow your own virtual facilitation skills? Consider joining me from September 15 - mid October on Tuesdays from 5-8 pm Eastern/2-5 pm Pacific/Wednesdays 7-10 am Sydney for the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive, a 15 hour hands-on learning program where you will learn and practice virtual facilitation skills in a small group setting. Click here for more info.
When considering the roll-out of a virtual program you will want to keep in mind:
1 What are all the moving parts - lecture, interactivity, breakouts?
2. What technology issues might people experience?
3. And of course, what the platform is. A bridgeline alone is often not as complicated as say a webinar platform with screen sharing, polls and breakouts.
Depending on what you are using you may want to have a co-facilitator who can take the lead on certain facilitated sessions, or a producer who will look after the technology end such as getting people on board, and also moving people into breakout configurations.
Regardless of whether it is a co-facilitator or producer you will want to:
Consider which roles each one of you will play throughout the session, and during different activities
Where are the major transition points where you may need to switch over control or presenter status - i.e. polls, breakouts?
What are the key points along the timeline you both need to be aware of - walk through the entire program and make sure you are both on the same page
What will you do if "technology" happens?
What are your requests of each other - for example, as a big picture person myself, I often ask my co-facilitator to help me keep an eye on the finer details such as numbers, details etc.
How will you have each other's back? Similar to what will you do if "technology" happens, this is about considering how you will support each other.
For more questions to ask yourself during co-facilitation, and how to prepare, please download this bonus digital chapter which accompanied my first book Effective Group Coaching on Co-facilitation. I hope that you enjoy it!
Best wishes
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork | Mentoring Skills Training
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance support for you or your team
Wanting to grow your own virtual facilitation skills? Consider joining me from September 15 - mid October on Tuesdays from 5-8 pm Eastern/2-5 pm Pacific/Wednesdays 7-10 am Sydney for the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive, a 15 hour hands-on learning program where you will learn and practice virtual facilitation skills in a small group setting. Click here for more info.
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