Best Practices in Hosting #1: Easy Facilitation Tactics to Add Value and Reduce Your Stress

So you've decided to share your expertise or passion with the Biznik community (or elsewhere) by hosting an event. Now you're sweating bullets. How are you going to fill an hour or two with engaging content? How will you keep them from getting bored or starting a riot? Guess what? You don't have to shoulder the entire responsibility yourself. The trick? Put these brilliant, fabulous people to work. Let THEM fill the time with scintillating information and experiences themselves. Here's how to do it. First, a little secret I may cover this in more depth in another BPH article, but you should know this up front. Let go of the idea that the way to build your business through hosting events relies on parading your expertise in front of a bunch of people. Sure, it's important to build respect for what you do, but first thing's first. People don't actually care if you're good at what you do if they haven't first decided that they know, like, and trust you, (the KLT factor). Think of your event as the best way to build KLT. To build KLT, reveal yourself FIRST AS A REAL HUMAN BEING, and LAST as an expert. Here's a little chant to help you focus on KLT and avoid going down the black hole of Power Point death: <ul> <li>Show up</li> <li>Be present</li> <li>Put your passion on display</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Have fun</li> <li>Add value</li> <li>Get the heck out o' the way!</li> </ul> (Try saying it out loud, and emphasize the rhythm. It's corny fun.) Next, a general principle It's stated above, but let me flesh it out. This is the one principle that will make your events succeed. Keep this in mind, and you'll do very well indeed. DELIVER VALUE. I've discovered that delivering value to the Biznik community, (and probably elsewhere), comes down to two things: <ul> <li>Provide Clarity: Independent business people are awash in information and options. Help them focus in on what's important. Show them how to get where they want to go. Support them in taking action steps that move them forward.</li> </ul> <ul> </ul> <ul> <li>Support Community: Solo business people struggle with the push-me pull-you ambivalence between independence and isolation. Give 'em both by supporting their dreams in the context of a fabulous community of peers.</li> </ul> How to provide clarity Provide clarity by simplifying your information and helping people apply it on the spot. Adults learn best by doing. They have their own agendas, their own values, their own priorities. And they're smart about getting what they want. Respect the intelligence of your attendees by giving them opportunities to digest your information and apply it to their relevant challenges. Help them turn information into wisdom by placing it immediately into the context that's most important to them: their own business. Tips: Avoid data dumps. Seek simplicity. Provide time for reflection and application. Offer concrete resources to support further inquiry after the event in the form of a handout or follow-up email. How to support community Community at an event comes through two things: Focus and engagement. Focus is provided through the structure of the event design, and engagement comes through opportunities you provide for high-quality interaction. Tips: Don't force it. Some people are more comfortable interacting than others. Allow for a range that lets each person find their comfort level. ........................................... Now for a few easy facilitation tactics Let's look at three specific tactics you can use to deliver both clarity and community to people attending your events. TACTIC #1: Provide Clear Structure Provide clear structure, and stick to it. You want people to trust that you've got their interest at heart. And you want to make it easy for them to gain both clarity and community. Here are some key ways to provide structure: <ul> <li>Focus introductions to serve the purpose of the event. Offer a question for everyone to answer that is relevant to the topic.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Post your time schedule and stick to it. People like to know what to expect, and let themselves relax into the process when somebody else is holding a disciplined time framework.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Build in time for personal reflection. For many situations, people will benefit from some time to themselves to think about what's really important for them. Suggest they write their reflections and they'll get more out of it. You only need to provide two or three minutes for this.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Offer clear instructions. For example, when I facilitate a mastermind-type group interaction, I give people three points to cover when asking for input: What's your vision? What's your challenge? What's your question? It helps keep people on track.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Don't overdo it. In other words, relax. Welcome serendipity and seize the opportunities it presents.</li> </ul> TACTIC #2: Alternate Small Group / Big Group This is a great way to mine the wisdom of the group and make it available to everyone. First organize small groups for intimate conversations. Give them a specific task, with clear guidelines so they know exactly what they're trying to accomplish. Most important: give them an opportunity to USE the information you provide in a context important to them. And give them an opportunity to get to know one another while they're at it. After the small groups have had time to collaborate, capture the focus again at the front of the room for a whole-group discussion of discoveries and unanswered questions. You're leading the conversation here, asking questions and facilitating dialogue. TACTIC #3: Use Live Examples During your large-group discussions, you'll have access to real people, real stories, and real challenges you can use to elaborate on the information you presented at the beginning. You can show your personality, use your sense of humor, and be generous in your affirmation of the people whose examples you're using. These will add to your KLT cred. All the while, you'll be displaying your expertise in action. It's a lot more credible when people see you using your knowledge in real time versus trotting it out in a dog and pony show (or, heaven forbid, a bulleted PowerPoint). A reminder: It's not about you. It's about them. With everything you do, ask yourself, "How am I delivering value?" ........................................... I used these easy tactics in my Best Practices for Hosting Events: A Collaborative Clinic. The event was two hours. I presented some key concepts for all of twenty minutes. That's it. The rest of the time was structured just the way I've described here. The result? Rave reviews. High excitement. Clamoring for more. Check out the event pages for <a href="../../../events/best-practices-for-hosting-events-a-collaborative-clinic-2">January 28</a> and <a href="../../../events/best-practices-for-hosting-events-a-collaborative-clinic-3">February 25</a> and look at the comments if you think I'm kidding. Another idea: Test your design. I had three "trial runs" the first three weeks of January, where I refined my format. Now I have a strategy that works beautifully, and I can run this event any time I choose. Sweet, yes? Think about it now. How have you been making hosting far too hard on yourself? See how much easier it can be to host an event people will rave about? Simplify, simplify, simplify. So grab that 25-slide PowerPoint presentation. Or that 6-page outline you've been preparing. Cut it in half. Now cut it in half again. Limit yourself to a 20-minute presentation for a 2-hour event. Set up the rest of the time to maximize interaction, conversation, storytelling, discovery, and networking. You see, the secret you didn't realize is, you don't have to carry the whole thing yourself. In fact, it's best if you don't. Your event shouldn't be about you. It should be about them. Create the container for your attendees to learn and shine, and you'll walk out with gratitude following close on your heels. Your attendees will think highly of you, trust you to serve THEM and hold THEIR best interest at heart. You'll be grabbing the golden KLT ring. Trust this: Post a compelling event on Biznik, and you will draw a room full of fabulous people. Every one of them wants the event to succeed. Every one of them has a lot to contribute. Set things up to elicit and support their contributions, and get the heck out of the way! Event hosts: What do you think? Many of you have facilitation experience. I only had 1500 words to make my cases in this article, but we've got unlimited space for your opinions and conversations below. How have I gotten you thinking? What can you add from your experience? What do you disagree with and why? Any questions?   2009-03-11T22:05:56Z

2009-03-12T01:47:46Z

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best-practices-in-hosting-1-easy-facilitation-tactics-to-add-value-and-reduce-your-stress

2009-03-12T01:47:40Z

2009-03-12T01:47:46Z

Want to host an educational event? Here’s how to leverage the intelligence of the group to take the pressure off yourself and add value for your attendees.

Best Practices in Hosting #1: Easy Facilitation Tactics to Add Value and Reduce Your Stress

2009-03-13T17:45:56Z