Facilitators' Corner Resource Guide

Hey,

I recorded a 20-minute video to show you how to grow as a facilitator and take your skills to the next level with confidence and clarity.

To make things easier, I put together a Facilitation Resource Guide that maps out each stage of the journey, with curated resources to help you move from one level to the next.

Drawing from my own experience, the teams I’ve coached, the wins, and plenty of mistakes, I’ve broken down the key milestones of facilitation into a clear, leveled path.

Hope it’s helpful! 🙌

Here’s what the journey looks like:

Level 0: Find out if facilitation is something for you

So, you’ve seen the trailers for this new game called “facilitation.” It looks pretty cool, right?

Now it’s time to try it out for yourself, to see if it’s something you actually enjoy and find fulfilling.

You might be wondering, “How can I know if I’ll like something I’ve never done before?”

Here are a few tactics to help you find out:

Talk to a facilitator

Connect with someone who’s already doing the job. Ask them to share what facilitation is really like, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

You might ask:

• What challenges do facilitators often face?

• What parts of the job are less enjoyable?

• What keeps you excited about this work?

Every job has its highs and lows. Hearing a real perspective can help you figure out if this path fits you.

Think about what it involves

Facilitation often means working closely with people, leading group conversations, and managing tricky dynamics.

Ask yourself honestly: does that sound exciting or exhausting?

This isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about knowing what energizes and fulfills you.

Experience it

If possible, attend a workshop or shadow a facilitator. Watching someone in action can give you a much clearer sense of what the role involves.

Just keep in mind: not all workshops, or facilitators, are the same. One experience might not represent the full picture, but it’s a great starting point.

Discover your potential by completing this scorecard

To make things easier, I’ve created the Facilitator Match Scorecard. It’s a quick tool to help you see if you have the skills and mindset for facilitation. In just 5 minutes, you’ll get a personalized report with helpful insights.

After getting your results, you can even book a coaching session with me. We’ll talk about your results, your goals, and any questions you have about facilitation.

Level 1: Build a solid theoretical foundation

The second thing I’d recommend is to build some basic knowledge about facilitation, and there are plenty of ways to do that.

You could take a training course, watch YouTube videos, read a book or two, listen to facilitation podcasts, or join a community.

When I was starting out, I tried to absorb everything at once. I dove into every resource I could find.

It was exciting, but also overwhelming.

I didn’t have time to process what I was learning, and following too many different styles left me feeling confused and stuck.

So here’s my advice:

Start simple. Choose one resource to begin with. (Just one!)

Focus on getting a clear sense of what facilitation is and whether it sparks your interest. Then, once you’ve got your footing, explore more.

With some practice and experience, you’ll be better equipped to dive into other perspectives, and figure out what truly works for you.

Great resources to start with

📄 Articles

If you’re new to facilitation, these two articles are a perfect starting point:

• Introduction guide to Facilitation (start here if you only read one). A clear, beginner-friendly overview of what facilitation is, why it matters, and how to get started. Perfect for anyone testing the waters.

• Workshopper Facilitation Guide. A practical and engaging deep dive into facilitation techniques, formats, and mindsets, from one of the top names in the field (AJ&Smart).

🎓 Trainings

• Facilitators’ Corner Bootcamp. A live, remote training that helps you strengthen your foundations while giving you real opportunities to practice in a safe and supportive environment. Yes, it’s my program, but it’s designed to support you at every level.

• Facilitation Fundamentals. A solid go-to course for anyone looking to build strong foundational skills and kick-start their facilitation journey.

• Facilitator School Masterclass. A comprehensive masterclass designed to deepen your understanding of facilitation with expert insights and practical tools.

• Facilitation Certification. A great all-in-one course that gives you a complete picture of what it means to be a facilitator, along with all the knowledge you need to start designing and leading workshops with confidence.

🧰 Toolkit

• Facilitation pro all from Butter. A free collection of guides, templates, and tools to help you plan and run engaging (virtual) sessions.

• Facilipedia from Mischief Makers. A vibrant library of facilitation methods and activities, co-created by the community and full of fresh energy and creativity.

✍️ Blogs & newsletters

• SessionLab Blog. Insightful articles on methods, session design, and facilitation skills, trusted by facilitators around the world.

• Facilitators’ Corner by Mehdi En-Naizi (obviously). Honest takes, personal stories, and facilitation insights from someone who’s walked the path.

• Facili-Station by Jose Manuel Redondo Lopera. Sharp facilitation thinking, workshop inspiration, and practical tools from a fellow facilitator.

📚 Books

• Art of Gathering by Priya Parker. A modern classic on hosting meaningful gatherings, with powerful lessons for any facilitator.

• Captain of Leadership by Alwin Put. A hands-on guide connecting facilitation, leadership, and real-world experience.

• Sprint by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky. While it might seem like a book focused on innovation and design, it’s also packed with valuable lessons on facilitation, plus tons of practical tips you can apply right away. (Here’s a great article that dives deeper into some of these tips.)

📹 Videos

• AJ&Smart Youtube Channel. The ultimate YouTube reference for facilitation: high-energy, practical videos packed with tips, tools, and real-world techniques to level up your workshops.

• Brittni Bowering Youtube Channel. Fun, relatable content on workshops, creativity, and being a confident facilitator.

• Mehdi En-Naizi Youtube Channel. Concrete tips to level up your facilitation skills and business.

🏙️ Podcasts

• There’s a Workshop for That by Nathy Ravez. A fresh podcast that explores facilitation through interviews, tools, and stories from the field.

• First Time Facilitator. A podcast offering insights and tips for new and experienced facilitators.

• Another Day, Another Workshop (my podcast!). Real conversations about facilitation, behind the scenes of workshops, and lessons learned along the way.

Level 2: Don’t wait too long to get your stickies dirty

While it can be comforting to keep learning and wait until you feel fully prepared to start, just don’t.

Jumping in not only helps you figure out if you actually enjoy facilitation, it also brings all that learning to life.

If you haven’t had the chance to experience a workshop yet, now’s the time to do it!

Reach out to a facilitator you’ve connected with, or someone in your network, and ask if you can sit in on one of their sessions. Watching a skilled facilitator in action is one of the best ways to learn.

You could even offer to help out as a co-facilitator in exchange. It’s an awesome way to get hands-on experience and contribute at the same time.

Find a safe space to practice

Now it’s time to dive into real action and start facilitating on your own.

One of the best ways to begin is right where you are. Ask if you can lead an upcoming team meeting, it could be a weekly sync, a project kick-off, or even a retrospective.

These are great opportunities to apply facilitation in a familiar setting.

Don’t overthink it.

Most people aren’t deeply familiar with facilitation, so even using a few core principles can make a big impact. And if things don’t go perfectly?

That’s okay, you’ll still walk away with valuable experience in a low-pressure environment.

If internal opportunities are limited, consider practicing externally like at a community event.

Check out Fit For Facilitation, a free community hosted by Nathy Ravez, Alexander Eisenchteter, Said Saddouk, and myself. It’s a welcoming space to learn, experiment, and grow.

Level 3: Take it to the real world

Once you’ve facilitated a few workshops and feel more confident in your skills, it’s time to seek out real-world opportunities.

By “real,” I mean stepping into unfamiliar environments where the stakes are higher, working with people you don’t know, tackling real challenges, and managing the dynamics of a group that’s relying on you to create structure and clarity.

It’s not just practice anymore, it’s game time.

A great way to get this kind of experience is by offering your facilitation services for free. Reach out to NGOs, early-stage startups, or mission-driven organizations, these groups often have limited resources and are more likely to welcome support. I’ve even done this with corporates, which is great, because if you do a good job, they’ll be more likely to hire you once you start charging for your services.

Co-working spaces and business hotels are also great places to explore, they regularly host workshops, community events, and team sessions, and might welcome an extra hand.

Just keep in mind: while your services might be free, their time isn’t, so be prepared for a few rejections. That’s part of the process.

As Alex Hormozi often puts it, price is rarely the biggest cost.

Level 10: Go deeper into the craft

After running a few workshops internally and externally, it’s a great time to take your skills to the next level by pursuing advanced facilitation training or coaching.

At this stage, you’ve likely gained hands-on experience and are more aware of the nuances involved in facilitation, things you might have only touched on when building your theoretical foundation.

By diving deeper now, you’ll get more out of the training because you can immediately see how the concepts apply to real situations you’ve encountered. Plus, with the experience fresh in your mind, you’ll have a shorter learning curve and can quickly put what you’ve learned into action.

This step can fit at different points in your journey, but incorporating it after step five will have a bigger impact.

Continuous learning is the key to staying ahead and constantly growing as a facilitator.

Great resources to go deeper

🎓 Trainings & tools

• Elite Facilitator. Helps experienced facilitators improve how they lead complex sessions and manage group dynamics. It’s packed with practical tools to run smoother, more impactful workshops.

• Workshopper Master. An in-depth course for facilitators who want to run powerful, high-converting workshops and build a facilitation-based business. Covers process design, sales, and facilitation delivery.

• The Workshop Deck. A simple, practical tool built around one clear framework, featuring 28 proven activities across 52 beautifully designed cards made to help facilitators, educators, and team leaders design workshops that engage, align, and drive results.

📚 Advanced books on facilitation

• Liberating Structures by Lipmanowicz & McCandless. A transformative set of 33 microstructures designed to unleash participation, creativity, and collaboration in any group setting.

• Creative Confidence by Tom & David Kelley (IDEO). An inspiring read that blends innovation, facilitation, and design thinking. Great for facilitators who want to help teams unlock their creative potential.

• The Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making by Sam Kaner. An essential for any advanced facilitator. Offers a deep dive into group decision processes, the dynamics of inclusion, and how to navigate the “groan zone.”

• The Secrets of Facilitation by Michael Wilkinson. Offers tools and techniques for effective facilitation, focusing on achieving results in group settings.

• Ask Powerful Questions by Will Wise & Chad Littlefield. Guides readers on how to build trust and connection through intentional and thoughtful questioning.

• The Sketchnote Handbook by Mike Rohde. A guide to visual note-taking, helping readers capture ideas and communicate more effectively through sketches.

• Here is a list of 17 facilitation books recommended by the Fit for Facilitation community.

Level 20: Master the mechanics of facilitation

The next level is mastering the mechanics so well, it feels as natural as driving a car.

You want everything to flow effortlessly, without draining your mental energy. That means being able to adjust in the moment: deciding how much time to spend on each activity, how many voting dots to hand out, how to give clear instructions, and even how to tweak your agenda on the fly if you’re running behind.

There’s no secret here, it’s all about practice. As the saying goes: work, work, work, practice, practice, practice.

Level 30: Connect deeper with the topic

Now that the facilitation mechanics are running almost automatically in the background, you can start shifting your focus more toward the workshop topic and the goal that the team is trying to achieve.

As a facilitator, you want to help connect the dots and ask yourself questions like:

• How can you make it easier for them to make decisions?

• Which examples could better resonate with this activity and this group?

• What information should you remind them of to move forward?

This is truly the next level, and it takes time to master. It’s about connecting deeply with the challenge at hand and understanding the unique dynamics of the group in the room.

By adapting your facilitation to meet their needs, you can serve them in the most impactful way possible.

Level 40: Explore new things and keep experimenting

Okay, you’ve hit level 40, amazing work!

But staying at the top means keeping up your growth. The journey isn’t over yet. Keep challenging yourself and avoid staying in your comfort zone.

Stay up to date with new trends, explore new workshop recipes, and try out new things in your workshops.

See what works best for you and can be added to your facilitation toolkit.

Personally, I always try to experiment with something new in a workshop, whether it’s a new icebreaker, exercise, or a small twist to my go-to activities.

I’m always learning and investing in my growth. Lately, I’ve been focusing on training that sharpens specific facilitation skills like storytelling, visual facilitation, experience design, and more.

Great resources to go deeper

🎓 Trainings

• Storybrand Training. A powerful framework to clarify your message and improve how you communicate the value of your facilitation (or business). Especially useful for facilitators looking to sharpen their storytelling and marketing.

• Bikablo: Visual Facilitation. A structured and accessible method to bring ideas to life visually. Perfect for facilitators who want to incorporate drawing, sketch-noting, and visual thinking into their workshops.

• Learning Experience Design. The Experiential Learning Trainer program equips facilitators, educators, and coaches with the skills and frameworks to lead impactful learning experiences.

🧰 Advanced toolkit

• The Workshop Deck Free Library Curated workshop activities from world-class facilitators, structured around the 6C Framework. Each activity comes complete with a step-by-step tutorial and a ready-to-use Miro template.

• Funretrospective. A small but powerful collection of retro formats and facilitation games. Perfect for fresh inspiration when designing a session.

• Session Lab Library. A go-to resource for facilitators. Packed with methods, templates, and full workshop agendas.

• Miroverse. An ever-growing collection of interactive whiteboard templates from facilitators around the world. Ideal for remote workshops, retros, and brainstorming sessions.

• Gamestorming. A toolkit for innovators, rule-breakers, and changemakers to generate ideas and solve problems through games.

Level 50: Connect with peers

This step isn’t a must, but it’s a total game-changer if you want to stay ahead as a facilitator.

Here’s the deal: connect with experienced facilitators and join communities where they hang out.

Networking is an awesome way to swap tips, pick up new ideas, and keep leveling up your skills.

Even better, you might find a mentor, someone who can guide you and speed up your growth as a facilitator.

I was lucky to meet my mentor pretty early on, and honestly, he’s the reason I got into facilitation in the first place. He saved me so much time by sharing what worked (and what didn’t).

If you can find a mentor, go for it, they’re a game-changer. But let’s be real, finding one isn’t always easy.

If you’re having trouble finding a mentor, think about working with a facilitation coach. A coach can give you personalized advice and help you grow your skills even faster.

📚 Facilitation coaches

• Dee Scarano. An expert facilitator, coach, and course creator behind the Elite Facilitator program. Dee has worked with top organizations like Google, LEGO, and Microsoft. She blends practical experience with deep presence and emotional intelligence.

• Nathy Ravez. A facilitation coach and business mentor who helps facilitators grow their impact and build sustainable businesses. She’s also the host of the podcast There’s a Workshop for That.

• Mehdi En-Naizi. As a workshop designer and facilitator, I’ve trained hundreds of people in facilitation and have been coaching others in the craft for several years. I can help you not only master facilitation itself but also turn it into a sustainable business.

Level 100: The game is never over

If you want to stay at the top of your game, you have to keep investing in yourself, experimenting with new activities, reflecting on what worked (and what didn’t), and learning as you go.

There’s no finish line. Practice is what sets you apart, nothing else.