How To Manage Your Energy As A Facilitator?

Some time ago, a tweet triggered my interest. It’s about a topic that’s super important for anyone that facilitates meetings, workshops, or other types of gatherings, but doesn’t always get the proper attention. In this tweet, Saskia Vermeer-Ooms asked:

“During my workshops, I’m always conscious of staying aware of people’s energy. Making sure to keep a steady pace with enough energy breaks in between. But how do you manage your own energy? How do you not end up with a headache the next morning?”

In this blog post, I share my thoughts on how to manage your energy as a facilitator. I’ll include ideas and experiences from facilitating shorter 2–4 hour sessions, and longer multi-day workshops simultaneously. As always, I’m eager to learn from your experiences as well, so feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments.

Tip 1: Use a co-facilitator

A co-facilitator can help you prepare, run, and debrief a session. It can make your life as a facilitator way easier. Everything becomes a joint effort. Although this doesn’t mean you literally need to run each exercise together. By distributing the steps and exercises of a session amongst each other, both facilitators have the opportunity to recharge, grab something to drink, observe, and slowly prepare for their next step. Chances are it becomes a smooth ride when you collaborate with the same facilitator frequently.

Tip 2: Don’t use a co-facilitator

Yes! This definitely contradicts my previous tip. The key is “chances are it becomes a smooth ride when you collaborate with the same facilitator frequently”. If you co-facilitate with someone for the very first time, it can actually be more energy-consuming. Because you haven’t developed any collaboration mechanisms, you haven’t experienced each other's facilitation style, and simply don’t know how things will work out between the both of you, things can be tough and get rough. If managing your energy is important, this is definitely something to be aware of. It doesn’t have to be a bumpy ride, but it’s good to be aware of.

Tip 3: Inspect & prepare the space upfront

Whenever I run a session, regardless if it’s a 1-hour meeting or a 2-day workshop, I always inspect the room upfront. I don’t like to be surprised last minute, because although it’s an interesting challenge, it limits my options to create an ideal setting. The arrangement of space is essential. Be conscious of how tables, chairs, windows, air conditioning, flip charts, etc., are used. With full-day workshops, I always prefer the room the day before. This allows me to be fully present on the day itself. I can welcome everyone from the start, have a relaxed chat, and simply be ‘there’. Instead of draining energy because I’m so busy arranging the space, I’m keeping my batteries fully charged :)

Tip 4: Make clear work agreements

Make clear work agreements about your availability as a facilitator. Coffee breaks are my opportunity to inspect the progress of the session and to determine if any adaptations are needed. Obviously, this is something you do continuously, but a coffee break gives you the time to make some potential bigger chances. For participants, the coffee break is often an opportunity to have a chat with you, ask questions, or continue a discussion. To prevent this from happening, I always set the expectation that I’m not available during the coffee breaks. Even when I’m seemingly doing nothing, I am probably doing some deep thinking about the next steps.

A common follow-up work agreement I make is: “When you have the intention to ask me a question, ask 2 other participants first”. I make this a lightweight work agreement, explaining it as an opportunity to chat with other participants AND to give me the focus I need for the remainder of the session.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean I never talk to participants during the coffee break. People will notice when I’m available again. I simply mingle between the group and reach out to people whom I already noticed had a question in mind.

Tip 5: Use Liberating Structures

Liberating Structures help you to unleash & involve everyone. They ensure that all voices are heard, and everyone has the opportunity to contribute. They can also make your life as a facilitator way easier and save you lots of energy. Especially when you understand that Liberating Structures are skills to be learned by ‘users’, not facilitators. Your role might be to set the stage, offer a clear invitation, and explain the first step(s), but let participants do the heavy lifting. When you offer a clear structure, the participants will figure out the rest themselves. Try to minimize your explanation, and trust the structure. This probably requires some practice, but you’ll notice that eventually, the use of Liberating Structures is an energy-saver for you as a facilitator as well.

Tip 6: Involve participants in drawing & summarizing

If you — as a facilitator — as the busiest person in the room, then you’re doing something wrong. Well, this is my humble opinion. It’s always my intention to shift the responsibility of “doing stuff” to the participants. This could be drawing, summarizing, making notes, etc. It’s my personal goal to help the group achieve the purpose of the session. Most likely, this requires inspection & adaptation. I can’t do this when I’m fully occupied summarizing what’s being discussed. So it’s my preference to shift as many tasks as possible to the group. And it actually benefits them as well. When they draw, summarize, and make notes, they become way more engaged & involved. It’s a win-win.

Tip 7: Set clear expectations about your role

This tip connects to the previous one, but it’s so important that it is worth mentioning separately as well. Especially with sessions that have a topic I’m familiar with (often Scrum related), it’s tempting to engage in the conversations. When this happens, you’re not a facilitator anymore. You’re another participant. This isn’t wrong, it can be totally fine. But it’s important to set the expectation upfront. As a facilitator, your role is neutral. When this is the expectation of the group, it can be confusing when you suddenly (strongly) share your opinion and steer the conversation in a totally different direction. From an “energy perspective”, both can work totally fine, as long as you’re clear upfront. Clarifying sudden confusion always costs energy, so try to prevent it.

Tip 8: Don’t forget to eat & drink

Can tips be more obvious? Probably not, although “don’t forget to breath” might be an even more obvious yet surprisingly challenging tip. Sufficient food and liquids are essential for everyone, so this includes facilitators :) However, it’s definitely my personal pitfall to forget to do so. Because coffee breaks often aren’t breaks for facilitators, and the session itself requires your focus as well, it’s easy to forget to eat & drink. So I always bring my own water bottle and some (healthy) snacks. Whenever the group is busy with an exercise, I try to recharge with water & food, and as such, recharge as a whole.

Tip 9: Book a hotel room

Sure, this is a luxury tip that might not always be possible. It is something I try to arrange, especially for the 2-day workshops. Ideally, I’m already nearby the venue the day before the first day, so I have the opportunity to prepare the room — see tip 3. And I’m also staying nearby the venue between both days. This gives me the opportunity to debrief and process the first day, and it offers me sufficient time to prepare for the second day.

Maintaining a healthy energy level is the most important reason for doing this. I’m a strong introvert and although I love facilitation, it also drains lots of energy. Somehow, I remember most of the conversations I have but also the ones I’m listening to. I also remember all the small things that happen during a session: the body language of participants, the responses to my instructions, and the moments of (dis-)engagement of the group. I need time the digest all of this. At home, I might be physically present, but I’m not mentally. And, in all honestly, I’m not the most enjoyable person to talk with. So, it’s also more beneficial for my family that I’m staying in a hotel, and after the session really be fully present again.

Tip 10: Take a long lunch break

With a full-day workshop, I always schedule a 1-hour lunch break at least. Sometimes even a bit longer. This gives you enough time to have lunch and go for a walk. I used to take 30–45 minute lunch breaks. Mostly thinking that we could get more work done. Obviously, this never happened. Everyone needs sufficient breaks to create mental space for the remainder of the day. Whenever you think the groups need a break, they probably really need it. Don’t keep pushing your agenda, it’s futile. Be prepared to remove items from your schedule, because people will only get frustrated & tired, and this negatively impacts the outcome. When in doubt, go for an extra break!

Tip 11: Meditate or take a powernap

Yep, another benefit of a long lunch break. It gives me the opportunity to take a power nap or do some meditation. It took me some practice, but I can highly recommend it. After 10 or 15 minutes of napping or meditating, I’ve fully energized again. Whenever I stay in a hotel, I simply go to my room. But I can also go outside, sit on a chair or on the grass and meditate there. Why don’t you give it a try? It’s my “secret” facilitation superpower :)

How to manage your energy as an online facilitator?

Most tips are still relevant when running online sessions. Especially with large groups, I recommend the use of a co-facilitator. While one person explains the next steps, the other person can already prepare the breakout rooms. Because of course, you make use of breakout rooms when running online sessions :)

My personal preference is to run sessions that take max 4 hours. I don’t run full-day online sessions or even 2-day online workshops. This is mostly due to my personal energy level and that of the participants. Sure, you can play with more and longer breaks, but I just can’t stay online for such a long time. After max 4 hours, I need time away from my screen to gain energy and focus again.

Closing

In this blog post, I shared my thoughts on how to manage your energy as a facilitator. It’s probably not a complete list, so I’m curious to learn from your ideas and thoughts as well. Facilitation requires a fully charged “battery”, so it’s definitely an important topic to be aware of. Let’s learn and grow, together!

Interested in learning many different Liberating Structures in an intense 2-day workshop? Check out our agenda for upcoming Immersion Workshops. If you’re aiming to join, book early — they are exceptionally popular.