Step into the Spotlight

That’s my invitation to you today.

And I get that it could make you either leap with joy or look for the nearest exit.

Perhaps it reminds you of a fabulous workshop session where the game of Spotlight helped to strengthen the trust in your team.

On the other hand, you might recall a team building activity that only served to make people feel uncomfortable, rather than build empathy and trust.

Further back, it might make you recall fond memories of fun party games when you were a kid.

Or trigger memories of games that started off well but ended up more feeling more like Lord of the Flies than fun, after the parents left you to yourselves.

Park those memories for now. This time the game of Spotlight only has one player. You.

Yep, that’s right. Today, I’m inviting you to turn the spotlight on yourself. And then ask the facilitators at your organisation to do the same. Again, on their own.

Sketch by Jacinta Cubis

Before you panic, I’ve put together a short guide to support you with this exercise, the (Fl)awesome Facilitator (link below). It helps you to explore what type of facilitator you might be.

It’s worth exploring because the more self-aware you are as a facilitator, the more effective you will be with your groups. They will be more engaged and more likely to do their best thinking.

If you’re still squirming, you’re not alone. Facilitators don’t like being in the spotlight. You prefer to be behind the scenes, guiding a group from behind, or alongside. You don’t like to take the lead.

But your groups will thank you for it. As public health researchers and authors Roz Lasker and John Guidry wrote in their book:

‘To realise the promise of community participation, we need to be willing to look at ourselves.’

Swap ‘community’ for client, leaders, stakeholder, partner or whoever is in the workshops that you facilitate and this advice applies to any group. And to anyone who leads it.

Your consultants, project managers and team leaders may not call themselves facilitators, but if they are leading a group, they are facilitating. Be it leadership training, a strategy session with clients, an offsite with stakeholders or a team connection session.

So, back to my invitation to step into the spotlight. What’s your gut reaction? How do you think the consultants and project leaders in your organisation might respond?

If you’re ready to step into the spotlight, my short guide, The (Fl)awesome Facilitator, can help. Download your free copy HERE.

I’d love to hear what you think and how it might help you lead meetings and workshops with authentic flair.

Have a (fl)awesome week!

Link: Roz Diane Lasker & John A. Gaudry, Engaging the Community in Decision Making (McFarland  & Company, 2009)