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One’s journey to become an “expert” in the field can be a long and winding one. It requires years of experience, training and confidence. Early in my career as I worked hard to become more skilled in my field. I looked for trainings, conferences and opportunities to grow as a professional. I also looked forward to achieving that goal of being an experienced professional in the field. Somewhere along the way, I realized we never really arrive. The work and the growth always continue.
As a facilitator our job requires us to be present in the process as well as present with the people in the room. It requires knowledges of specific techniques and methodologies that can help clients achieve their goals. It also requires the ability to create safe spaces for participation and sharing. You must simultaneously build rapport with your participants while also pushing them to be creative and reach beyond their current understanding of the issues at hand. There are countless dynamics before, during and after a facilitated session that need to be attended to in order to ensure a successful event.
Due to its complexity, facilitation requires continuous self-monitoring and assessment in order to identify areas of needed growth and improvement. Utilizing the International Association of Facilitators and the Technology of Participation assessments as a guide, Event Garde worked to identify eight domains that facilitators can use to assess themselves. There are many competencies that go into each of those domains below as well as being both knowledgeable and confident in each of these areas.
| FACILITATION ASSESSMENT DOMAINS |
| Building Collaborative Client Relationships |
| Creating a Participatory Environment |
| Creating an Inclusive Environment that Honors Diversity |
| Establishing Context and Clear Aims |
| Creating a Customized Design and Facilitation Plan |
| Creating an Environment that Evokes Creativity |
| Implementation and Documentation |
| Building and Maintaining Professional Knowledge and Attitude |
I utilize these domains to assess myself on a regular basis. It helps me to know, where I require continued support, growth or training. It also helps me to be intentional about what areas I would like to improve and how I will continue to provide the best to our clients. It seems we never really are there yet. If we are committed to providing the best we can to our clients, we are always on the path to growth and improvement.
