1. CALIFORNIA YMCA Y&G: ADVISOR VOLUNTEER TRAINING
FACILITATION SKILLS 101
CALIFORNIA YMCA Y&G: 
ADVISOR VOLUNTEER TRAINING
September 7, 2019

2. Welcome & introductions
Danny O’Neill

3. Agreements

4. agenda

5. agenda
What is facilitation?

6. agenda
What is facilitation?
How to prepare for a session

7. agenda
What is facilitation?
How to prepare for a session
Beginning

8. agenda What is facilitation? How to prepare for a session Beginning
Activity

9. agenda What is facilitation? How to prepare for a session Beginning
Activity
Countenance

10. agenda What is facilitation? How to prepare for a session Beginning
Activity
Countenance
Issues

11. agenda What is facilitation? How to prepare for a session Beginning
Activity
Countenance
Issues
Questions

12. 5-minute buds 

13. 5-minute buds Name and delegation Experience with Y&G
One idea you are implementing this program year
Favorite childhood cartoon

14. FACILITATION

15. WHAT IS FACILITATION?
The “facilitator” is a guide or “discussion leader” for the group. The process of facilitation is a way of providing leadership without taking the reins. 
A facilitator’s role is to get others to assume responsibility and take the lead.
A facilitative leader focuses on both content and process. They are the “content and process leader.” 
Content = What tasks, subjects, problems are being addressed 
Process = How things are discussed, including: Methods Procedures Format Tools Style of interaction Group norms Group dynamics Group climate 

16. preparation

17. preparation
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  ― Benjamin Franklin

18. preparation
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  ― Benjamin Franklin
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”  ― Benjamin Franklin

19. preparation “Organize, don't agonize.” ― Nancy Pelosi
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  ― Benjamin Franklin
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”  ― Benjamin Franklin

20. preparation “Organize, don't agonize.” ― Nancy Pelosi
“I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.”  ― Oprah Winfrey
preparation
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  ― Benjamin Franklin
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”  ― Benjamin Franklin

21. preparation “Organize, don't agonize.” ― Nancy Pelosi
“I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.”  ― Oprah Winfrey
preparation
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  ― Benjamin Franklin
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”  ― Abraham Lincoln
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”  ― Benjamin Franklin

22. preparation “Organize, don't agonize.” ― Nancy Pelosi
“I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.”  ― Oprah Winfrey
“He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.”  ― Samuel Taylor Coleridge
preparation
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  ― Benjamin Franklin
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”  ― Abraham Lincoln
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”  ― Benjamin Franklin

23. preparation

24. preparation
PURPOSE

25. preparation
PURPOSE
MATERIALS

26. preparation
PURPOSE
MATERIALS
PITFALLS

27. preparation
PURPOSE
MATERIALS
PITFALLS
 AGENDA
 GROUND RULES

28. preparation
PURPOSE
MATERIALS
PITFALLS
 AGENDA
 GROUND RULES

29. preparation PURPOSE MATERIALS PITFALLS AGENDA GROUND RULES
 ARRIVAL AND SETUP

30. SKILLS

31. SKILLS
Intentional Silence

32. SKILLS
Intentional Silence
Paraphrasing

33. SKILLS
Intentional Silence
Paraphrasing
Relevance

34. SKILLS
Intentional Silence
Paraphrasing
Relevance
Questions

35. SKILLS Intentional Silence Paraphrasing Relevance Questions
Build Consensus 

36. YOU ARE GOING TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE!
SKILLS
Intentional Silence
Paraphrasing
Relevance
Questions
Build Consensus 
YOU ARE GOING TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE!

37. ACTIVITY

38. Your style

39. Always remember... INCLUSION
Consider designing a session with structures and activities that appeal to different learners and personality types. It could be as simple as arranging a seating plan that is equal and fair, where everyone is on the same eye level, in a circle and with no one’s back to anyone else.

40. Always remember... CLARITY IS KEY!
Be clear with your instruction and always ensure that you are being understood. You may need to paraphrase what you are saying so that everyone understands. Lack of understanding = chaos

41. Always remember... SET TIME LIMITS
Be the referee! Your delegates need structure and time limits. Give them the parameters to stay within and hold them (and yourself!) to it. 

42. Always remember... ACTIVE LISTENING IS KEY
Don’t just stand at the front during group work – move around, ask questions, and be sure that everyone is being heard. It is vital for effective communication. 

43. Always remember... GAUGE ENERGY
You are on crowd control and need to be able to read the room and the needs. Throw in some discussion, icebreaker, group builder when necessary. You’re the DJ! 

44. Always remember... ADAPTABILITY
Things don’t always happen the way we plan them, in the Y they almost never do, so always plan for change. 

45. Always remember... TEACHING VS FACILITATING
Sometimes the best lessons come from an effectively facilitated group, so allow for learning to happen on both ends. You don’t have to have all the answers, just help and guide those to get to them. 

46. REVIEW HOPES

47. QUESTIONS AND FOLLOWUP

48. THANK YOU!