Delivery Matters

Stories behind workshop plans,
sticky notes and markers.

Author: Deborah Rim Moiso

10 Favorite Facilitation Card Decks (and How to Use Them)

Facilitators love card decks. Why? They're tactile, visual, flexible, and reliably powerful. Whether you’re mapping a system, guiding reflection, or helping a group build connection, there’s something magical about putting a beautiful, idea-rich card into someone’s hands. Combined in an opening or reflection activity, card decks feel like an invitation: to pause, to imagine, to engage with the work a little differently. Many card decks include inspiring illustrations, designed to awaken the imagination and introduce some wonder into your workday. Here’s why facilitation card decks are such trusted tools: They help spark creativity when the blank page feels daunting. They’re quick to grab when you need a new idea, fast.…

Team members in a workshop

How to collaborate while planning an event with SessionLab

Great workshops and events are a team effort. Turning a draft agenda into a real-word, memorable event requires the involvement of quite a few different stakeholders. In this article we’ll look into all the ways SessionLab helps facilitators and trainers collaborate effectively while working on a workshop or event. We'll cover every stage of the process, from initial design all the way to delivery and share how you can streamline your process and creating engaging experiences with the help of SessionLab. The first part of a facilitator’s job is often quite a solitary affair: me, at my desk, sometimes with some help from AI, working on an agenda to get…

A woman working at her desk with the SessionLab planner on her computer screen

How to organize a workshop with SessionLab

In the next few pages, I’ll walk you through how I move from a blank canvas to the first version of a workshop design. I’ll illustrate how, as a freelance facilitator, I use SessionLab step-by-step to organize information, sketch out early ideas, and create a draft agenda, ready to share. SessionLab is my facilitation back office: it’s the virtual desk where I do all the preparation work for each workshop, session, and event. It allows me to keep my notes in one place, design efficiently, and easily collaborate with clients, co-facilitators, and other people with a stake in the success of my next workshop. Let’s see how. Facilitation is often…

How to make training more engaging: 8 essential tips

You can have the best content in the world, the most updated statistics and information, but when it comes to training, great training content is just not enough. We’ve all sat through sessions that feel like (and in fact, are) a slow march through a PowerPoint deck. The information might be useful, but it is not memorable. In an era of distractions and short attention spans, what can help us design training that actually sticks?  In this article, we will look at 8 essential tips to make in-person or virtual training more engaging, with plenty of real-life stories and examples from my own experience training newbies in facilitation and group…

5 qualities of a good trainer and how to cultivate them

The qualities of a good trainer are a combination of personal traits and training skills that ensure training and education sessions are productive and memorable.  Demonstrating the qualities of a good trainer can transform workshops and training courses into experiences. This helps learning retention, making it much more likely that new learnings will be applied in practice. In professional development and instructor-led workplace training, a good trainer can make the difference between delivering a boring and ineffective course that leaves participants disinterested and disengaged, and a successful learning experience.  Some of the qualities typically listed as essential for great trainers include the ability to listen and adapt to the audience,…

A woman writing on a whiteboard

10 effective workshop rules for more productive sessions

Workshops are dynamic, participatory environments where collaboration thrives. To set the tone and ensure productive teamwork, it’s a common practice for leaders and facilitators to establish agreements at the start of a session—often called 'ground rules'. But why are workshop rules so essential? They create a framework for how groups work together, increasing clarity, preventing misunderstandings, and keeping discussions focused. Whether you’re leading a brainstorming session, a team alignment meeting, or a training workshop, ground rules set the stage for meaningful collaboration. In this article, we’ll explore what workshop rules are, why they matter, and how to use them effectively. You’ll find plenty of examples, practical methods for co-creating them…

A professional woman working in front of a wall full of sticky notes

How to run a workshop (with a free workshop design canvas)

Are you preparing to debut as a facilitator, trainer, or workshop guide? Maybe you’re a team leader who’d like to try out more collaborative methods but are unsure where to begin? You’ve come to the right place. In this quick starter guide we will go through all the essential information you need to confidently run your first workshop. Taking it step-by-step, we will look into how to craft an invitation, what to include in the opening section of your event, how to guide the group through activities, and what to do in closing.  To get you started designing your first workshop, we've also included a free Workshop Design Canvas you…

A young woman reading a book in a library

The top 11 most recommended facilitation books you’ll want to read

Looking to fill your bookshelf (or e-reader) with essential texts on facilitation and workshop design? This is the place to be!  Here at SessionLab, we've surveyed over a thousand facilitators, trainers, and leaders to uncover their top go-to facilitation books. Read on to find the 11 recommendations not to be missed! Reading facilitation books will help you understand the deeper roots of the role, give you a bedrock of activities and tools and of course, if you are purchasing these as actual books and putting them on a shelf, will also provide you with a lovely and appropriate background for all your video calls.  Why facilitation books matter Facilitation is…

What is group facilitation? 12 tips for better group management

Group facilitation is more than just bringing people together in a room and hoping for the best. It’s about removing obstacles and creating the right conditions where collaboration can thrive. When a meeting or event flows well, it can feel like magic. But it actually isn't: you can easily improve your day-to-day meetings or stakeholder events by applying some simple group management tips. In this article, we’ll explore what makes group facilitation effective and share 12 tips to help you bring out the best in any group you’re working with. What is group facilitation? Whenever a group of people assembles to get something done, there is a need for guidance…

Six icons representing the roles of a facilitator. A compass for guide, a heart for community builder, a flag for team coach, a microphone for host, a dove for peacebuilder and a checklist for experience designer

What is the role of a facilitator?

Facilitators play a crucial role in helping groups have productive discussions and make tough decisions. As a facilitator, understanding the various roles you might occupy during a workshop or meeting can help things flow seamlessly and ensure group discussions and training sessions are effective. In this post, I’ll explore the six roles of a facilitator and how to use them in your practice. Each one highlights a unique set of skills that facilitators use to help groups stay focused, energized, and productive — much more than simply handing out sticky notes. 6 roles of a facilitator Facilitation is a relatively new field of interest and, as such, we don’t really…

What is a facilitator and what do they do?

As a professional facilitator, there are certain questions I find it really hard to answer. Such basic, chit-chat-at-the-dinner-party questions, in fact, that it’s almost embarrassing. Questions like: What is a "facilitator"? Why do people hire you? What is it that you actually do? To get to the bottom of these matters I’ll be using my own experience, that of colleagues from my networks and, in particular, data drawn from the State of Facilitation in 2023 report, which is based on over 1100 responses to a global survey. If you are considering starting a career as a facilitator or want to brush up on your skills, read on to be prepared…

a woman writing on a whiteboard with a sharpie pen

How to become a (professional) facilitator

Facilitation is moving into the mainstream, and getting increasingly recognized as a rapidly growing profession and an essential set of skills.  A quick look at Google Trends told me that worldwide searches for the word “facilitation” have almost doubled from 2019 to today. A recent uptick in interest may be credited to the new needs of complex remote-first or hybrid workplaces. Whatever the reason, facilitation is on the rise.  Do you want to improve the way you run meetings or manage teams in your current position, or to set up your own freelance business? In this article, we’ll look at all you need to know if you are interested in…

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