Library of facilitation techniques

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Featured Author – International Association of Facilitators

IAF is a worldwide community of facilitators promoting excellence in the use of professional group process facilitation to create engagement and impact.

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152 results

Methods (152)

Social Fabric Mapping

This activity gets participants thinking about the power of relationships and what it means to be a part of a connected community.


Participants use the shared visualization to create a visual representation of all the communities and groups that they have been and currently are a part of. They can create their "map" any way that want, but it's best if the facilitator has an example to share with participants for reference.


After five minutes, participants pair up and share their maps with each other. Alternatively, the reflection can be in a full group.


Reflection Questions:

  • How did you feel while you were making your map, and how did you feel looking at your completed map?

  • Considering everything you included in your map, what do you think makes a community “woven strong”?

Hyper Island

End of Year Reflection + Gratitude & Intention Setting

Purpose: People and Teams need to reflect as part of learning and innovation. Reflection can reveal strengths and areas for improvement. During the transition from one year to the next, we tend to focus on what's coming up in the new year.

Planning ahead and creating goals is important, but let's not forget to reflect on the previous year to learn from our experiences and get focused and deliberate about the future choices we make. After the Reflection, there is a gratitude and intention-setting option.

Andy Pearson

Circle, Square, Triangle

At the end of a workshop, it's important to reflect on the things you've learnt, the things you still need to work on and how the things you've learnt in the workshop will help you improve. This activity encourages post-session reflection, and is suitable to be run remotely.

Hyper Island

Human Machine

This fast and physical group gets participants moving and working together in a way that generates energy and promotes collaboration. One at a time, members of the group become parts of the “machine”, each one making a distinct physical motion and a sound, until the whole group is working together in motion, as one human machine.

Hyper Island

Take a Stand

This is a practical, dynamic and versatile method for groups to explore ideas and questions together. Something like a physical questionnaire; participants respond to questions by walking around the space and placing themselves on an imaginary line. This provides a starting point for reflection and discussion and brings teams together.