#facilitation

#facilitation

"We don't have a platform for this." "We don't have an LMS." "We just need something simple." "We don't really have the budget for eLearning." And suddenly, every Instructional Designer and Learning Experience Designer in the room feels a tiny wave of professional panic. Because let's be honest: most of us were trained, socialized, and rewarded in environments where "good learning" was synonymous with technology. Authoring tools. Learning platforms. Interactive modules. Video. Simulations. Analytics dashboards. AI-powered everything.

Some are engaging and transformative, while others are incredibly boring. What exactly sets apart the ones where participants say, "Wow, we need to have these more often!" from those where participants are scrolling through their email, feeling pulled away from "real work?" While well-intended, there are subtle yet significant differences between mediocre retreats and those that truly deliver. Over the last decade-plus, I've designed and facilitated hundreds of retreats and training programs.

Reflecting ahead of time on defining the event's purpose, inviting with intention, understanding your role as a host and ending well can elevate gatherings.

"Well, I had enough and started acting like a Product Manager to solve that problem," one designer told me, frustrated with his leadership.

"You'll likely design for an indecisive leader when you work in design long enough. They might be a Subject Matter Expert who was 'promoted' to management."