Facilitation Techniques: Tips for Facilitating Groups

You've been asked to facilitate a meeting? Chances are you learned by trial and error (like most of us)!

In this episode, I sit down with professional facilitator Robin Parsons of Parsons to demystify what makes group discussions actually work. Robin shares how she spends 1-2 hours preparing for EVERY hour of facilitation—proving that great facilitation isn't magic, it's methodical.

We dig into the powerful ORID model (Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, Decisional) that transforms how you structure any discussion. Robin explains why addressing emotions is essential (and how to do it without making everyone uncomfortable), plus practical strategies for handling those tricky participants we all dread.

If you're leading strategic planning sessions or guiding important decisions, this gives you tangible tools to make a difference in your facilitation game. It sure did for me. So don't wing it—learn some real strategies!

Robin referred to ICA Associates for training. Find them here: https://ica-associates.ca/Find Robin herself at https://www.parsonsdialogue.com/And, as ever, find me at https://thehrhub.ca