Co-Facilitation & Co-Creation
In March some of our team members in Switzerland co-organised, hosted and facilitated together with a few partner organizations a new format that we called the “Agora of the Future Birds”. It was a rather open gathering of a half-day including drinks and a party at the end that attracted around 100 people all connected by their interest in co-creating our common future. We wished for the space and the atmosphere to feel light, inspiring, colorful and welcoming. And we kept the formal very loosely structured with lots of time and space for contributions by the participants. And this can be challenging to facilitate as you basically operate without a safety net and you’re dependent on the participants’ inputs and ideas. So what helped make the session a success?
Because a big part of the program was created by the participants on the spot, the two facilitators needed a pretty good sensor for when something didn’t quite work out and they had to intervene and support. By being present and attentive in the space they were able to react spontaneously and help the participants’ contributions work out.
The two co-facilitators complemented each other beautifully: One was more the idealistic, spiritual type who’s really good at creating visions and conveying purpose. The other one was more rational, grounded, giving the whole session structure. At iLula we would call the first one an Air element and the second an Earth element. IYKYK.
Both facilitators were clearly aligned on the aim of the session: To bring people together and let them be. This needed them to first create a program that’s not overloaded and then to stay open to whatever the participants would bring in. With both facilitators being aligned and focused on this aim, they were able to stay present and help the session unfold together with the participants.
What are some of your facilitation wins? And what factors contributed to them being a success?
We would love to hear from our fellow facilitators!
