Facilitator In 90 Days
I just watched a video named “How You Can Become A High-Paid Facilitator In 90 Days Or Less, Using The 5-1-6 Method!” by Jonathan Courtney from AJ&Smart
If you do not recognise the name, you might have heard about or read The Workshopper Playbook. Yes, it’s that guy!
Jonathan together with his partner founded AJ&Smart due to communication and collaborative issues faced during his years as a UX Designer. Facilitation skills solved a lot of those problems and the company hve been going storng for 13 years.
Why are facilitation skills important for UX Researcher?
I watched the free limited-time video since facilitating meetings and communicating the research scope and requirements of the design sprints was the most challenging aspect of my one-year internship as a UX Researcher. I do not want to give too many spoilers, but in a nutshell, he advised me to improve my facilitation using 5 steps that can make me a 1% facilitator and generate 6 figures.
The facilitation video steps summarized:
1️⃣ Be flexible and available for any type of client.
2️⃣ Master exercises.
3️⃣ Take charge of unpredictable situations.
4️⃣ Find your 3-5 core workshops.
5️⃣ Sell the idea of workshops by using a sales funnel.
You should watch it yourself. It only takes an hour, and Jonathan explains the 5 steps clearly and humorously, shifting from video to slides.
Here is the link: https://go.ajsmart.com/start
Something important he shed light on in this facilitation video is that despite the facilitator being the process owner, it is not the facilitator's job to be “the hero” who comes up with the solutions but rather a guiding figure who lets the clients come up with ideas. This makes the clients feel good about themselves, likely making them want to book another appointment.
Here, asking questions rather than giving advice is key, which, as a previous UX Researcher, comes naturally to me by asking, “Tell me why” (if you know, you know) 😂
Jonathan also advises to check out facilitation websites for inspiration:
Since I enjoyed this video and took a graphic facilitation course at FOF in Copenhagen last year, I want to explore those websites to see what many other methods and brainstorming games I do not know of. Do not forget the fun aspect of learning about faciliation workshop methods at it often includes team work, sketching, post-it's and trying out engaging games that help make a point come across more easily.
My advice to gain facilitation skills
I personally advise anyone wanting to improve their facilitation and communication skills to take a course in improv theatre. I studied improv for about eight months until May this year, and it helped me present ideas or knowledge more confidently in front of others. It also gave me tools for collaborating with my scene partners and being a more active listener. The games you play at Improv could also inspire games during a workshop.
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