94% of employees attribute their most successful collaboration experiences to effective facilitation techniques in workshops and meetings (Gallup, 2021).
Yet, many leaders are still in the dark when it comes to unlocking the full potential of their teams. Below are some of the most popular workshop facilitation techniques that have transformed organizations around the world. They are created by industry experts like Juanita Brown, David Cooperrider, and Edward de Bono, who've revolutionized the way we collaborate and problem-solve.
As the renowned author and facilitator, Margaret Wheatley, once said,
'There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.'
| Technique | Why It's Amazing | When to Use | Link for More Information | Inventor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Café | It allows diverse groups to explore complex issues, share knowledge and build collective intelligence. | When you want to engage large groups in collaborative dialogue | World Café | Juanita Brown & David Isaacs |
| Fishbowl | It promotes active listening and helps large groups explore and learn from various perspectives. | When you want a few people to discuss a topic while others listen | Fishbowl | Unknown |
| Open Space Technology (OST) | It empowers participants to create their own agenda and enables unexpected connections and outcomes. | When you want to address complex or controversial issues in a self-organizing environment | OST | Harrison Owen |
| Dotmocracy | It's a simple, inclusive, and visual method for collective decision-making and prioritization. | When you want to prioritize or make decisions with large groups | Dotmocracy | Joe Goldman |
| The 6 Thinking Hats | It helps participants think more effectively by dividing the thinking process into six distinct roles. | When you want to explore different perspectives and encourage creative problem-solving | 6 Thinking Hats | Edward de Bono |
| Appreciative Inquiry | It encourages positive change by building on an organization's existing strengths and successes. | When you want to focus on what's working well and how to amplify it | Appreciative Inquiry | David Cooperrider & Suresh Srivastva |
| Liberating Structures | It offers 33 flexible techniques that can be easily adapted to different contexts and group sizes. | When you want to foster innovation and engagement in groups | Liberating Structures | Henri Lipmanowicz & Keith McCandless |