Programme Facilitators

The art of facilitating workshops

The National Healthcare Communication Programme is implemented using a cascade (Train the Trainer) approach and is designed to be facilitated by team leaders or facilitators working with small groups of staff in their department or service. The Facilitators Guide for each Module provides the resources required to deliver the Programme locally.

National Healthcare Communication Programme Facilitator Pathway (PDF, 6.4 MB, 2 pages)

Becoming a facilitator

Similar to becoming an effective communicator, improving your facilitation skills is an ongoing journey. Along the way, as you practice, learn and improve, you will discover and develop your own facilitation style.

Observe and assess yourself

Observe yourself by using the Facilitator Self-Awareness Tool. Consider using the Tool for recording, analysing, and evaluating your workshops. Watching video recordings of yourself facilitating workshops provides an opportunity to study and learn from what you do well and areas that you may want to improve.

Coaching and feedback

Invite an experienced facilitator to observe you facilitating a workshop. This could be an in‐person observation or a review of a video recording of a workshop that you are facilitating. Encourage your coach to take notes specific to your strengths and suggestions for improvement.

Observing other facilitators can expand your awareness of different approaches to teaching communication skills. This can help you to find the facilitation style that is most comfortable for you and that aligns with your personality and the people that you are working with.

Keep working on your own facilitation skills. Continue to self‐assess and request feedback from a coach or a fellow facilitator. The coach/fellow facilitator may find it helpful to observe your overall facilitation style and skills using the self-awareness tool discussed above.

Self-awareness tool

Facilitator self-awareness tool (PDF, 2.6 MB, 8 pages)

Skills card

Facilitation style (PDF, 4 MB, 27 pages)