How do you discover emerging facilitation trends through your network?

1 Join online communities

One of the easiest and most accessible ways to connect with other facilitators and discover emerging trends is to join online communities and platforms that focus on facilitation. There are many options to choose from, depending on your interests, preferences, and goals. For example, you can join Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, Slack channels, or online forums that are dedicated to facilitation topics, such as design thinking, agile, virtual, or social justice facilitation. These online spaces allow you to interact with facilitators from different backgrounds, sectors, and locations, and to exchange ideas, resources, tips, and feedback. You can also learn from the experts and thought leaders who often share their knowledge and opinions on these platforms. By joining online communities, you can stay updated on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in facilitation, and also expand your network and visibility.

2 Attend events and webinars

Another way to discover emerging facilitation trends is to attend events and webinars that showcase and explore new and innovative approaches, methods, and tools for facilitation. These events and webinars can be either online or offline, depending on your availability and preference. They can range from conferences, workshops, meetups, to podcasts, webinars, or live streams. The benefits of attending these events and webinars are that you can learn from the experts and practitioners who are leading the way in facilitation, and also engage with other attendees who share your passion and curiosity. You can also ask questions, share your feedback, and participate in discussions and activities that can enrich your learning and understanding. By attending events and webinars, you can expose yourself to new and diverse perspectives, practices, and possibilities in facilitation, and also build your network and reputation.

3 Follow influencers and blogs

A third way to discover emerging facilitation trends is to follow influencers and blogs that cover and comment on the latest developments and innovations in facilitation. Influencers and bloggers are usually people who have a lot of experience, expertise, and influence in the field of facilitation, and who regularly share their insights, opinions, and recommendations on various platforms, such as social media, podcasts, newsletters, or websites. By following influencers and blogs, you can access valuable and relevant information, inspiration, and guidance on facilitation, and also learn from their stories, challenges, and successes. You can also interact with them and their followers, and express your views, questions, and suggestions. By following influencers and blogs, you can keep yourself informed and inspired by the best practices and trends in facilitation, and also grow your network and credibility.

4 Conduct surveys and interviews

A fourth way to discover emerging facilitation trends is to conduct surveys and interviews with your existing or potential clients, participants, or partners, and learn from their needs, expectations, and feedback. Surveys and interviews are useful tools to collect and analyze data, insights, and opinions from the people who matter most to your facilitation work, and who can help you improve your services and outcomes. By conducting surveys and interviews, you can identify the current and future trends, demands, and challenges in facilitation, and also discover the gaps, opportunities, and solutions that you can offer. You can also build trust, rapport, and loyalty with your clients, participants, or partners, and demonstrate your value and professionalism. By conducting surveys and interviews, you can align your facilitation work with the market needs and trends, and also enhance your network and reputation.

5 Experiment and reflect

A fifth way to discover emerging facilitation trends is to experiment and reflect on your own facilitation work, and learn from your successes, failures, and lessons. Experimenting and reflecting are essential skills for any facilitator who wants to grow and innovate in their practice, and who wants to stay relevant and competitive in the field. By experimenting, you can try out new and different approaches, methods, and tools for facilitation, and see what works and what doesn't for your context, goals, and audience. By reflecting, you can evaluate your performance, results, and feedback, and identify what you can improve, change, or keep in your facilitation work. You can also compare your work with others, and learn from their best practices and trends. By experimenting and reflecting, you can discover new and better ways of doing facilitation, and also develop your network and portfolio.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?