Virtual Facilitation

10Process

Figure 10.1 Select and design the right process for the session

The process is the very way the session is framed and conducted and depends on the purpose of the session, as well as on the other points of the Design Star (Figure 10.1). We would encourage you to be creative! The process spans the before and during stages. There are even elements that carry over into the period after a session too.

In the before phase you're designing a specific process planning what will actually happen – with information, exercises and interaction – but also invitation, prework and even what to do after the session. This is both to have a practical plan and to create the right mindset for participants before they join the session. Will it have a high level of engagement or will it be more of a presentation? Will you have breakouts and collaborative working documents? Will there be work for participants before and after the session? What you want to find is the type of process that will best serve your purpose.

The first part of the process that we're going to explore is creating the right mindset in your participants in the lead-up to your session.

Why mindset is important

In Chapter 8 we mentioned the mindset of your participants, making sure that you prepare them to join your session with the right mindset to get the most out of the session.

It's important that all your participants ...