Building confidence in facilitation: Lessons from a PPI training workshop

One of the things I hear frequently from researchers is that they lack confidence and experience in facilitating. A group discussion is often the first patient and public involvement (PPI) activity many undertake – typically to gain input into a grant application or DPhil project – but for many, it is the first time they have done anything like this. A meeting that goes wrong can be stressful or upsetting, and ultimately unproductive, so having some tips and tricks up your sleeve is a good idea.

Until last October, everything I knew about facilitation I had learned through doing – having a go and making mistakes. While that gave me plenty to draw on and hadn’t led to any disasters, I was keen to consolidate my knowledge and learn how I could improve. So I signed up for a training day hosted by the Point of Care Foundation and delivered by Sam Hudson. I admit I was a bit apprehensive about whether it would be worth it – travelling to and across London, sorting out extended childcare, knowing I would arrive late and feeling flustered – but this experience itself proved valuable.

Sam and her co-trainer Naomi greeted me when I arrived (cringingly in the middle of the icebreaker) and immediately put me at ease. It hit me right away – if you are facilitating a meeting, of course people might be delayed or encounter other unforeseen circumstances. If you, as the facilitator, are prepared for these situations and have a plan for handling them, you won’t feel thrown and will still be able to keep the meeting on track.

The day was full of practical examples and tools to use when facilitating, as well as discussion around power dynamics, why groups come together, and what people need to engage effectively. We also had time to reflect and to practise facilitation.

By the end of the day, I knew I wanted to offer something similar to researchers in our department – and that is what Sam and I delivered to 20 people in March. We adapted the material from the course I attended and sought input from a senior researcher and someone just starting out in their career, to ensure the content was relevant and valuable.

Participants came from a range of backgrounds and had varying levels of confidence, but were generous in getting involved and sharing experiences. After an icebreaker (naturally!), we used the ‘compass exercise’ to establish everyone’s intentions for the day, and discussed the different opportunities for public contributors to engage throughout the research process. We covered the role of the facilitator, how to handle tricky situations (such as dominant – or quiet – voices, or veering off topic), gave participants the chance to role-play facilitation, and ended with Sam’s top tips: remember, you don’t have to be perfect, but don’t wing it – like Baldrick, you need a cunning plan.

Feedback from those who attended was reassuringly positive. Attendees appreciated the interactive nature of the session, hearing others’ experiences, and our explanations of why we did each activity. They said they left with concrete tools to try and a better understanding of the value of planning and how to create the right environment for positive sharing. Importantly, everyone reported feeling more confident and ready to give facilitation a try. Haleema Aslam said: ‘I have learnt so much. In the past I would have been shy to experiment with the techniques and tools you shared, but I feel more confident now to use more practical exercises.’

Since the training, we’ve heard from people who have had a chance to put their learning into practice. Youngjoo Kang said: ‘I had my first PPI session post-workshop and it went amazingly well, in large part thanks to the learnings from the workshop.’

The training will run again in the autumn and will be available free to anyone in the Department.