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Listening: Although a basic rule enforced to many at a young age, it is also an important skill that can be developed further over time. Intentional listening is key to unlocking the words in between the lines of your participants. Being a good listener goes beyond just hearing what your participants have to say, it also includes understanding the intent behind words. What do your participants really want or need? What did they enjoy or dislike? What helps them to engage more? Being a good listener is the foundation to understanding when you will need the other tools in your Facilitator Toolkit. For more insights, check out the blog, Listen More, Talk Less.

Discipline: Having discipline and instilling discipline in participants will be helpful in your success. It goes beyond following rules and staying organized and can reflect consistency, integrity, and intentionality into everything you do. Even the best facilitators can drift into old habits, so keep refocusing on your purpose and goals. When you demonstrate discipline, your participants learn to embody it too.

Ground Rules: Establishing shared ground rules builds a strong, safe foundation for your group. They set clear boundaries and expectations while encouraging collaboration and respect. Leadership Inspirations’ Five Finger Contract is a great starting point: Safety, Commitment, No Zingers, Responsibility, and Having Fun. Encourage your group to contribute their own rules, as this reveals what they value and strengthens buy-in. Learn more in our blogs: Back to Basics: Setting Ground Rules and Creating a Safe Space.

Positive affirmations: Known to reduce stress and anxiety, boost self-esteem, enhance focus, and improve motivation, positive affirmations is also another simple tool you can wield with your participants. From simple compliments to more in depth comments, you can help participants feel seen and encourage them to continue on. The key is knowing when and how to use them. Some participants may need reassurance to overcome self-doubt, while others may thrive on recognition for their effort. Use your listening skills to tailor affirmations that meet your group’s needs and build confidence.

Attention grabber: Group discussions can get lively! Keep a few attention grabbers ready to help refocus your group in fun and engaging ways. Try these examples or create your own using familiar media, pop culture, or classroom themes. Below are some examples, but feel free to adjust to what works for you and get creative to appeal to your participants' interests (movies, shows, books, pop culture references, etc.).

• Call (facilitator): 1, 2, 3, eyes on me! / Response (from participants): 1, 2, 3, eyes on you!

• Call: Waterfall! / Response: Shhhhh 

• Call: Hocus Pocus! / Response: Everybody Focus!

• Call: Clap once if you can hear me! / Response: *clap*

Adjustments: Knowing when your group needs an adjustment comes from listening and also staying attuned to the nonverbal cues of participants. Individuals are different and with a group comprised of many different personalities, it will serve you well as a facilitator to know how to adjust a situation. Flexibility may need to be called for during activities, debriefs, or at any point of change. Understanding the Group Development Model, group's size, risk level, and time constraints are integral to adjusting successfully. Explore more in the blogs: Group Development Model, Adjusting to Group Size, and Managing Time Effectively.

Debriefing: Learning how to effectively debrief can be powerful for your group's development and transform activities into learning moments. The key is in knowing what questions to ask and when. Knowing what questions to ask can prompt the type of discussion needed for your group to learn and progress as a team. While you might have a list of questions planned, conversations can move down a path you didn't expect, and that's ok! Be open to where the conversation goes; unexpected directions often reveal the richest insights. Use your tool of listening to gauge where the group is at and decide when to ask the next question and what it should prompt. A recommended model to ask questions is using the 'What, So What, Now What' framework, which you can learn more about in the Tell Me About It: Learning Through Debriefing blog.

Discussion tactics: Whether you have a small or large group, effective discussion tactics can help in steering your group's conversations to be more productive and deepen the quality. Check out the various ways you can utilize discussion tactics in our Facilitator Tools.

Check ins and Check outs: While seemingly simple, check ins and check outs are a powerful tool for facilitators. It can help you gauge your group's comfort level, energy level, understanding of topics or situations, and more. See Group Check Ins and Check Outs for examples. 

Balance: A strong facilitator knows how to balance all these tools—adjusting when to listen, when to guide, and when to step back. This balance helps you support your group’s growth in behavior, understanding, confidence, and teamwork. Just as importantly, check in with yourself. Use these same tools to maintain your own balance and well-being throughout the process.

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Task/Goal Tracking: With so many moving parts—group goals, individual goals, and your own—it’s easy to lose track. Use a task or goal tracker to stay organized and visualize progress. Whether you prefer a colorful chart or a simple spreadsheet, find a method that keeps you focused and celebrate your milestones along the way.