A workshop facilitator’s specific responsibilities vary, but in general, he or she is in charge of developing the workshop’s lessons and materials. An organization running a workshop may provide some guidance regarding their work, but other facilitators may have far more control. A facilitator usually creates the specific materials and handouts that are used during a workshop, with or without guidance. The workshop facilitator then presents lessons to workshop participants as well as providing additional support and information.
The type of workshop being run and how he or she has been contracted to handle it determine a lot of what a workshop facilitator does. Others can be hired by a company to provide specific details and work within a set context, while famous or influential public speakers may have complete control over what they do. A workshop facilitator often determines the specific message and content for a workshop, regardless of how much guidance an organizer may provide. An organizer, for example, might want a workshop to be about writing, and the facilitator can then decide that it should focus specifically on writing non-fiction narratives.
After the subject matter has been determined, a workshop facilitator creates the workshop’s actual content. This usually starts with the creation of the lessons that will be presented, each with its own subject and focus on a specific concept. For example, a workshop on nonfiction narrative writing could include specific lessons on brainstorming, finding voice in the work, and editing writing to find relevant details and eliminate unnecessary information. The number of lessons a workshop facilitator creates is often determined by the workshop’s length and the organizers’ requirements.
The workshop facilitator must then present the material covered in his or her lessons at the workshop after this preliminary work is completed. This can be done in a variety of ways, but it usually involves a combination of lecturing, group activities, and interactive dialogues between the facilitator and the attendees. Lessons are presented in ways according to the preferences and style of the workshop facilitator, and handouts and other materials are often given to the attendees with additional information. Following the presentation, the facilitator may take additional questions from the audience and provide an opportunity for them to provide feedback to help him or her improve future workshops.