Facilitators often steal the spotlight without realising it. You start talking about how you feel, or what you might do – and suddenly the group’s focus has shifted from the activity to your inner monologue.
We call this spillage or metacommentary – the unnecessary verbalising of your own process or nerves. ‘I’m not sure this’ll work,’ or ‘I always get a bit nervous at this point,’ may be honest, but they distract participants and dilute their experience.
Your job isn’t to perform, it’s to enable performance in others. Keep the spotlight firmly on them. Even if the facilitator gently tilts the attention in their own direction, saying, “I want you to do such and such,” it can be an irritating personalisation of what’s properly a neutral group-owned procedure: ‘Let’s…‘ or ‘Now it’s time for…‘
Learn to manage presence and focus under pressure with Paul Jackson Associates’ facilitation coaching – practical tools for confidence, clarity and calm.
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