SessionLab released their 2024 “State of Facilitation” report. It’s a great report to review. 975 facilitators contributed to this research!
Check out the whole report – here’s what it discusses:
How is facilitation changing?
The path to professional facilitation in 2024 requires becoming literate in the use of digital tools while cultivating the heart of the craft: relationships, trust, and human connection.
How are digital tools and AI impacting how facilitators work inside and outside of a session?
How is facilitation helping companies to navigate the new world of work?
Click the link to read the report yourself to see what facilitation was like in 2023 and what that can teach us about the promises and challenges of 2024.
Facilitator Training
The “State of Facilitation 2024” report by SessionLab provides an insightful overview of the facilitation field. The most interesting finding to me was the lack of formal training for facilitators. Facilitator survey respondents were asked the question “what accreditation or training certificates did you acquire related to facilitation?” 84.6% listed none. As the report shared, “it is sobering to see such high percentages of people who do not have any accreditation or training certificates related to facilitation in their background. “None” is the most common answer by far.”
How did you learn to facilitate? Pick up to three pathways that had the most impact on your facilitation development. For this response, the facilitators are learning facilitation just by doing it or observing another facilitator leading a workshop or event. Very few have participated in a formal facilitator training program.
Design Thinking and Brainstorming Facilitation
I also took note of the responses to this question: Which methodologies / techniques / frameworks have you used in your sessions over the past 12 months? Brainstorming was #1 with 74.6% in 2023…up from 2.5% in 2022. Also, design thinking was #3 at 48.4%, up from 12.9% in 2022. These are quite the gains for our core interest…facilitating design thinking and brainstorming!
Other key findings from the report include the varied backgrounds and experiences of facilitators, the diverse methods and tools they use, and the challenges they face, particularly regarding training and professional development. The report also highlights the impact of digital transformation on facilitation practices and the importance of adapting to new technologies and methodologies.