Facilitation Skills Training: Guide on the Side, Not Sage on the Stage
Sometimes the most meaningful initiatives begin not with a formal plan, but with a heartfelt conversation.
At an FPMT-UK meeting in summer 2025, a discussion around the 16 Guidelines Meditations course revealed an honest challenge: while many staff and volunteers were enthusiastic, they often felt underprepared to manage group dynamics and hold inclusive, well-supported sessions.
What followed was a moment of genuine listening, and the seed of an idea was planted.
Responding to a Real Need
On the train journey home from that meeting, an animated discussion started. Ideas flowed freely as we explored what effective facilitation really looks like in practice, what volunteers were struggling with, and how a short training could be both practical and empowering. By the time the train pulled in, the seed of the training had already taken root.
Once back at work, the momentum continued. With the continuous support and collaboration of Wendy Ridley and Lizzy Lewis, who shaped those initial ideas into a two-hour Facilitation Skills Training workshop, our aspiration materialised.
The response exceeded all expectations. When the invitation went out, 135 people registered, a clear sign of how needed this support was.
In November 2025, around 80 participants joined the live sessions, which explored eight core skills of good facilitation:
- Inclusion and Boundaries
- Preparation: Knowing Your Participants
- Session Planning
- Communication Techniques
- Active Facilitation
- Managing Group Dynamics
- Logistics and Practicalities
- Opportunities for Continuous Growth
A Warm, Participatory Approach
The training reflected the values it aimed to teach. Facilitators encouraged participants to reflect on their role not as a “sage on the stage,” but as a “guide on the side“, helping draw out the wisdom already present in the group.
It also included practical suggestions for navigating common challenges:
- When a discussion drifts: “Let’s park that for now and return if time allows.”
- When energy dips: “Let’s shift the energy—I invite everyone to stand and stretch.”
At the heart of the training was a key insight: Focus more on your inner state than your script. When facilitators are grounded in care and presence, trust naturally follows.
Feedback highlighted the impact:
“It was very professionally led and there were lots of different tools that were shared, and not just shared but also we got to experience them.” – N.A.
“It was extremely beneficial to learn and revisit some of the important values that we always need for instance humbleness, openness, adaptation and truthfulness.” – A.N.
Looking Ahead
A Spanish-language version of the Facilitation Skills Training is scheduled for January 2026 to support Centres in Latin America and Spain. There is growing interest in offering it in other languages too.
This training was a reminder that when we meet people where they are, with curiosity, collaboration and compassion, what grows is not just knowledge, but confidence, connection and community.
If you’re interested in future English or Spanish trainings, please contact FDCW.
Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW)
At FDCW, we are committed to a more compassionate, wiser world. We provide resources, courses and training to develop qualities such as kindness, patience and honesty – qualities that are essential for meeting the challenges of the world we all share.
The Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) was established as a global charity based in London in 2005. Since then, we have provided secular training, programmes and resources across many sectors of society – schools, universities, hospices, workplaces, healthcare, youth groups and community centres. Our courses have reached thousands of people across the world through our dedicated and growing network of facilitators in more than 20 countries.
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