Hello friends,
Many thanks for reading The Quest, your weekly round-up of tips and insights to help you design and lead exceptional online sessions that your group members will love.❤️
A special welcome to facilitators joining from the Butter Community this week. 🙌
Today we’re diving into a game-changing framework that will help you build credibility AND relatability with your group members.
Let’s jump right in!
A pivotal moment for building trust with our group is during your personal introduction.
Most people focus on building their “credibility”. Listing degrees. Naming the organizations they’ve helped succeed. And cataloguing professional accomplishments.
Building credibility is important.
It lets your audience know that you are qualified to lead your session. After all, they want to learn from your experience and expertise.
The problem is that it’s not enough.
There is another crucial element that’s often overlooked: relatability. It lets your audience know that you have faced – and overcome – some of the same challenges that they experience.
Credibility connects to the head. Relatability connects to the heart. That’s why both are important.
It’s relatability that unlocks engagement.
Why? Because relatability helps your group members connect with you as a real human being – imperfections and all. It shows that you understand their struggles and that you’ve navigated them personally. And that’s what helps create an environment where open and meaningful interaction can flourish.
So how do you build relatability?
Introducing 💥Your Story of Breakthrough💥
It’s a simple yet powerful framework that makes it easy for you to craft a story where:
✔️You share a struggle you’ve overcome.
✔️That’s related to your session topic.
✔️That your group members can relate to.
Here’s the twist:
The framework focuses your story on a specific moment of breakthrough. An aha! moment about something you had been struggling with that led to a new solution or discovery.
Why does it work?
Sharing your struggles and breakthroughs helps your audience connect with you. You create space for your group members to share their struggles. And you give your group members a glimpse into what’s possible for them.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1/ ✍️Grab a pen and paper or a writing device.
2/ 🤔Think about the session you lead or facilitate and your audience’s challenges.
3/ 👍Choose a story that’s relevant to your topic and audience.
4/ ⏰Set a timer for 5 minutes and use the following writing prompts to outline to craft it into your story of breakthrough.
✅ I WAS STRUGGLING WITH…
Set the scene: What challenges did you face? What were you grappling with? What was at stake?
✅ AND THEN THIS HAPPENED…
Describe the catalyst. What was it that triggered the change? Was it an event you attended? A book you read? A conversation you had?
✅ MY MOMENT OF BREAKTHROUGH WAS…
Pinpoint the exact aha! moment. When did it hit you? What were you doing? What sudden insight did you gain?
✅ THIS IS WHAT CHANGED AS A RESULT…
Describe the outcome. What did your breakthrough make possible? What new opportunities did it lead to? What benefits have you experienced as a result?
Pro-tips:
- Keep it concise. Aim to deliver your story in 1-2 minutes following the story arc.
- Describe your exact moment of breakthrough. This makes it easier for your audience to grasp and relate to.
Put it into action 💪
Over to you. Give the Story of Breakthrough a try in your next session. Notice how it elevates engagement and connection.
If you try it out, let me know how it goes by hitting reply to this email.
✨Your Story of Breakthrough is inspired by the Powerful Personal Introduction by Partners for Youth Empowerment. Big thanks to my facilitation mentor Nadia Chaney for her valuable insights that helped shape the framework.
💪This Week’s Facilitator Finds
1/ 📅Free Webinar: Stream Deck & OBS Studio for Facilitators, Educators, and Event Hosts with Said Saddouk “the FACILITAINER” on May 28. A great opportunity to check out these tools with a pro. 💪
2/ 💡4 Ways to Reimagine Stale Presentations. I loved this article by friend, collaborator, and StreamAlive CEO and co-founder Lux Narayan with tips to guarantee engagement in your presentations.
3/ ⚒️Butter’s Breakout Groups . Online engagement platform Butter is taking breakout groups to the next level. Check out their handbook to learn more about how they work and what more is possible with breakouts.
💌 Thanks for reading The Quest
I always love hearing your feedback and suggestions. Just hit reply to share your thoughts and ideas.
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Creatively yours,
Whenever you are ready there are 2 more ways I can help you:
👉Custom coaching & team training. Book a free 15-minute zero-commitment call with me to see how I can support you and your team.
👉5-week Live Online Course. The Breakthrough Facilitation course gives you tools, personalized feedback, and a proven framework for designing and leading high-engagement live sessions. Join the interest list and be the first to get the next cohort dates and discounts.
