Facilitator’s One Day-of-Session Checklist
Your hour-by-hour companion for ensuring presence, professionalism, and flow on the big day.
Listen to the Checklist
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🕗 1–2 Hours Before the Session
- Mindset & Readiness
- Arrive early (virtually or physically) and settle in
- Revisit the session goals and flow
- Center yourself: deep breath, intention setting, mantra if needed
- Review facilitation notes, prompts, and key talking points
- Rehearse your opening and closing if it's high-stakes
- Materials & Room Setup
- All materials printed/prepped (or links ready)
- Room arranged for visibility, inclusivity, and comfort
- Name tags, markers, flip charts, water, etc. in place
- Welcome slide or timer screen up (for online/in-person)
- Tech Setup (Hybrid or Online)
- Audio/video fully tested
- Shared screen ready with agenda or icebreaker
- Breakout rooms pre-assigned (if needed)
- Tools open: Miro, Mentimeter, Google Docs, ChatGPT, etc.
- Co-facilitator/host logged in and ready
🕘 15–30 Minutes Before Start
- Open session early for early arrivals
- Play music or display a welcome message
- Greet participants warmly as they join
- Confirm participant access to tools/links
- Remind co-host/tech buddy of their roles
- Do a quick emotional check-in with yourself and your team
🚦 During the Session
- Participant Experience
- Welcome everyone and review purpose, outcomes, agenda
- Set ground rules or working agreements (briefly)
- Clarify how participation will work (chat, raise hand, breakout rooms)
- Ensure everyone speaks in the first 15 mins (through icebreakers or polls)
- Keep an eye on who is silent, stuck, or dominating
- Adjust energy: break the ice, energize, slow down, or regroup as needed
- Time & Flow
- Start and end each section on time
- Be flexible with timing if needed to go deeper
- Use a visible timer or verbal cues for transitions
- Ask: “Is this moving us toward our goal?”
- Build in moments of reflection and summary
- Inclusion & Engagement
- Invite quieter voices and validate diverse inputs
- Handle tension with neutrality
- Clarify confusion without shutting down ideas
- Shift formats if energy dips (e.g., small group → individual → plenary)
- AI Co-Facilitation (Optional)
- Ensure Otter.ai, Fireflies, Fathom etc is recording and summarizing
- Use ChatGPT to capture insights or generate voting statements
- Tag key moments for follow-up later
- Ask AI to surface themes post-discussion (for retro or wrap-up)
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Learn More✅ Before You End
- Summarize decisions, insights, and next steps
- Ask for feedback or reflections
- Share what comes next and how notes will be sent
- Thank everyone for their time, energy, and ideas
- Close with clarity and gratitude
💬 Post-Session Quick Wins (Within 30–60 Mins)
- Debrief with co-facilitator: What worked? What didn’t?
- Save your notes, transcript, and outputs securely
- Send summary + action items to participants
- Make notes for your facilitation journal/playbook
Register Now
Facilitator's Day-of-Session Checklist
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