The Five Personas™

Great facilitators aren’t just taking participants through the planned content; they are sharing their own stories and experiences from taking a similar path. They aren’t just a “sage on the stage” but a relatable guide and mentor. As the Sensei, great facilitators help ensure that the session or program isn’t only an impactful learning experience for participants but becomes the start of their personal transformation.

Participants need to know that their facilitator has always got their back: keeping the session on track, ensuring practice tasks are completed correctly, and offering corrections and guidance. It lets them relax by focusing on the learning, instead of worrying whether the session will finish on time or achieve the desired outcomes. The Drill Sergeant also understands how to take participants from entry level steps to mastery and adjusts the activities and pacing to meet the needs of their audience.

The power of the Superhero lies in their ability to set a compelling vision of what’s possible and nurture the development of unique capabilities in each participant to achieve that vision—bringing their own inner superhero to life. Facilitators need to encourage and motivate participants to push beyond their limits and achieve new levels of growth. Our Superhero persona makes sure this is part of their skill set.

In every training session, there can be moments of profound impact and sharing of personal blocks or experiences. The audience needs to know from the earliest moments of the session that they’re in a safe space, with someone who understands their world and their work, and who supports them while also holding them accountable to take action. A strong Confidant persona builds trust and creates the strong connections that allow transformational learning experiences to occur.

The Jester is a facilitator who is playful and spontaneous. They understand when levity is required. It might be needed to help the group open up or reset after a difficult topic, to build rapport and connection as the session gets started, or even to help participants put less pressure on themselves as they embark on building new skills. Stepping into the Jester role is often overlooked as a core facilitation skill, but it is critical for successful participant engagement and impact.