A client told me recently about a conference she’d attended that had started well and quietly unravelled in the afternoon. The culprit, if you could call it that, was an unconference session.
If you haven’t come across the format, an unconference is deliberately open. Participants suggest the topics they want to discuss, self-organise into groups, move between conversations as they see fit. Done well, it’s genuinely brilliant — energising, emergent, the kind of session people talk about for weeks afterwards. Done badly, it’s a slightly anxious free-for-all where nobody’s quite sure what they’re supposed to be doing or whether anything useful is happening.
The difference, almost always, comes down to facilitation.
The swan on the water
There’s an image I keep coming back to when I talk about this work. A swan moving across a lake — calm, gliding effortlessly, completely in control. And underneath the waterline, there is a lot of effort. The swan is paddling at an extraordinary rate.
That’s a facilitator in the room.
If you’ve ever been in a session that felt genuinely smooth — where conversation flowed, where quieter voices got heard as well as louder ones, where the group covered what it needed to cover and somehow finished on time — you probably didn’t think much about the person running it. Which means they were doing an extremely good job.
Because good facilitation is largely invisible. The art is in making it feel like it isn’t happening.
What’s going on beneath the surface
In any given moment, a skilled facilitator is tracking multiple things at once. Who hasn’t spoken. Who’s been dominating. Whether the energy in the room has shifted. Whether the agenda is still the right agenda or whether something more important has surfaced that needs space. Whether a comment that landed lightly was carrying something heavier. Whether now is the moment to push the group or to let something breathe.
They’re managing time without making people feel managed. They’re holding conflict without letting it tip into damage. They’re asking questions that open things up rather than close them down. And they’re doing all of this while appearing entirely relaxed.
That’s not just a personality trait. It’s a skill built over years, refined through experience, and prepared for carefully in the weeks before the day itself.
The bit that happens before anyone arrives
Here’s what most people don’t see. A good facilitator will spend considerable time before the session understanding what the group needs – which is often different from what they’ve asked for. They’ll think carefully about the design: the order of things, the mix of activities, how to create the right conditions for honest conversation. They’ll anticipate where the group might get stuck, where energy might dip, where a particular dynamic could derail things. They’ll also have thought about where people sit, where the tea and coffee is served, and the temperature of the room.
All of that preparation is what makes the improvisation possible. The facilitator who pivots gracefully when a session needs to change direction does so because they understood the destination well enough to find a different route.
So what does this mean for you?
If you’re planning a session that brings people together to discuss, disagree and decide – a strategy day, a workshop, an away day, a conference – don’t treat facilitation as a detail to sort out at the end. Don’t assume that someone smart and personable can pick it up on the day. And don’t underestimate what a poorly facilitated session costs: the lost momentum, the frustration, and the opportunities that don’t get taken.
An unconference format may feel free-flowing – like the delegates are running the event – and that’s exactly how it should feel. If it does, someone has paid great attention to the design and the facilitation. The swan makes it look easy on the day. That’s because it has worked hard to perfect the art.
If you’re planning a workshop or an unconference and want to make sure it lands well – get in touch. I can design and facilitate, or train and support your people up to do it.