Facilitation in Action: Finding Your Authentic Training Style

Improve the Impact of Your Facilitation

Facilitation is about mastering how to deliver an engaging learning experience, all in the effort of improving workplace performance. It’s also about developing your unique approach and building confidence in it so you can achieve your facilitation goals. In Facilitation in Action, four master ATD facilitators open your eyes to the range of facilitation methods and techniques and help you find your authentic training style.

Authors Carrie Addington, Jared Douglas, Nikki O’Keeffe, and Darryl Wyles provide tips, lessons, and stories rooted in hands-on application, from experiences leading ATD’s education programs and delivering training in industries from government and healthcare to marketing and beauty. Learn how to develop a facilitation mindset that identifies what learners need to be successful before, during, and after training. Explore how to adapt your facilitation across various modalities and how to be prepared when you must pivot in the moment. And, dive into the importance of empathy, inclusion, feedback, and performance to facilitation.

This guide takes both new and established facilitators on a journey of honing training delivery skills, and demonstrating agility for the benefit of the learners, the organization, and themselves. The chapters are structured around actual questions the authors have received over the years from learners in ATD Education’s train-the-trainer sessions. Each chapter concludes with invitations and moments of reflection for the reader as they consider their own development as a facilitator.

About the Author

Carrie Addington is Senior Manager, Learning Experience & Facilitator Development ATD. She is a down-to-earth educator and people development coach with a passion for facilitating outcome-based learning programs with a spirited energy. As a business consultant and facilitator for the past 10 years, Carrie has worked with a wide variety of business segments including retail, beauty, education, and nonprofits, and has worked with C-level executives, directors, managers, and high potentials.

She has experience designing and delivering bespoke learning solutions and was the lead subject matter expert in programs like ATD's Master Trainer Program. Prior to ATD, she delivered training on key business management principles for small business owners through Bumble and Bumble University in New York, deemed the “Harvard of Hair” by the Harvard Business Review, to classrooms ranging from 20 to 150 attendees.

Carrie has delivered on topics ranging from energetic accountability, leadership, and great feedback to cross-generational communication, resolving conflict, and presentation skills. As a global speaker, Carrie is passionate about starting conversations about training delivery and facilitation including her work around Daring Facilitation and overcoming challenging classroom behaviors.

She is a part of the coaching network with the prominent, global executive leadership and management company, The Mind Gym and is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. As a certified ATD Master Trainer and ATD Master Instructional Designer, Carrie is knowledgeable about both the development and delivery of outcome-based learning programs.

She has a master of fine arts, poetry, from George Mason University and serves on the board of the American Poetry Museum in Washington, D.C. Carrie is passionate about using her love of language and the arts to work with individuals on establishing deeper connections with their daily work.

Jared Douglas is an internal ATD Facilitator. He uses a learner-centric approach to create an engaging, inclusive environment in his sessions. As a consultant, Jared has worked with organizations across various industries, including advertising, transportation, finance, technology, and consumer goods. He helps clients develop and execute in-person, digital, and blended learning initiatives.

Leading the North American learning function for Momentum Worldwide, a global experiential advertising agency, Jared was responsible for the full-cycle learning experience. This included needs analysis, development and sourcing of content, curriculum building, logistics and coordination of learning programs, and evaluating for effectiveness. He built a variety of courses, facilitated open enrollment and bespoke team workshops, and contributed to various projects such as launching an employee experience brand, starting an internal podcast, conducting a manager experience analysis, and redesigning the performance management process.

Jared has facilitated on a range of topics including communication skills, collaboration, relationship building, brainstorming, client mapping, time management, and presentation skills. He is certified in Insights Discovery, a psychometric tool based in Jungian psychology. He earned his B.A. in Psychology from Binghamton University and M.S. in I/O Psychology from Baruch College. Jared is fascinated by psychological perspectives and enjoys connecting theoretical content with practical and relevant applications in day-to-day activities.

Nikki O’Keeffe is a co-author of Facilitation in Action (2022 ATD Press) and has written multiple content pieces for TD Magazine. She spends her time as a Program Manager of Facilitator Development at the Association for Talent Development (ATD). As a certified ATD Master Trainer, ATD Master Instructional Designer, and APTD credential holder, she understands the value of solid training plans and strong facilitation.

She has served for many years as a facilitator for face-to-face, online, and asynchronous certificate programs. In addition to her facilitation, she supports ATD’s global facilitator network with performance support to ensure each delivery for participants is impactful.

Nikki looks forward to sharing her experiences and expanding her knowledge base by learning from the participants, business partners, and co-facilitators in the ATD courses that she designs, develops, and facilitates. Nikki’s mission statement is, “To connect, motivate, and challenge talent development professionals to be the best version of themselves.”

Connect with her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-o-okeeffe.

Darryl Wyles is an internal ATD Facilitator. He brings over 20 years of experience in talent development where he has played major roles in transforming learning programs as a manager and specialist for large and small organizations in government and the financial services industry.

Darryl enjoys the challenge of building organizational end to end training solutions from the ground up and is passionate about providing a fun and interactive learning environment in his workshops. He has facilitated and designed software, leadership and soft skill training solutions that supported major change initiatives at SunTrust Bank, and Chevy Chase/Capital One Bank.

Prior to his current role, Darryl was the Training and Development Manager for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation where he spearheaded the creation of Parks and Recreation University, the department’s first structured training and development program. Parks and Recreation University introduced a wide variety of leadership and skill development learning programming that enhanced workforce proficiencies and expertise.

Darryl has a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies- Sports Management from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.