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.❤️
We are officially in the ✨final week✨ of our 4-week series where I am sharing curated lists of my all-time favorite design and facilitation resources.
Whether you lead team meetings, online courses, group coaching sessions, or training, I hope these resources will spark some fresh ideas and inspiration for your live sessions.
Here’s what I’ve shared so far:
Week 1 –>🎙️My favorite facilitation podcasts.
Week 2 –> 📚10 books that will help you become an exceptional facilitator(and an all-around better person).
Week 3 –> 🧰10 facilitation toolkits I can’t live without
Today –> 🎥10 Click-worthy YouTube videos to help you up your online facilitation game.
Let’s dive right in!
As a general rule, I try to stay as far away from YouTube as possible.
Here’s why:
I start looking for videos on session design and facilitation.
But before I know it, I am watching Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova dancing at the Wimbledon winners’ dinner.
There are so many things vying for your attention that it’s easy to get distracted.
But that’s exactly why you can learn a lot about engagement from YouTubers.
Sure, there’s a lot of clickbait. So finding the gems takes some sifting through.
That’s why I’m excited to share my curated list of 10 click-worthy videos that will help you:
💡 Come up with fresh icebreaker ideas
🙌 Get and keep your group engaged
🎙️ Jazz up your home studio setup
💪 Increase your confidence on camera
And more.
Okay, here’s the list of 10 click-worthy YouTube videos with my 3 top takeaways from each👇
1/ AJ&Smart – How to Manage Energy in a Remote Workshop
Managing the group’s energy in a remote workshop is one of the most challenging things you do when leading live sessions. AJ&Smart facilitator Amr shares tips to keep your participants awake and engaged. 👇
3 takeaways:
👉Bring more energy than you would in person
👉Start with a warm-up
👉Play some workshop music
2/ AJ&Smart – How to Explain Any Exercise with This Simple Formula
Giving clear instructions to your group is harder than it looks. In this video, AJ&Smart founder Johnathan Courtney breaks down a formula for clarity.👇
3 Takeaways (Johnathan’s 3 x Formula)
👉What is the exercise
👉Why are we doing this exercise
👉How do you do the exercise
3/ Chad Littlefield – Best Icebreaker: Connection Before Content
So many people have love-hate relationships with icebreakers. In this video, facilitation legend Chad Littlefield offers up a new understanding of icebreakers with practical strategies for getting buy-in from even the grumpy groups.👇
3 takeaways (Chad’s checklist items to score your icebreaker):
👉Does it connect people to each other?
👉Does it connect to the purpose?
👉Does your exercise create a choice for authenticity and vulnerability?
4 / Jan Keck – How to deal with difficult participants in meetings
This is a question we often ask ourselves when it’s already too late. In this video, virtual connection pro Jan Keck gives you strategies to handle difficult participants – so you don’t have to figure it out in the moment.👇
3 takeaways:
👉Assess the impact on the group
👉Check in with yourself
👉Respectfully interrupt
5/ Dana Brownlee – 4 Ways to Encourage Inclusion During a Business Meeting
In this video, Forbes Senior Contributor and facilitator Dana Brownlee shares her techniques to encourage inclusion. She talks about meetings, but the tips can be applied to any group experience.👇
3 takeaways:
👉 Start with a creative introduction
👉Use the “round-robin” facilitation technique
👉End with peer kudos. Prompt idea: “What was the best idea you heard today that wasn’t yours?”
6/ What is Learning Experience Design?
“Transformative” is a word that gets thrown around a lot. In this video, Tim Spade from eLearning Designer’s Academy breaks it down and shares tips for creating transformative learning experiences for your group members.
3 takeaways:
👉Create a total user experience
👉Create multi-media rich learning experiences
👉Create hands-on learning experiences
7/ Cat Mulvihill – 5 Ways to Eliminate Filler Words
Even after years of leading online sessions, I still struggle with filler words. In this video, virtual presentation expert Cat Mulvihill shares tools and techniques for eliminating them.
3 takeaways:
👉 Practice eliminating filler words with 2 minutes of daily conscious effort
👉 Watch recordings of yourself to identify when you use filler words
👉 Close your mouth between sentences and only speak when you know what to say
8. How to Be Confident on Camera (5 Tips)
Confidence on camera is crucial when you lead live online sessions. In this video, YouTube sensation Ali Abdaal shares his top 5 tips.
3 takeaways:
👉Ramp up your energy
👉Embrace imperfection
👉Speak with a smile
9/ Kevin Shen – 8 Studio Design Mistakes You’re Probably Making
Your on-camera setup affects trust and connection with your audience. In this video, Kevin Shen from Dream Studio walks you through the common mistakes and how to fix them.
3 Takeaways:
👉 Intentionally design your background to show you care about viewer experience
👉 Avoid clumping items behind you; create space to invite viewers in
👉 Pay attention to backlighting; we need to see your face to build trust
10/ Felippe Nardi – How I’m Supercharging my Teaching Experience on Zoom
In this video, Behind the Show creator Felippe Nardi shares tips for using Zoom for teaching (as opposed to meetings) using open source software OBS and a stream deck to enhance the experience.
3 Takeaways:
👉 Sharing your screen disrupts connection; OBS allows seamless sharing
👉 Prep before sessions to make live interactions instant and frictionless
👉 Use the chat for interaction and find ways to display messages on screen
Bonus video –> 11/ Said Saddouk – Enhance Zoom Meetings with OBS Studio: 4 Creative Visual Housekeeping Rules
Said creates content for creating interactive workshops, webinars, and interactive events that boost audience engagement using digital tools.
In this video, he shows you how to use OBS to share “housekeeping rules” to share housekeeping rules visually.
3 Takeaways:
👉 Use overlays to make your Zoom screen more engaging
👉 Display housekeeping rules with icons for a visual experience
👉 Make your screen interactive with features like emoji reactions
What video did you find most helpful? What new technique or idea are you excited to try in your next live session? Hit reply to this email and let me know!
💌 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.
