While I was watching a movie on a long flight, I heard one of the characters utter the old adage. its not how you start, but how you finish. As I thought about that statement in relation to facilitation one thought came to my mind - THIS ADAGE DOES NOT APPLY!

Just like meeting someone for the first time, we make an initial impression in the first 30 seconds of our interaction. From that point on, we are either confirming or transforming that initial impression in someones mind. The same notion applies to instruction or presentation. Think of a sprinter in the starting blocks. A great start enables the sprinter to run their own race, while a poor start requires the sprinter to play catch up. A strong start to any presentation or workshop engages the participants, raises their comfort level, and allows them to let down their barriers.

Every participant group looks at you at the start of a workshop and expects to be WOWed. They will continue to seek this WOW experience while you are with them; however, the longer they go without it, the more jaded they become. Participants are more forgiving if they are WOWed early in the workshop. Given that participants will view the ensuing workshop activities through the lens of their initial impression, we want that impression to be positive.

How many of us have felt less than 100% on a day we are scheduled to lead a workshop? On days when I havent felt my best, I strive to gather all my energy to create a strong start early in the workshop. A strong start allows me enough of a head start to recuperate in the middle of the workshop and build energy for a strong finish. So remember, in facilitation the adage is: its how you start and how you finish  start strong and finish stronger .