What's the most dreaded question?

What's the most dreaded question for most facilitators? It is usually the one you don't know the answer to. But don't panic! Instead, throw the question back to the audience by saying, "Thanks for the question. Take a minute and talk with someone nearby about how you would answer it." This allows you some quiet think time, perhaps even a chance to do a quick Internet search, and honors the potential contributions of the participants. If no one in the audience knows the answer, and you have come up blank, promise the group that you will research it and get back to them. 


Find more tips for encouraging and facilitating questions in my new book "Caffeinated Learning: How to Design and Conduct Rich, Robust Professional Learning."