All Power to the People

How Facilitation Plays a Role in Generating Power-With

Introduction

In a world shaped by overlapping crises—political, ecological, economic, and spiritual—the ways we gather matter as much as what we gather for. Meetings, workshops, community circles, and coalitions are not neutral spaces; they are sites where power is either hoarded or shared, where people are either extracted from or tended to. Facilitation for the Future asks a simple but profound question: How do we design and hold spaces that share power with, rather than exert power over?

Through our work in Culture Tending Collective and our recent workshop on Facilitation for the Future, we’ve been exploring a (a) meta-structure that can apply to almost any kind of gathering: (b) opening, (c)orientation, (d) main course, and (e) closing, with intentional (f) pre-work and (g) debrief wrapped around the whole thing. Within this structure, we look at how culture, access, racial equity, and organizational realities intersect and interact—because the way you open a space, the information you share ahead of time, the choices you make about who speaks and how decisions get made, all quietly answer the question: Who is this space really for?

What emerged from the workshop, in conversation with participants, is not a rigid methodology but a set of principles—living practices—for facilitators who want to tend culture, redistribute power, and design gatherings that are more aligned with our missions, visions, and values. This article shares those principles and offers a framework for anyone who is asking: How can my facilitation help communities not just survive the present, but practice the futures we long for?

Crystal Mason & Jason Wyman facilitating a workshop with Mama Tarika Lewis at the African American Art & Culture Complex.

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Principles for Facilitation for the Future

(A) Meta-Structure

Slow Down to Go Far

Urgency is a tool of domination. Slowing down builds collective clarity, distributes leadership, and reduces rework.

Practices:

• Protect spaciousness for reflection

• Avoid overpacked agendas

• Trust that relational time supports more effective action later

Facilitation Is Shared — Not Solely the Facilitator’s Job

While facilitators guide the container, power is held collectively.
Everyone contributes to maintaining agreements, culture, and care.

Practices:

• Name roles clearly

• Invite shared responsibility for holding the space

• Ask participants to support one another in staying aligned with agreements

Maintain the Integrity of the Circle

Not every space is for everyone. Protecting the health of the container is more important than accommodating disruptive or harmful behavior.

Practices:

• Address harm early

• Center the safety and dignity of the group

• Use agreements as a compass, not decoration

• Remember: accountability is a form of care

Honor Emotion, Body, and Spirit as Sources of Wisdom

People do their best thinking when their nervous systems feel regulated and respected.

Practices:

• Use somatics, grounding, or breath

• Acknowledge emotional responses as valid

• Make room for the human, not only the task

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(B) Opening

Open with Intention, Not Urgency

How you begin a gathering shapes everything that follows. Strong openings create grounding, connection, and clarity — the antidotes to rushing, confusion, and power-over dynamics.

Practices:

• Allow arrival time

• Offer check-ins or grounding

• Make space for people to land as themselves

(C) Orientation

Orient People Toward Shared Purpose and Shared Power

People need to know where they are, how decisions get made, and what agreements hold the space. Clarity diminishes harm and increases belonging.

Practices:

• Present or co-create agreements

• Name decision-making processes

• Provide simple tools for addressing harm (e.g., Ouch/Oops)

• Share values, positionality, and context

(D) Main Course

Design With — Not For — the People in the Room

Accessibility, rhythm, pacing, and logistics are not neutral. They are political choices that determine who can meaningfully participate.

Practices:

• Consider access (physical, emotional, economic, cultural)

• Choose time, space, and pacing based on who you are gathering

• Ask what participants need to feel included, safe enough, and in their power

(E) Closing

Close with Care and Transition

Closings help people integrate what happened, return to themselves, and re-enter the wider world with intention.

Practices:

• Offer reflection, harvest, or meaning-making

• Clarify next steps

• Celebrate contributions

• Acknowledge the shift from the container back into daily life

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(F) Pre-Work

Practice Transparent Information Sharing

Information hoarding is a tool of power-over. Transparency builds trust, shared understanding, and collective decision-making capacity.

Practices:

• Share agendas, notes, timelines, and expectations

• Name constraints and context

• Document decisions and make them accessible

(G) Debrief

Design for Continual Becoming

Facilitation is a growth practice — for the facilitator and the group. Groups evolve. Culture evolves. We evolve.

Practices:

• Reflect on what worked and what didn’t

• Adjust pacing and structure as needs change

• Invite feedback

• Remain open, curious, and willing to shift

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