Filled guide brief
| Field | Fictional worked example |
|---|---|
| Audience and outcome | Eight project coordinators practise clarifying a vague work request. Each writes a request with an output, owner and deadline. |
| People and materials | One facilitator and one producer; shared document, timer and the fictional request below. No slides required. |
| Fictional case | A colleague writes: Please get the launch update ready soon. Participants may invent answers, clearly marked as assumptions. |
| Preparation | Send the case and writing prompts in advance. Check guest editing access. Agree who keeps the notes and delete personal details. |
| Evidence of learning | A partner can identify the output, owner and deadline in the rewritten request and name any unresolved assumption. |
| Version and handover | Example v1.0; guide owner: training lead. Incoming facilitator checks access and rehearses the first instruction before delivery. |
Filled 30-minute delivery guide
| Minutes | Activity | Facilitator instruction | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–5 | Open and frame | Say: Rewrite a vague request so a colleague can act. Show the case and explain the output, owner and deadline check. | One shared understanding of the task. |
| 5–10 | Demonstrate | Ask: What output is needed? Who owns it? By when? Example answer: Draft a one-page launch update; Maya owns the draft; send by Thursday 15:00. Label these answers invented. | Three details and any assumptions made explicit. |
| 10–20 | Practise in pairs | Allow 2 min to write, then two 3-min turns. Each speaker reads a rewrite; the partner checks the three details. Use the last 2 min to revise. | Each person has a revised request. |
| 20–27 | Compare and debrief | Take 2 min for quiet comparison, 3 min for two examples and 2 min to ask what still needs checking with the requester. | One uncertainty to check before acting. |
| 27–30 | Close | Allow 1 min to choose a real request to clarify and 2 min to record the first question and when to ask it. Do not share client details. | A private next step with a date. |
Contingencies for the example
| Situation | Response |
|---|---|
| No shared-document access | Producer pastes the case in chat; participants write locally and read only what they choose. |
| Odd number or someone prefers not to speak | Use one trio with two writers and a checker who also drafts privately; accept written feedback. |
| Five minutes lost | Keep the paired practice intact. Reduce the demonstration to 3 min and comparison/debrief to 4 min; record unanswered questions. |
| A real dispute enters the practice | Return to the fictional case. Offer an appropriate private follow-up; do not investigate complaints in the exercise. |
Blank facilitator guide brief
| Field | Your plan |
|---|---|
| Session name, guide owner, version and date | |
| Audience, prior knowledge and access needs | |
| What participants will be able to do | |
| Evidence you will observe or collect | |
| Materials, links, permissions and setup | |
| Producer duties and fallback channel | |
| What must stay fixed and what may change | |
| Review owner, rehearsal date and storage location |
Blank activity instruction sheet
| Field | Your instruction |
|---|---|
| Activity name, start and duration | |
| Purpose and participant output | |
| Exact instruction to say or paste | |
| What participants do, and how long | |
| Facilitator and producer actions | |
| Materials and permission check | |
| Check understanding and debrief question | |
| Fallback, time cut and transition |
What you'll leave with
Each pair leaves with a session brief, one fully written activity and a handover check that records missing instructions, an owner and a revision date.
Before the session
- For trainers, instructional designers and facilitators handing a session to someone else. The 45-minute process below develops one activity; allow separate time to complete and rehearse the rest of a longer session.
- Bring one existing session outline, its intended participant outcome and the actual materials. Work in pairs; for an odd number, use one trio with a separate observer. Agree who is designing and who is rehearsing.
- Share the blank guide brief and activity sheet in an accessible format in advance. Check editing permissions, offer captions and written contributions, and use fictional or anonymised examples.
- Use the 30-minute example as a model of the detail needed. Its audience is eight project coordinators; the 45-minute guide-writing process is for 2–8 trainers. Both timings are suggestions to test with your audience.
How to fill it in with your team
Define the handover
Name the next facilitator, audience and one participant outcome. Agree what evidence would show that outcome. Say: By the end, someone else should be able to give this activity without asking you to explain a missing step.
Complete the guide brief
In pairs, fill the audience, outcome, materials, roles and version fields. Spend five minutes writing and three checking links and permissions. Mark unknowns with an owner rather than guessing. Specify what must stay fixed and what may change.
Write one activity in full
Use the activity sheet for the hardest instruction in your session. Spend eight minutes writing the exact prompt, participant actions, timing, output and debrief; use four minutes to add a fallback and a transition. Separate what you say from private facilitator notes.
Rehearse the handover
The incoming trainer gets two minutes to read, five to rehearse the opening instruction and handle one contingency, then three for feedback. The author plays a participant and notes each clarification requested. A trio assigns an observer. This is a rehearsal of the instruction, not the whole activity.
Revise and check
Use four minutes to repair unclear instructions and three for a second read-through. Check that activity durations match the available time, the worksheet matches the spoken task, and the fallback preserves the intended outcome. Record any gap you cannot resolve today.
Assign the next review
Spend one minute agreeing a version owner and two choosing a revision date and storage location. Each incoming trainer states one remaining question. Schedule a full rehearsal before first delivery; do not treat this short check as proof that the session works.
Participant worksheet
Copy this table into a document, or print the worksheet from the bundle. Share only what you choose.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Session and activity | What is being handed over? |
| Instruction understood | What did the incoming trainer do without prompting? |
| Clarification requested | Which exact line was unclear or missing? |
| Access or timing gap | What happened when the contingency was introduced? |
| Revision and owner | What will change, who will change it, and by when? |
| Second check | What still needs a full rehearsal? |
Debrief questions
- Which instruction required an explanation that was absent from the guide?
- What participant output would show that the activity met its purpose?
- Which contingency preserved the purpose, and which would require redesign?
Adapt it for your group
- For solo preparation, record yourself giving the instruction, then follow only the written guide. Ask another trainer to review it before delivery.
- For remote pairs, put the instruction in chat as well as reading it. Allow silent written rehearsal and feedback; cameras are optional.
- For a long or specialist programme, work on one activity today. Arrange content-owner review and a full timed rehearsal before calling the complete guide ready.
After the session
The named owner updates the guide after rehearsal and records the version and changes. After first delivery, compare planned and actual timings, record participant questions, and revise unclear steps. Keep one current master and archive superseded copies so future trainers can identify the approved version.
Questions people ask
What should a facilitator guide include?
Include the audience, outcome, preparation, materials, timings, exact participant instructions, facilitator notes, expected outputs, debrief questions and fallback options. Add an owner and version date for handover.
How is a facilitator guide different from an agenda?
An agenda shows the sequence and time. A facilitator guide also explains how to deliver each activity, what to say, what to observe and what to do when the plan needs to change.
Is the example a 30-minute or 45-minute session?
The fictional delivery example lasts 30 minutes. The separate 45-minute process helps trainers write and rehearse one activity in their own guide. Neither is a full rehearsal of a longer programme.
Can I edit this in Word or Google Docs?
Subscribers receive the editable DOCX, which can be opened in Word or imported into Google Docs, plus an Excel workbook, CSV agenda and PDF. The PDF is available immediately without a subscription. No native Google Docs copy is supplied for this kit.
Do I need to script every word?
Write exact instructions where ambiguity could change the task, timing or participant output. Use concise notes for transitions and debrief follow-ups, leaving room to respond to the group.
How to use the files
Print the PDF, edit the Word file in Word or Google Docs, or open the CSV or XLSX in a spreadsheet. Open files need no email.
Can I use this with paying clients?
Yes. Use and adapt this original Superglue kit in your own training, including paid client sessions. Please share this page rather than redistributing the unmodified kit. Read the full usage terms.