There are so many things you may think about to facilitate and encourage participation in a training and development session. Don't worry about learning and perfecting all of them.
Many of them will become as natural as good communication skills. That's because many are natural. In effect, it comes down to your reaction to the learners and the learning situation.
How do you REACT to ensure an environment that encourages the best opportunities for participation? How do you REACT to create the best learning experience? This mnemonic, a tool for remembering, will help you remember the basics for encouraging participation:
Relaxed and informal atmosphere
Encourage participation
Accept them where they are
Communication is open, friendly, and honest
Take control of their own learning
This quote by Theodore Roosevelt speaks volumes about why some facilitators are successful and others are not. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Care about your participants and their learning.