Client Intake Form for Designing Successful Sessions

You’ve taken a facilitation course and are now preparing to meet with your first client. Excitement and a little nervousness might be setting in, but where do you start? What information do you need to gather to set the stage for a successful facilitation experience? For this month’s pro tip, we’re sharing a comprehensive intake form designed to guide you through your initial client meeting. This resource helps you uncover key details about your client’s current situation, goals, and facilitation needs.

An effective intake process is critical to understanding your client and designing a facilitation plan that meets their unique needs. The intake form serves as both a roadmap and a conversation starter, ensuring you address the right questions and lay the groundwork for a productive partnership. By engaging in this structured dialogue, you can identify what’s important, align expectations, and set the tone for collaboration.

The intake form is organized into six essential sections, each focusing on a critical aspect of the facilitation process. Here’s a closer look at how each section helps you gather vital information and plan for success:

1. Assessing the Current Situation: What Do We Need to Address?

Start by understanding the client’s present state. What issues, challenges, or opportunities are they facing? This step involves asking questions to uncover the context and dynamics of their current situation. Are there specific pain points within the team or organization? Are there external factors influencing their needs? By gathering this information, you establish a baseline that will inform the rest of your planning. For example, you might ask:

  • What prompted you to seek facilitation support now?
  • Are there specific challenges you want to address during this session?

2. Understanding the Change Dynamics: What Change Needs to Happen?

Facilitation often centers on change—whether it’s aligning a team, improving communication, or resolving conflict. This section focuses on understanding the nature of the change the client seeks. What is driving this need for change, and what outcomes do they envision? Some guiding questions include:

  • What is the primary driver of this change?
  • What obstacles or resistance do you anticipate during this process?

By clarifying the dynamics of change, you can ensure your facilitation approach aligns with their goals.

3. Images of the Future: How Will This Work Be Carried Forward?

A successful facilitation session doesn’t end when the meeting is over—it creates momentum for the future. In this section, explore how the client plans to sustain progress beyond the facilitated session. Ask questions like:

  • What does success look like for you and your team after the session?
  • How will you ensure that the outcomes of this session are implemented?

Understanding their vision for the future allows you to design a facilitation that not only addresses immediate needs but also sets the stage for long-term success.

4. Establishing Goals: What Are We Trying to Achieve?

Clear goals are the cornerstone of any successful facilitation. Without defined objectives, it’s challenging to measure success or ensure alignment. Use this section to help the client articulate what they hope to accomplish. Examples of questions you might ask include:

  • What are the top three outcomes you want to achieve from this session?
  • How will we know the session has been successful?

This clarity will guide the design of your facilitation process and help you focus on what truly matters to the client.

5. Creating a Working Design: What Process Will Enable the Group to Meet Its Objectives?

Once you have a clear understanding of the client’s goals and needs, it’s time to think about the facilitation design. This section helps you collaborate with the client to create a process that engages participants and moves the group toward the desired outcomes. Consider discussing:

  • What types of activities or exercises do you think will resonate with your group?
  • Suggest specific tools or methods from your facilitator toolbelt that you believe will be more effective in meeting your client’s needs. You can even share past, successful experiences that are relevant. This will start to build their confidence in your skills and experience!

This collaborative approach ensures that the facilitation design reflects the client’s preferences and is tailored to their unique context.

6. Clarify Logistics: Who Will Attend? What Is the Timeframe? What Is the Budget?

The final section focuses on the practical details that will shape your session. These logistical elements are crucial for planning and execution. Ask questions such as:

  • Who will be participating in the session, and what are their roles?
  • How much time do we have for the session?
  • Are there any budgetary constraints we should be aware of?

By addressing these details upfront, you can avoid surprises and ensure a smooth facilitation experience.

 

Approaching your first client meeting with this structured intake form will give you the confidence and clarity you need to succeed. It ensures you’re asking the right questions and gathering the information necessary to design an effective and impactful facilitation session. As you build a partnership with your client, this process will not only help you deliver immediate value but also lay the foundation for long-term collaboration. With the right preparation and mindset, your facilitation skills will shine!

Design worksheet for intake meeting with client to design a successful session made up of 6 boxes