Day 24 of the Drupal Advent Calendar Highlights RPG Skills for Stakeholder Facilitation

On Day 24 of the Drupal Advent Calendar, James Shields highlights a session by Eric Davila from DrupalCamp Colorado 2025 titled “Listening Like a Dungeon Master.” The talk draws a thoughtful parallel between tabletop role-playing games and stakeholder collaboration in Drupal projects. Davila emphasizes that true facilitation is not about control but about listening, guiding, and helping others contribute meaningfully, much like a game master supports players without directing the outcome.

Davila introduces several practices adapted from role-playing games, such as holding one-on-one conversations to understand individual perspectives, beginning group work with a “session zero” to align expectations, and maintaining a flexible structure that encourages dialogue rather than rigid adherence to an agenda. He stresses that preparation and logistics matter, but genuine engagement comes from allowing participants to talk to each other and build trust through open conversation.

The talk cautions against forcing predetermined outcomes, a practice known in gaming as railroading, which limits participation and erodes trust. Instead, facilitators should support group exploration while staying aligned with shared goals. Davila closes by reminding attendees that effective facilitation requires deliberate listening and reflection, reinforcing the idea that listening is not a secondary or soft skill but the foundation of strong collaboration.