If the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” why then do so many meetings with intelligent, creative people fall short? Often we think the answer is to meet longer or more often, but this path often depletes everyone’s energy with little result. How do we make the most of our time? And how do you, as the leader, generate and guide discussion that encourages fresh thinking and moves your agenda forward?
This intensive, four-day workshop provides live practice with tools, techniques and interventions that you can use in a variety of settings—from running department or project team meetings to convening a board or conducting a training event. This course will help define your role of facilitator and identify the style you bring to facilitation, using the aid of several individual assessments. You will learn methods for remaining centered and positive in groups who struggle, and strategies for high stakes/high heat meetings. At the end of this program, you will leave with a strong repertoire of solid tools, several useful resource books, and a learning network to support your ongoing progress and development.
Program format:
Delivered in two, two-day sessions, with time in between for direct application, each day will focus on assessing, learning and practicing a particular facilitation skill. Participants will receive coaching in their groups between the sessions, to support their learning and development.
Topics
- Learning as the basis for engagement
- You as an instrument of change
- The style you bring to facilitation
- The role of facilitator and the values and principles you use
- Tools for engagement
- Framing powerful question
- Listening and creating a environment for respect
- Methods essential for your tool kit
- Graphic Facilitation and other techniques which enhance learning
- Designing meetings to generate learning and dialogue
- Open Space, World Café™, Appreciative Inquiry, Future Search and others
- When to let go of Robert’s Rules
- Handling challenges at each stage of group development
- Understanding resistance
- Designing and applying an intervention to a group of your own
- Matching tools with culture
- Dealing with complexity in large-scale initiatives
Learning Outcomes
As a result of attending this program, participants will:
- Establish a community of practice for supporting their facilitation skillfulness
- Develop individual skills for deep facilitation
- Read current resources on self management and facilitation
- Learn new models for meeting design
- Practice design and facilitation, receiving feedback from their peers
- Receive coaching in between the two sessions to support their learning and application of frameworks
Who Should Attend
This program is suitable for anyone seeking to improve facilitation skills; it may be particularly valuable for project managers, functional leaders, department heads and trainers.