COURSE TITLE

GETTING RESULTS
THROUGH EFFECTIVE FACILITATION
Return to Professional Skills Main Page
OVERVIEW  

It is impossible to be part of an organization today and not attend meetings - staff meetings, project meetings, planning and coordinating meetings. There has been a growing realization that we have to pay attention to the “process” elements of meetings, if we want them to be effective. With its focus on asking rather than telling, and listening to build consensus, facilitation is the new leadership ideal, the core competency everybody needs. Managers and supervisors are often asked to “facilitate” rather than “instruct” or “manage” their meetings and training sessions. How can you facilitate, rather than control group decision-making and team interaction? With no formal training, people may find it difficult to make the transition from “instructors” to “facilitators”. This workshop has been created to make core facilitation skills better understood and readily available for your organization. It represents materials and ideas that have been tested and refined over twenty years of active facilitation in all types of settings.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES  
  • Distinguish facilitation from instruction and training
  • Provide facilitators with commonly used process tools to make their meetings easier and more productive
  • Identify the competencies linked to effective small group facilitation
  • Demonstrate through simulations, role-play, critical incidents, and other exercises, each facilitator competency
COURSE OUTLINE  

  1. Day One

    1. Pre-assignment
    2. Facilitating Meetings
    3. Definitions
      • Content
      • Process
    4. Group Norms
    5. What is a Facilitator?
      • Facilitator vs. Instructor
    6. Types of Thinking
      • Divergent thinking
      • Convergent thinking
    7. The Groan Zone
    8. The Functions of a Facilitator
    9. Controversial Issues
    10. Listening Skills
    11. Asking Questions
      • Types of Questions
      • Probing
    12. Non-Verbal Messages
    13. Listening for Common Ground
    14. Effective Facilitation Techniques

    Day Two

    1. Evaluation: Giving and Receiving Feedback
    2. Facilitating Open Discussion
    3. Managing Divergent Perspectives
    4. The Language of Facilitation
    5. Agendas
    6. Dealing with Difficult Dynamics
    7. Interventions
    8. Sustainable Agreements
    9. Shared Framework of Understanding
      1. Forming
      2. Storming
      3. Norming
      4. Performing
    10. Structured Activities
      • Brainstorming
      • Categorizing
      • Debriefing
    11. Facilitation Tools
      • SWOT Analysis
      • Force Field Analysis
METHODOLOGY  
  • Large group discussions and activities
  • Lecturettes
  • Individual work, reflection and exercises
  • Small group discussion, exercises and activities
  • Case studies / Critical incidents
  • Simulations / Role Plays
WHO SHOULD ATTEND  
  • New / Aspiring Team Leaders, Unit Co-ordinators, Supervisors, Managers
  • All employees who are asked to facilitate group meetings / sessions
PRE-REQUISITES

 
  • Completed pre-assignment
DURATION  
  • 2 days
CLASS SIZE  
  • .6 – 20