Facilitation Skills

Facilitation and meeting leadership skills are in great demand as organizations become more heavily involved in a team environment and in participative management processes. The success of any group project or team development is directly related to the ability of the facilitator or meeting leader to direct and control the dynamics of group discussions, maintain focus and move the group toward its goal.

The basic purpose of this workshop is to provide the skills and knowledge necessary to facilitate group meetings and discussions effectively. This 2-day workshop is designed to develop effective facilitation skills in the only way to acquire them – practice, practice, practice. The bulk of the workshop is devoted to the presentation and practice of facilitation techniques.

In tightly controlled discussions, the concepts of pace, creating a sense of urgency and reducing “white space” are presented and practiced. In leading open interchange discussions, the key concepts are the “rules of choreography,” maintaining control and focus and encouraging full participation.

Key skills presented to supplement the primary facilitation techniques are the effective use of questions, dealing with attitudes and opinions and handling disruptive situations.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Participants will gain the ability to be able to:

• Lead both tightly-controlled and open interchange discussions
• Establish a participatory environment at the beginning of discussions
• Use questions to focus discussions keep them on track and promote active involvement
• Demonstrate the “rules of choreography” in leading and controlling discussions
• Apply techniques to handle – or, better yet, prevent – disruptive situations
• Utilize a variety of group decision-making techniques

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This 2-day workshop is beneficial to all people who lead various types of meetings or group discussions, including team leaders and facilitators, managers and supervisors, project leaders, trainers and others who may be assigned to conduct group activities.

PREREQUISITE

This course has no prerequisite.

MATERIALS

You will receive a course binder containing a copy of the presentation slides.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN