TORC

Overview

It is impossible to be part of an organization today and not attend meetings. Staff & stakeholder meetings, project and coordination meetings,  brainstorming and planning meetings — they all take time and require specific skills to effectively manage the broad range of group dynamics involved.  

Facilitation is the secret weapon. It is a subtle way of working with a group that enables and empowers members to harmoniously participate, contribute, discuss, decide and act – collaboratively.

With its focus on asking rather than telling, and listening to build consensus, facilitation works its magic in  harnessing the power of group diversity  – even of conflict.  

This workshop has been created to make core facilitation skills better understood and readily available to participants.

At its core, is a strong emphasis on studying & practicing the behaviours, tools & techniques that are specific and unique to different situations – and to the inevitable variability characterising individual viewpoints.

Objectives

• Distinguish facilitation from managing & directing
• Identify the competencies linked to effective facilitation – in both small and large groups
• Monitor and evaluate one’s own facilitation style
• Learn specific process tools to ensure meetings move forward productively
• Manage the meeting environment, handling group dynamics –  perspectives, motivations & conflicts
• Provide positive reinforcement, encouraging open participation
• Use effective questioning skills and techniques. 

Content

• Learn about group norms – how they form and sustain
• Explore the differences between facilitation and other approaches – instruction, management, direction
• Assess your levels of facilitation skills – in regulating the interactive flow at meetings
• Appreciate the holistic nature of communication – words, tone, questions, gestures, body language
• Role-play some key facilitation interventions – ice-breakers, break-out sessions, handling interruption, parking out-of-order questions, etc.
• Learn the language of facilitation – supportive, non-adversarial,  non-judgmental
• How to apply probing techniques – repeating, restating, rephrasing, restructuring points
• Develop ‘active listening’ and empathy skills to better tune in to others’ concerns
• Use outlining diagrams – storyboards, mind-maps, fish-bones, swim-lanes
• Learn a menu of structured tools to force objective decision-making – Nominal Group Technique, The Delphi Method, Consensus Card, Paired Choice Matrix, Criteria Rating, etc.
• Examine the relevance of seating and other “set-up” arrangements – & how to deal with “problem participants”
• Study/discuss relevant case-studies illustrating best-practice facilitation  behaviours..
• Prepare and role-play a facilitation segment drawn from a typical group meeting, currently being contemplated in your organisation.

This course is suited for

Senior Managers, Middle Managers & Team Leaders

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