facilitation skills

Programme content

• A framework for effective interaction
• Developing buy-in
• Preparing to succeed
• State management
• Core skills
• Listening skills, attitudes and behaviours
• What are you listening for?
• Position and content
• Asking appropriate and effective questions
• The role of a facilitator
• Behavioural preferences
  Insights personality model
• Introversion and extraversion
• Thinking and feeling
• Sensing and intuition
• Group dynamics
• Mechanics of group interaction
• Managing pace
• Picking up cues
• This programme contains practical facilitation exercises based on real life situations (not role-play)
  
  
  
  
  

Duration

• Two nonconsecutive days.

Programme structure

Facilitation skills is structured into two full-day sessions. Includes personality profile – all delegates receive an ‘Insights’ personality profile, to help them better understand themselves and how they interact with others.

Intended audience

Facilitation skills is aimed at:

• anyone who is called on to facilitate meetings, whether as part of an initiative like Six Sigma, or as a project manager, part of their perceived role such as HR or training manager or simply as a senior individual.
• anyone who needs to understand meeting process and management.

It is designed to help you:

• be a confident, effective facilitator, able to work effectively with any group.
• gain clarity for all on how to gain the most from our time together.
• understand how to start a group working together quickly.
• recognise the way a facilitator affects the group.
• identify the best frame of mind for effective facilitation.
• be able to get into this frame of mind when needed.
• handle any nerves and deal with your emotions about facilitating and so get the best outcome available.
• engage with the individuals present.
• ask good, strong penetrating questions.
• prompt focused thinking.
• unearth issues.
• allow individuals to speak openly and honestly.
• understand where people are at regarding the issue at hand.
• differentiate between the meeting process and the subject matter under discussion.
• manage the content and the process.
• get clear what the facilitator is responsible for in the meeting or workshop.
• be able to distinguish between leading the project/discussion and facilitating the outcome, and be able to recognise which approach is most fitting to the situation.
• experience the real issues and challenges of facilitation and learn how to deal with them.
• understand the root of other people's behaviour.
• understand what you find 'difficult' in others.
• recognise why you find these behaviours challenging.
• understand the impact of different personality types and different behaviours on a group event.
• identify strategies to help you facilitate most effectively.
• understand how groups behave at different stages of familiarity and development.
• facilitate effectively with different groups at different stages.
• ensure that meetings and workshops run efficiently and effectively.
• ensure all contributions are included and valued.
• build on learning from the previous session, and overcome remaining challenges to effective facilitation.