Facilitation is the process of making things easy for a group or team. This means that the facilitator's job is to focus on the process rather than the outcome.  In theory, it’s a simple task – checking things stay on track, deadlines are met, etc. However, many leaders see themselves as technical experts and mix the roles of problem solver and facilitator, which can result in confusion or a demotivated team.

The solution is to learn how to harness the power of teams by bringing people together in a facilitated way, which directs them towards a pre-agreed goal.

This program covers the core elements of facilitation:

• Theory – group psychology. Helping the group to “form” and “norm.” How to avoid ‘storming’
• Planning and preparation – how to set up a group for success through:
   - Effective goal setting
   -.Who to invite (and how to pre-brief)
   - Group working structures (breakouts, energizers etc)
   - Role allocation (problem owner, attendee, subject matter expert, etc)
   - Materials/inputs
• Facilitating skills (in the moment): How to create a positive vibe up front (psychological safety), fast start, how to probe and guide, how to capture ideas, how to build consensus, how to agree on a plan of action
• Troubleshooting – what to do:
   - Troublemakers and dominant personalities
   - When the group goes off track “storming”
   - Interruptions
  

Areas Covered    

• Theory – group psychology and the importance of ‘norming’
• Planning and preparation – setting up for success (goal setting, stimulus development, attendee pre-briefing, structures for the session, energizers)
• Facilitation toolkit – Ice breaker, fast start, how to probe/build, how to capture ideas/outputs, how to build consensus/action plan
• Facilitator troubleshooting kit – dominant personalities, storming (things going off track), unexpected interruptions
  

Who Should Attend    

Manager, Vice President, Executive Vice President, Team Leader, Supervisor.

Why Should You Attend

At the outset of their careers, managers progress by answering and solving business challenges.

But as they progress through an organization, their roles change from problem solvers to leaders. And simple technical problem-solving skills are no longer enough to ensure that their teams are motivated and supported.

Instead, great leaders learn that their job is to create an environment where others can succeed. And that means building a strong team and asking the right questions in the right way at the right time.

Facilitation is the leadership skill that makes a process easy. (It’s from the Latin word  “Facile,” which means easy)