Facilitator Training Program

Day One

Agenda – Day One

Welcome Getting Started Activity Course Objectives Overview of Facilitation Skills Facilitation Skills Practice Lunch!!!! Managing Meeting Energy Facilitation Skills Practice II Dealing with Difficult Situations

Introductions

Your name Where you work One thing that puts a

smile on your face

Getting Started…

Creative Participatory Get further acquainted Related to our topic

Group Task

Discuss some typical settings in which you use or see facilitation skills being used.

What actions have you seen facilitators take that were EFFECTIVE?

Create a 3-minute skit that dramatizes these effective actions in practice and the impact they have – in short your ideal meeting!

You have 20 minutes.

Expectations

Think about your responses to the pre-work questions, the skits and discussion we just completed, and your reasons for participating in this course.

Identify 2 or 3 things you hope to learn during this workshop.

Make notes on page 2

Objectives

By the end of the workshop, you will have increased your ability to:– Use facilitation skills more

naturally and fluently in a variety of settings

– Facilitate groups to work together productively

– Use different strategies to handle difficult facilitation situations

Pair Task

Identify behaviors for working together that you would like this group to adopt to make this an effective learning experience for you and others

You have 5 minutes

Individual Task

Think of good facilitators you have seen– What are some

characteristics they exhibited when facilitating?

– What made them effective?

Facilitation Skills

Asking Questions

Paraphrasing

Summarizing

Encouraging

Asking Questions

Clarify and gain more elaboration by asking open-ended questions– What– How– When– Where

Closed-ended questions lead to short answers

Paraphrasing

Using your own words to reflect what the speaker is saying and feeling– Seeks to understand– Clarifying ideas– OK to paraphrase feelings

Summarizing

Pull important ideas, facts or data together– Review progress– Basis for transition– Check for agreement– Check for clarity– Reinforce commitments

Encouraging

Nodding head Maintaining eye contact Open body position Picking up on last work or

two Repeating all or part of a

sentence “Say more about that” “Good” “Uh-huh”

Facilitation Skills Drills

Get ready to practice your facilitation skills!

Validating

Let people know that it is normal to have feelings and to express them.

Don’t judge another person’s feelings or make them wrong for having them.

Establish safe and respectful environment that supports people in expressing their feelings.

“It is understandable that you would be angry, given what you have been through.”

How Practice Will Work

3-4 facilitators – 5-6 minutes each– Couple minutes feedback

in-between rounds Everyone is practicing The instructor might

suggest the use of specific skills at various points

Meeting Practice

You are members of a WBG-wide team looking at technology across the Bank that must identify priority issues for the ACS staff that the Bank should address.

What are the current major issues related to

technology at the Bank and ACS role? Of these issues, which are the top three most

important issues for ACS staff and the Bank to deal with first? Why?

What recommendations do you have for the Bank senior management team?

Managing Meeting Energy

Managing Meeting Energy

ENERGY

Managing Meeting Energy - Beginning

Clarify purpose and agenda Use introductory statements and closed

questions Energy – directed by leader/facilitator Facilitator’s role – ensure all work form

same assumptions about purpose

Managing Meeting Energy - Middle

Solicit contributions and participation

Move between discussions and decisions

Use open-ended questions, paraphrase, encouraging to keep discussions moving

Energy – multidirectional Use flipchart for key points Facilitator’s role – track key

points, test for consensus, ensure all points considered

Managing Meeting Energy - Ending

Seek agreements, decisions, closure

Use summarizing, closed questions

Review outcomes, identify follow-up actions and people’s responsibilities

Energy – focused by leader Facilitator’s role – keep

group focused on decisions reached, next steps

Individual Task

Identify 1-2 behaviors you have seen in meetings that really disrupt the flow of the meeting and caused difficulties for the facilitator.

What was it about the behavior that was difficult for the facilitator?

What impact did the behavior have on the group?

What options does a facilitator have to manage this difficult behavior?

Facilitation Skills Practice

Each person will have about 5-6 minutes to facilitate a segment of the discussion on the topic;

Record any brainstormed items and recommendations;

Only difference: Trainer will be handing out one or two behavior cards per practice to participants;

People who receive a card are expected to demonstrate that difficult behavior during the practice.

Learning Coordinators Meeting on Budget Cut

Due to the economic crisis, your learning budget has been cut by 20%. All the learning coordinator are holding a meeting to discuss priorities to make recommendations to the Knowledge and Learning Board.– Define the issues– Develop recommendations:

What $ should be spent on What $ should not be spent

on

Getting Agreement

What can happen when you’re trying to help a group reach agreement or get consensus on something?

What can go wrong? What are difficulties you have faced?

Reading tonight – pages 41-49

Practice Round One

Find a partner and choose a topic Sign-up for a time You will have 30 minutes of meeting time

to facilitate your session – 15 minutes for each facilitator

Based on what you have learned, work with your partner to prepare for your session including supporting materials – purpose and agenda.

Be prepared by 9 am!

Facilitation Scenarios

1. Retreat Planning Sessions• Facilitate a focus group to decide issues for a

company retreat

2. Defining Issues• Facilitate a group of staff to uncover issues of low

morale

3. Task Force• Facilitate a cross-departmental group charged with

developing best practices

4. Meeting Facilitation• Facilitate a group concerned about lack of

leadership in the department

5. Policy Change• Facilitate a group of employees who are trying to

generate a new company policy on …

Day Two

Agenda – Day Two

Reflections from Day One Charting Meeting Preparation Preparation for practice rounds Practice session Lunch!!!! Practice Session

To Chart or Not to Chart…

Some considerations for when to chart…

Tips for Charting

Write BIG Record key points/phrases Use different colors (but not more than

3) Use dark colors Be creative

– Bullets– Pictures– Highlight

Meeting Preparation

Getting your agenda in place Timing for success

Preparation for Practice

People will pair up to co-facilitate a topic;

Each person will have 20 minutes each to do their part of the practice meeting;

The practice will be videotaped; Feedback will be given to both

facilitators after the 40 minute practice meeting.

Group Facilitation

What went particularly well? What difficulties did you have? Which skill become more important at

which stage in the meeting?

Day Three

Agenda – Day Three

Thoughts on Day Two practice Any further concerns on difficult

situations Preparation for practice rounds Practice Session Lunch!!!!! Practice Session Lessons Learned and application in your

work

Facilitation Scenarios

1. Retreat Planning Sessions• Facilitate a focus group to decide issues for a

company retreat

2. Defining Issues• Facilitate a group of staff to uncover issues of low

morale

3. Task Force• Facilitate a cross-departmental group charged with

developing best practices

4. Meeting Facilitation• Facilitate a group concerned about lack of

leadership in the department

5. Policy Change• Facilitate a group of employees who are trying to

generate a new company policy on …

Reflection on Practice and Application Planning

Complete the reflection sheet on page 56, and

Complete the application planning sheet on page 57

Discuss your responses with a partner

Evaluation of Course

We would like feedback, too! Please complete the evaluation form.