Facilitation Skills

Training Outline

What is Facilitation?

• Definition of effective facilitation
• Three basic principles of facilitation
• What are the critical differences between facilitation and training?
• Why is facilitation useful?
• When is facilitation useful?

What is the role of a facilitator?

• Definition of facilitator
• What should a facilitator do?
• Top 12 competencies of exceptional facilitators
• How to understand the differences between large and small groups
• Facilitator competencies for small group facilitation

 What are the Pitfalls of Poor Facilitators and How to Avoid Them?

• The 10 Most Common Facilitation Mistakes

 Understanding an Adult Audience

• How Adults Participate and Learn Best
• Characteristics of Adult Participants
• Top 10 Ice Breakers for Adults

How to choose and design the group process

• Do you want an open discussion, or a structured process?
• What structured process should you choose?
• Other factors to consider

Facilitators’ Toolbox

Tuckman and Jensen’s Model of Team Development

• Stage One: Forming
• Stage Two: Storming
• Stage Three: Norming
• Stage Four: Performing
• About Process
• About Content
• A facilitator’s focus

Process versus Content

• About Process
• About Content
• A facilitator’s focus

Meeting Process Tools for Productive Meetings

• Climate and Environment
• Logistics and Room Arrangements
• Ground Rules
• Understanding the goals of the meeting and the organization
• Keeping the group on the agenda and moving forward
• How to listen actively
• What to watch out for in terms of body language
• Involving everyone in the meeting, including drawing out the quiet participants and controlling the domineering ones
• Making sure that decisions are made democratically
• Summarise and pause
• How to seek commitments

 Presentation Tips for Facilitators

• 10 Step Action Plan for Personal Impact

Presentation Tips for Travelling Facilitators

Dealing with Difficult Situations

• Establish and maintain a professional demeanor
• Establish a safe environment
• Maintain a positive tone
• Handle difficult participants
• Keep to the planned agenda
• Complete the agreed upon deliverable
• Establishing Norms
• Saving Questions for Later
• Managing Mild Disruptions
• Handling Persistent Disruptions
• Sharing Challenges

  Practice Sessions

• Individual Preparation
• Break into small groups – facilitation is done and individuals assessed by group
• Feedback session