Facilitation Skills

Balancing purpose, task, big picture, detail and more

Overview & objective

Facilitation skills are one of the most useful and sought-after capabilities in the research world, required by a variety of situations & techniques and at many stages of the research process. Effective, action-orientated facilitation requires an expert balance of purpose & task, ‘big picture’ & attention to detail, technical know-how & emotional intelligence, leadership & listening skills. This highly interactive workshop will give all participants numerous opportunities not just to discuss the theories but to try them out in practice, receiving feedback on their performance and identifying tangible areas for development.

Subjects covered will include:

• The role/s & skills of the effective facilitator
• The purpose, product & process of facilitation
• The twelve tasks of facilitation
• Effective facilitation models & tools
• The importance of emotional intelligence & communication skills
• Facilitating results-orientated meetings
• Facilitating groups / brainstorming
• Group dynamics & the stages of team development
• Handling fear or conflict & ‘challenging’ situations & people
• Action-planning & decision-making
• Evaluating the effectiveness of one’s facilitation

Learning outcomes

On completion, participants will:

• Have practiced various facilitation skills, styles & tools in a range of situations
• Understand better the concept of (& what contributes to) good, effective facilitation
• Have critiqued their own facilitation style & skills, and better understand the range available within their own personal armoury
• Be able to balance the technical & emotional demands of facilitation
• Have developed greater confidence in facilitating, particularly in ‘challenging’ situations or with ‘difficult’ people
• Leave with tangible action plans that, once implemented back at the workplace, will make a real difference to their own performance as a facilitator and to their impact upon the effectiveness of their people & their business

Who will benefit?

Anyone who needs to improve their effectiveness as a facilitator – whether new to the role or more experienced, wanting a checklist of best practice, to pick up ‘tips’ or receive an ‘MOT’ of their existing skills and expertise.