Facilitate Meetings Like A Pro 1-Day Seminar
There are speakers, educators, trainers, motivational speakers, but they are all different from the “Facilitator.” Facilitators are a combination of a speaker, educator, mediator, and trainer all in one. Because you can speak in front of a crowd does not make you a facilitator.
The gift of the facilitator is to allow the group to come up with an answer. It may be the exact answer that the facilitator wanted, or it may be the birth of a completely new idea originating from the group. Regardless, the group came up with it – seemingly on their own.
In some cases facilitators act as a referee to calm some exuberant attendees and in other moments they motivate the group into action. Good facilitation comes with experience and training, and this seminar is a great place to start people on the road to becoming a good one.
This course covers the minimal requirements of a facilitator, collecting the background material, preparation, execution, and follow up of a successful facilitated meeting.
This seminar includes:
Basics
The facilitator’s role(s)
Characteristics
Strengths
An “invisible” force
Preparation
Goals of the meeting
Attendees
Who is the boss?
Backgrounds
History
Material available on the subject
Plan of Action
Send out information and reading material
Day of meeting
Room preparation
Electrics, seating, HVAC, windows
Food/beverages
Room orientation in the building
Icebreakers
Objectives
Presentations
Discussions
Facilitator’s Ongoing Job
Capture ideas
Allow for generation of ideas
Spark idea generators
Ask quality questions
Lead discussions
Monitor energy level
Ensure participation
Quiet disturbances
End of Meeting
Capture group’s results
Ensure questions answered
Take-a-ways
Ensure notes are in tact
Write up results to be distributed
There is an art to being a good facilitator and it starts with solid training. If you think you might need a facilitator on your staff, give us a call and let’s talk about your candidate(s) to see if she or he has the right background for this course. A good facilitator can be an amazing asset.