ADVANCED FACILITATION SKILLS

To be successful, the facilitator needs to understand the ongoing process among
individuals, and to diagnose and intervene appropriately. Understanding the phases of
change, the kinds of roles they need to assume in each phase, the personal qualities that accompany those roles and the instructional/ intervention methods in each phase are key.
This program has been specifically designed to provide government facilitators a
systematic approach and the skills necessary to be as effective as possible. 

Meeting and team facilitation are just two special areas in which the achievement of quality results can be enhanced by improved facilitation techniques. And facilitators. personally,
who have greater confidence in their ability also will experience enthusiasm for facilitating,
which in turn they will pass on to the participants.

BENEFITS:

Upon completion of the program the participants will be able to:

•           Maximize their contribution  to the group as the facilitator

•           Use participative techniques to involve everyone

•           Adapt facilitation to the specific needs of participants

•           Identify the phases of group dynamics and the ongoing process among 
           individuals

•           Assume the roles they need to gather information about how people are
           relating to each other, to the facilitator, and to the process

•           Intervene appropriately to handle unwanted behavior, to lead, to follow, to
          evaluate  involvement, and process group developmental stages

•           Facilitate comfortably, sincerely with confidence and credibility

•          Manage the complex dynamics of small groups such as communication,
          decision making, change and conflict and the kinds of  patterns that affect
          group development

•          Learn process observation skills that will help respond to the changing  needs
          of the group

•          Facilitate the groups movement from a collection of individuals to a
         collaborating group

•           Practice communication and feedback skills that will enhance the getting the
             job done

•          Bring out the best in  individuals in the group setting by valuing  differences

•          Keep interest up and give everybody a greater feeling of participation and
            influence

•          Solve special problems in meetings, public forums or team meetings

CONTENT:

ESSENTIALS OF FACILITATION

•          What is "advanced facilitation?" What are the components?

•          What are the phases of group process and change?

•          What roles and skills are necessary to be a improve your facilitation?

•          How do you handle the dilemmas the facilitator roles present?

FACILITATING GROUPS

•          What are the unique characteristics of adults working in groups?

•          How do you adapt participant's  and group's needs?

•          How do you to speak so that people listen?

•          How do you create a supportive and informal atmosphere?

•          How do you keep interest up?  Being creative and changing pace.

FACILITATOR'S  SKILLS AND ROLES

•          How do you perceive people and events in a systematic way?

•          How do you intervene appropriately?

•          What skills  encourage contribution, maximize individual participation,
      enhance motivation  and  assure commitment?

•          What are obstacles to intervention and what can be done?

•          What are key group dimensions? How can you facilitate the phases the group
       goes through?

•           How do you recognize and solve problems in group communication
        processes? functional roles? problem solving and decision making? group
        norms? leadership and authority?

•          How do you start off on the right foot?

•          How do you present ideas with impact?

•          How to enhance your personal delivery style to keep participants on the edge
      of their seats with involvement

•          How do you handle unwanted behavior - 16 types of problem people and what
       to do

•          How do you create a supportive and informal atmosphere

•          How do you give and receive information non-defensively in conflict resolution,
       problem solving,  decision making, and building trust     

•          How do you recognize and solve problems in group communication
       processes? functional roles? problem solving and decision making? group 
       norms? leadership and authority?

HANDLING SPECIAL PROBLEMS - MEETINGS

•          Facilitate participatory meetings -- stop wasting time and get things done

•          Develop agendas and arrange meeting rooms to make meetings pay off

•          Develop  techniques " to keep on track" and get  results  by utilizing the roles
       of facilitator, group memory and recorder

•          Choose the most effective ways to accomplish goals

•          Overcoming barriers  of a hostile audience --the multi-headed animal,
       personal attacks, traffic problems, unclear roles, responsibilities and
       expectations, manipulation, data  overload, repetition, and wheel-spinning,
       win /lose, unresolved questions of power and authority, problem avoidance,
       general negativity, and lack of challenge, personality conflicts

•           Use a interaction method to help generate more and better solutions by
        assigning roles --the  facilitator, recorder and group memory?

•            Problem people-Deal successfully with silent members, hidden agendas,
        aggressive members, power and influence, difficult people

HANDLING SPECIAL PROBLEMS - TEAMS

•            Determining the stages, the characteristics, the tasks and the issues at each
           stage and what  to do and when to do it?

•            Maximize the eight dimensions of group functioning: Communication, 
         Decision Making,  Conflict, Leadership, Goals and Roles,  Group Norms,
         Problem Solving, Group Climate

•            Understanding and overcoming barriers to  team communication

•            Utilizing the most effective leadership styles for team facilitation

•            Utilize a problem-solving approach to conflict situations.

•            Methods of diagnosis and problem solving change situations

•            Facilitator behaviors critical to moving groups through the change cycle

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER - PRACTICE FACILITATION