FACILITATION BASICS

Skilled facilitation can smooth the progress of productive discussions in groups of all sizes. In healthy group discussions, members are able to examine a variety of perspectives, as well as debate the merits of proposals before the group before jumping to conclusions and designing solutions. Effective facilitators are able to cultivate active participation of all members, promote a candid exchange of ideas, clarify status of agreements, and maintain steady focus on the group’s purpose, charge, and commitments. Participants will gain skills necessary to assess meeting design and facilitation needs, facilitation techniques to promote productive conversations, and understanding to assess if a change in direction is needed in order to achieve the group’s goals.

In this course, we'll examine a model for assessing facilitation needs, appropriate meeting design and facilitator roles, and facilitation strategies for optimizing your work team’s effectiveness and commitment. You’ll leave with tools to help you design future meetings and identify pre, day-of, and post information needs to advance meaningful work and strengthen the commitment of group members. This four hour session will focus on:

•                The role of facilitator and responsibilities to the group

•                Meeting design and information strategies that will maximize face-to-face discussion time and the quality of thinking, relationships, and commitment

•                Facilitative interventions to support optimum group work

•                Assessing your own strengths and strategies for improving your facilitation  skills

•                Understanding the behaviors that most commonly derail meetings 

•                Developing a personalized action plan to help your advance new learning and practical application with your current work teams and group responsibilities

Mary Dumas, Dumas & Associates, Inc., is a mediator, facilitator, and trainer specializing in productive use of change and conflict. Mary’s work in facilitating collaborative policy, research, and community education initiatives has helped individuals and organizations improve their capacity for innovative thinking and strategic action in the face of complex and contentious issues. Mary specializes in designing stakeholder processes that help organizations and public agencies effectively engage diverse perspectives in policy, research, and program development. Public agencies, universities, foundations, and private organizations use Mary to help them clarify core goals, identify essential partnerships, and develop near and long-term strategies to advance directives and seize emerging opportunities. Areas of expertise include: stakeholder analysis, organizational change management, public involvement and education program development and facilitation.