Aim: Leveraging group work

1) What's it all about?

Facilitation is a key skill at any level where you have to be able to help others collaborate and work productively together. This workshop is designed to develop that skill. We'll use some working group scenarios as well as structured simulations to help achieve this.

2) Why iOpener?

Facilitation is what we do all day every day, so we like to think we know this topic well! It's requires thought to get it right and the consequences of getting it wrong can be very hard to unravel. We have all experienced that. As a team we all have relevant and grounded expertise in the topic.

3) How?

Each participant facilitates twice so that they benefit from a 'before and after' effect. We deal with some tricky situations as well as showing participants some useful creativity and brainstorming techniques. Everyone gets a facilitation toolkit.
Peer and 1:1 feedback is an important element of this workshop.

4) Participants

A maximum of 8 participants allows us to focus and ensure that we meet individual needs. Participants should come with topics that they would like to facilitate and let iOpener know what these are in advance.

5) Outcomes

Participants will:

• Effectively facilitate meetings, team projects and crisis sessions
• Bring people together to innovate
• Develop a considered approach
• Deal with difficult situations and people
• Decide which tool to use in which situation
• Move groups and individuals ahead in any project

6) Participants cover

• The role of a facilitator
• The various methods and processes for problem analysis, idea generation, prioritisation and decision making
• How to clarify thinking in others
• How to draw out group members and establish buy-in
• The skill of feedback when using facilitation tools and techniques
• How to deal with conflict in a group effectively
• Knowing when to reflect back to a group where they are, what they say and what they have decided
• Ensuring ownership of decisions

7) Target group

Anyone who needs to facilitate teams or working groups effectively

8) Duration

1 day