Course Overview

With this course, it is aimed at professionals who are involved in projects that require bringing together diverse to gather and share knowledge, solve problems, and build better working relationships. Small-group facilitation skills are essential to design and deliver useful and engaging activities.A facilitator is someone who uses knowledge of group processes to formulate and deliver the needed structure for meeting interactions to be effective. A facilitator focuses on group dynamics, allowing the participants to focus on their work together. The course is taught by an experienced workplace psychologist and professional facilitator.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the trainees will be aware and understanding of the following:

• Understand the facilitator role and basic principles of group processes
• Plan and structure an effective small group session, paying attention to helpful structures and interventions before, during and after a group event
• Use a variety of methods to direct and guide groups
• Identify and flex your facilitation style with self-awareness, authority and presence
• Develop strategies for managing dynamics in diverse cross cultural and inter-generational groups
• Accurately and skillfully capture and summarises information

Who Should Attend?

• Anyone who facilitates or runs meetings
• Training & Development Staff
• Managers and Leaders who need to facilitate groups
• Project Management Professionals who need to facilitate small groups
• HR Professionals
• HR Business Partners
• Professionals who need to facilitate external groups

Course Contents

Module (01) Fundamentals of Facilitation

• Facilitation Explained
• Establishing Ground Rules
• How A Facilitator Differs from A Presenter?
• Four Guiding Principles for Facilitators (ORID)
• Changing Role of the Facilitator

Module (02) The Group Dynamic & Avoiding Defensiveness 

• The Difference between Groups and Teams
• Group Entitativity
• The Stages of Group Development
• Understanding Group Dynamics
• Groupthink - Avoiding Flaws in Group Decision-making

Module (03) The Dynamics of Facilitation & Cultural Issues 

• Principles Underlying Facilitation of Learning
• The Six Dimensions for Facilitation
• Planning and Structuring Exercises
• Cultural Issues in Facilitation
• Understanding and Responding to Cultural Differences

Module (04) Practical Tools for Facilitation 

• Room Setup Considerations
• Roles in a Group Facilitated Exercises and Meetings
• Planning and Structuring
• Dealing with ‘Difficult’ People
• Seven Techniques for Small Group Work

Module (05) A Specialist Facilitation Technique: The World Café 

• Introduction to the World Café Methods
• The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Method
• World Café Conversations, Guidelines, and Design Principles
• Five Ways to Make Collective Knowledge Visible
• Collective Creativity