COURSE OVERVIEW:

Since organisations and information have become more complex, the Facilitated Workshop practice has been used extensively, particularly to achieve greater buy-in to decisions quickly. Organisations often achieve success (or not) through the behaviours and interactions of their people. For many years, facilitation and facilitated workshops have proved to be an efficient and effective way of quickly achieving greater buy-in to decisions, solving problems, generating ideas, and action-planning.

A facilitated workshop is a method of allowing a group of people to work together to achieve a specific outcome. The beauty of a facilitated workshop is that everyone is encouraged to contribute, everyone gets a feeling of involvement and there are real, demonstrable outcomes. This kind of workshop can be used to address specific work problems, collect requirements for computer systems, evaluate products, build company vision, discuss company strategy or address key company issues. There are countless other applications of facilitated workshops; the outcome may be radically different, but the basic process is the same.

A workshop facilitator is someone who helps a group of people to achieve an agreed aim, by involving everyone present. The facilitator’s style should be unbiased and non-manipulative, remaining in control without being overpowering.

In facilitated workshops a workshop facilitator guides the group through a process which enables them to work together to achieve an agreed goal; whether that be solving a problem, building a plan, gathering requirements or making decisions. The facilitator has no stake in the outcome of the workshop and no opinion on the content. They are focused on the group dynamics and enabling the group members to collaborate to achieve their goal(s).

Facilitated Workshops ensure a team-based approach through visual and verbal communication and collaboration, where results can be achieved with speed, commitment and buy-in to the outcome.

The first part of this course introduces facilitation by explaining what a facilitated workshop is for and the facilitator’s role and style and what is expected of the facilitator. Also, explains what a facilitated workshop can do and can’t do. Then discusses the workshop lifecycle.

The second part discusses how to effectively plan a facilitated workshop by explaining how to define a clear purpose of the workshop and the reasons to invite participants. Then examines how to design the workshop. Also, explains the workshop tools and techniques that could be used.

The third part explains how to successfully manage a facilitated workshop and the facilitator’s responsibility during the workshop. Then discusses how to introduce the workshop and how to use questioning and listening skills. Finally, explains how to manage the discussions and close the workshop.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

• What is a facilitated workshop?
• The importance of a facilitated workshop
• The direct and indirect benefits of facilitated workshops
• The simple rules and principles for running facilitated workshops
• The facilitator’s style
• The key aspects of the facilitator’s role
• What a facilitated workshop can do and can’t do?
• Is facilitating a workshop is the same as chairing a meeting?
• How to deal with people who don’t contribute to a workshop?
• Is the facilitator’s opinion important during the workshop?
• Why the facilitator should make sure that the workshop runs to time?
• Why the facilitator is responsible of follow-up after a workshop?
• Why the facilitator should be unbiased?
• How much facilitator should know about the subject area?
• The workshop lifecycle
• How to effectively plan a facilitated workshop?
• How to get a clear purpose of the workshop?
• The good and poor reasons for inviting participants to the workshop
• The importance of doing the right research during planning
• How to design the workshop?
• How structured should the workshop be?
• The typical workshop sequence
• The varying workshop activity and the techniques that can be used to vary the activity in a workshop
• Workshop tools and techniques
• The introduction techniques
• The discussion openers
• The structured discussion tools
• The brainstorming technique
• The techniques for whittling down the ideas
• The fuzzy discussion tools
• How to produce an agenda?
• How to effectively manage a facilitated workshop?
• The facilitator’s responsibility on the day of the workshop
• How the facilitator can guide the participants through the workshop?
• How the facilitator can make sure that the workshop aims are clear, and that the necessary work is done?
• The importance of the physical set-up of the workshop
• How to introduce the workshop to the participants?
• How the facilitator can demonstrate good listening skills?
• The importance of having good questioning skills during the workshop
• How to run open forum discussions?
• How to manage individual tasks?
• How to manage small group tasks?
• How to manage time?
• How to successfully close the workshop?

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 3-4 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.