Facilitation Skills Program

Facilitation is about helping people collaborate to achieve success.

Whether you are responsible for leading team meetings, product launches, formal projects, or change initiatives, achieving your goals most likely requires people with strong facilitation skills when leadership is needed. That’s because skilled facilitators deliver results by making it easier for people with diverse backgrounds, skills and perspectives to actively engage together in candid, creative conversations to problem-solve, ideate and make high-quality decisions. And in today’s complex, matrixed work environment, many organizations view facilitation skills as key to the future of work.

PFC helped introduce Japan to concept of facilitative leadership more than 20 years ago and has been a leader in the field ever since.

Program Summary

This program helps people develop a solid foundation of knowledge and skills for facilitating successful collaboration in the workplace. You will learn what facilitators do before, during and after meetings and other team activities to make collaboration successful. You will also practice facilitating in a range of workplace situations.

Target Audience

This program is for professionals who:

  • Want to improve meeting productivity and team effectiveness
  • Need to get work done through others with or without formal authority
  • Want to learn how to help teams constructively resolve conflict and reach consensus

Available formats

This program can be delivered in-person and online

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the role of facilitation in team leadership and organizational change
  • Design and prepare for team meetings
  • Learn how to facilitate creative, active and efficient meetings while maintaining a neutral stance
  • Learn how to prevent and deal with difficult meeting situations
  • Facilitate teams constrictively from conflict to consensus

Classroom Training

Virtual Training

This program covers the same material as the in-person version.

Duration

Two-days

Learning methods and tools

The program centers on experiential learning and uses a wide variety of group exercises for applying and practicing skills including:

  • Individual reflection
  • Pair, small group and classroom discussion
  • Role plays based simulated business situations
  • Personal action planning

Pre-program work

Facilitation skills self-assessment

Day 1
  • The purpose and role of facilitators
  • What a facilitator should do before a meeting
  • Meeting facilitation skills and techniques
    • Use a well-designed agenda to conduct meetings
    • Practice active listening skills
    • Support and manage group dynamics
    • Draw out constructive debate and consensus
    • Use problem-solving tools to manage discussion, Part 1
    • Create and confirm meeting outputs
  • Introduction of facilitation tools necessary for effective team discussion
Day 2
  • Use problem-solving tools to manage discussion, Part 2
  • Business simulation that requires facilitation skills to solve a complex business problem
  • Create an action plan