Facilitation Essentials

This class emphasizes the core mindset and responsibilities of an effective facilitator. You’ll learn practical tools and techniques to design engaging meetings and workshops that drive clear, actionable outcomes. Facilitation is crucial in guiding teams toward collaboration and innovation, ensuring that every voice is heard and that ideas are effectively synthesised into actionable plans.

Effective facilitation helps in building trust, improving communication, and driving productivity. It enables teams to navigate complex challenges, make informed decisions, and maintain alignment with organisational goals. Expand your facilitator toolkit and gain valuable experience in practices that can be tailored to your organisation. Our workshops are interactive and engaging, providing hands-on opportunities to practice facilitation skills in real-world scenarios.

What you will learn:

Facilitation Definition
Facilitator Behaviours
Foundational Facilitation Skills
The process of creating Engaging Sessions
Facilitating Collaborative Sessions
Structures to foster collaboration
Facilitation Techniques
Leadership styles and how these affect facilitation
Types of decisions

Delivery Mode:

1.5 hours session, 3 classes in total

*Student will also take home with the workbook and digital copy of class materials

*A 1-hour consultation will also be offered to students at no cost.

Class Outline:

Facilitation

How an Effective Session Looks Like
- Discover the key elements that make a facilitation session successful, including clear objectives, active engagement, and a focus on outcomes.
Facilitation Definition
- Understand facilitation as a process that guides and manages group interactions to achieve common goals.
Container vs Content
- Explore the concept of managing both the structure (container) and the subject matter (content) of a session.
Antipatterns & Dysfunctions in Teams
- Identify common challenges and dysfunctional behaviors in team dynamics. Gain strategies to address and transform these issues into opportunities for growth and collaboration.
Leadership and Styles of Leadership
- Examine different leadership styles and their impact on facilitation. Learn how to adapt your approach to suit the needs of the group and the goals of the session.

Techniques

Situational Decision-Making Model
- Learn a flexible model for making decisions that considers the context and specific needs of the team.
Types of Team Decisions
- Understand the various types of decisions teams can make, from consensus to majority rule, and how to facilitate each effectively.
POWER and the 5 Ps
- Dive into the concept of POWER and the 5 Ps (Purpose, People, Process, Place, and Product) to enhance facilitation.
Participation & Silence
- Develop techniques to encourage active participation and effectively manage silence. Understand the value of pauses and how to use them strategically to deepen reflection and insight.
Powerful Questions
- Master the art of asking powerful questions that provoke thought, reveal insights, and drive meaningful dialogue.
Collaboration Structures
- Explore different structures that support collaboration, such as brainstorming, group discussions, and workshops.

Instructor: Mario Mendez

With over 16 years of expertise in business operations, transformation, coaching, mentoring and training. Mario has coached over 30 teams, trained over 500 people across various industries, including finance, retail, and technology, and supported leading companies such as BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered Bank, Lidl, Chanel, New York Life, and Walmart.

He spearheaded digital transformations and practices, achieving a 40% improvement in time to market. He also transformed delivery practices, resulting in a 50% increase in customer satisfaction and maintaining a 90% delivery satisfaction rate.

Mario is fluent in English and Spanish, with a strong foundation in leadership and innovation.

Who should Attend:

Any leader or aspiring team leader who wants to learn and practice facilitation will benefit from this course. Whether you're looking to enhance your leadership skills or improve team dynamics, mastering facilitation techniques is essential. You'll gain the ability to guide discussions, foster collaboration, and drive your team toward successful outcomes.

Educators and facilitators seeking to broaden their expertise will find valuable insights and practical tools in this course. Expand your skill set to create engaging, effective learning environments, and gain the confidence to handle diverse group dynamics with ease.