Facilitation Workshop for Successful Meetings:
Skills and tactics for managing
small and large groups

A 2-day, 14 PDU (1.4 CEU) Instructor-led Program In today's lean business environment, we are often in the position of managing a meeting while trying to participate in the meeting at the same time. This challenge has grown as small groups have gotten bigger and the participants have dispersed to several locations. We find ourselves managing a meeting with people who are not in the same room and not on the same page. In such situations, good meeting practices are imperative. We need skills to help us run effective meetings and skills that help us become better meeting attendees. This program will arm you with tips and techniques for facilitating both large- and small- group meetings, culled from our years of experience. Good facilitation skills are best learned from our own and other's mistakes. This highly interactive, two-day program provides a safe environment to practice the skills and tactics introduced in the presentation. You will work with your peers to manage real "mini-meetings" and address topics that are important to you and your team. You will try new techniques on for size and you will learn from your peers as they do the same thing. Each participant will get to be "in the spotlight" and receive immediate feedback from classmates and the instructor. We follow the old adage of "practice makes perfect." Skillful facilitation of a difficult meeting is a highly prized skill because it is so rare. Building this critical skill is an investment that can significantly increase the whole organization's business productivity and competitive advantage!   Upon completion, each participant will be able to: Effectively plan meetings and build agendas that work Effectively engage participants in their meeting roles Use listening, questioning and observing skills in a meeting setting Understand and manage adult learning and behavior styles Develop creative approaches to group problem-solving meetings Identify and mitigate the impact of difficult meeting behaviors Effectively handle and resolve conflicts in meetings Develop communication strategies to support efficient meetings Make and support meeting decisions Celebrate and show appreciation for team and individual effort  Who will benefit?  Managers, supervisors, and department directors who conduct or attend meetings Project and program managers who lead team and/or client meetings Professionals who want to expand their ability to achieve results at an organizational level Individuals who want to improve their meeting-management skills and their abilities as a meeting participants Agenda Day 1: Definitions and foundation skills Understanding learning styles Meeting-member roles and responsibilities Developing agendas that work Developing and executing meeting communication plans Facilitation skills Day 2: Managing meetings and participants Local or remote attendees Dealing with difficult behaviors in meetings Managing meeting conflict Making and maintaining meeting decisions Summaries, closings, and next steps Appreciation