Get Facilitation Training to Work

Making Facilitation Training Become a Culture of Facilitation in Your Workplace

Margo O’Byrne and I provide our tips around the leverage points to formalise facilitation training in your workplace.

These are based on the award-winning facilitation training programs we designed and delivered for Fremantle Ports.

In this episode of Facilitation TV,  find out about:

• Getting participants to experience positive outcomes from facilitation
• Moving from an informing approach to a facilitative approach
• Being the ‘anti-Christ’ by requiring ‘real world’ application
• Measuring financial ROI from facilitation training programs

Using a facilitative approach to training

Facilitated processes were an integral component of the project.

A facilitative approach was utilized in the:

• Client contracting stage
• Establishment of learning needs
• Program development
• Delivery of all modules and graduation session
• Establishment of workplace learning projects; and
• Module and program evaluation.

This approach modelled the value of facilitation to the organization and staff and highlighted the value and advantages of using a participatory approach to meetings and workshops rather than a ‘presentation-based’ approach.

Power point presentations were not part of this training program.

The facilitative also approach demonstrated the clarity of structured processes, the power of insightful questions and the learning gained from allocating time for reflection.

Training methods

Throughout the program we introduced, modeled and unpacked a range of facilitation methods and processes.

This approach enabled participants to:

• Be exposed to facilitation theory
• Observe and practice techniques
• Experience facilitation processes in small groups with peers
• Design and conduct group reflections
• Receive feedback from peers and tutors; and
• Complete facilitation learning journals.

Importantly, we demonstrated and had the participants practise a range of participatory processes including session context, introductions, ground-rules, ice-breakers, reflections and debriefs.

This covered a range of methods including brainstorm, card-sort, force-field and SWOT.

Find out more

Contact Andrew today to discuss your next workplace-based facilitation training program