Essential Facilitation Skills

NICOLE M. YOUNG, MSWOPTIMAL SOLUTIONS CONSULTING

nicole@opti-solutions.comwww.opti-solutions.com

Essential Facilitation Skills

Desired Outcomes

Understand how to apply The 6 P’s when facilitating meetings.

Gain tips and techniques for handling difficult situations in meetings.

© Optimal Solutions Consulting, 2010 www.opti-solutions.com

Agenda

I. Welcome / Overview / Introductions

II. Essential Preparation Skills

III.Essential Meeting Management Skills

IV. Closing / Evaluation

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Group Agreements

1. Listen before responding2. Take turns speaking3. Stretch your comfort zone4. Start and end on time5. Keep an open mind6. Value different opinions and ideas7. “Say your piece” in the room8. Turn phones/pagers to silent or vibrate

© Optimal Solutions Consulting, 2010 www.opti-solutions.com

Introductions

NameOrganizationCurrently facilitating meetings?Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

facilitator?

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Facilitation Is…

Helping groups work together effectively and accomplish

their desired results.

© Optimal Solutions Consulting, 2010 www.opti-solutions.com

The 6 P’s of Facilitation

1. Plan Purpose, Desired Outcomes, Participants,

Agenda, Potential Challenges

2. Prepare Handouts, Discussion Openers and Closers

3. Practice Transitions, Discussion Questions, Difficult

Situations

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Exercise: Planning for a Meeting

Think about an upcoming meeting that you will (or could) be facilitating and write down answers to items:

#1 (Meeting Purpose)

#2 (Desired Outcomes)

#4 (Meeting Participants)

#5 (Building the Agenda)

#6 – last bullet (Potential Challenges)

© Optimal Solutions Consulting, 2010 www.opti-solutions.com

The 6 P’s of Facilitation

4. Promote Effective meeting culture

5. Present Context, Clarify, Review, Discuss, Decide

6. Produce Meeting Minutes, Follow Up

© Optimal Solutions Consulting, 2010 www.opti-solutions.com

Helpful Meeting Behaviors

Builder Initiator

Clarifier Opinion Giver

Compromiser Opinion Seeker

Encourager Summarizer

Gatekeeper Tension Reliever

Harmonizer Tester

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“Difficult” Meeting Behaviors

Agenda Jumper Eager Beaver

Aggressor Entertainer

Blocker Nay-Sayer

Competitor Self-Discloser

Devilish Advocate Spotlight Seeker

Dominator Withdrawer

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Want More Information?

E-mail: nicole@opti-solutions.com

Visit: www.opti-solutions.com

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