How To Facilitate Meetings (advanced)

(Please note: This training is NOT designed for facilitators of clinical / therapeutic groups.)

The primary goal of this seminar is to:

• Support participants in working with other skilled facilitators to build their understanding of the complex facilitation challenges they face.
• Apply several collaborative solution seeking protocols in order to generate possible solutions to identified challenges.
• Generate mini-action plans to implement solutions.
• Build an on-going support network among participants.
• Have some fun.

• Ability to listen well, paraphrase, summarize and highlight commonalities and difference of opinions of team members.
• Skills for eliciting participation from quiet members, skills at managing dominant team members.
• Understanding the role and responsibilities of a facilitator.
• Understanding the difference between discussion and dialogue, advocacy and inquiry.
• Building and facilitating productive agendas.
• Ability to apply multiple strategies for facilitating agenda items beyond open conversation.
• Skills at helping groups reach consensus.
• Skillful management of difficult conversations and conflict.
• Strategies for collecting feedback and mapping improvement strategies.

Prior to the seminar, each participant will be asked to write and submit a mini-case study or outline describing the facilitation challenge(s) s/he would like to focus on during the session. These case studies will be shared with all seminar participants. We will select a few of these to focus on as a group. But each person will have time to think about, discuss and generate solutions to their particular challenge.

Instructions for Case Study Assignment: Select one facilitation challenge you have faced or are currently facing and describe (briefly ): what the challenge is, why you find this particularly challenging, what facilitation strategies you have tried (or are considering and why)to resolve this particular challenge, what the pros and cons are for these possible solutions, and what you hope to change in both your understanding of this challenge and
the group dynamic that allowed it to emerge in the first place. This does not and should not need to be long – bullets or outline format is
fine. It is really an attempt to have you reflect on a challenge before the
session so we then can work together to generate possible solutions.
Let me know if you need more info, I am glad to help.

Please email case study and/or requests for help to: jonudis@together.net

ATTENDANCE EARNS 1 CEU FROM THE VERMONT ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE CERTIFICATION BOARD

Trainer: Jon Udis, M.Ed., Upstream Educational Services

About Jonathan Udis:
Prior to starting his consulting practice in 1991, Jon was a classroom teacher, principal and residential treatment director. Jon offers training, coaching and facilitation supports and services to a wide variety of educational, and human service agencies. Jon presents at conferences throughout North America and teaches graduate courses for several universities. Jon is well known for his passion for learning, his love of teaching and his commitment to helping every child and family receive the supports needed for healthy development. Jon lives with his family outside of Montpelier, Vermont.