Effective Meetings: Tips & Tricks for Facilitators & Secretaries
Facilitator: Nancy Esarey Ouedraogo, State Specialist for Community and Economic Development, University of Illinois Extension
Tuesday, May 13th from 6-8pm
Register HERE!
About the Workshop
Facilitation is the art and science of helping groups achieve a goal by organizing and managing the process. Facilitative leaders have the skills, tools, and awareness to draw out ideas, encourage effective discussion, and guide groups to make collective decisions, discuss complex issues, and effectuate plans for events, projects, or programs. Actionable, objective-driven recording/documentation styles are included in this training.
Please come prepared for fast-paced interactive tool-building activities and practical application in small groups. This is a learning lab-style workshop that is designed to build and strengthen the skills and personal confidence necessary to lead and facilitate productive meetings. Participants will practice leadership strategies using the tools, techniques, and verbal skills necessary to lead group discussions, reach consensus, set outcome-based goals, and use recording tools. Process tools for brainstorming, analyzing ideas, decision-making, and planning will be shared. Participants should expect they may lead a 5-minute “mock” small group facilitation and receive written suggestions for improvement from workshop instructors and colleagues.
By the end of the workshop, participants should:
- Increase personal skills in leading discussions and balancing participation.
- Recognize the role of verbal skills and nonverbal techniques to help keep a group on track while maximizing participation.
- Effectively use a variety of tools for helping groups:
- Generate ideas and options for action
- Explore and evaluate ideas and options
- Achieve consensus
- Plan actions and events
- Articulate results-oriented and relational objectives in writing
- Design a process that combines tools to help a group reach its goals
About the Facilitator
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