Facilitation Skills & Methods

A case study providing an opportunity for experienced facilitators to share best practice tips for dealing with dysfunctional conflict. Allow 1 hour 15 minutes to complete.

A case study suitable for experienced facilitators who are likely to be given responsibility for facilitating major processes. In this instance, it is a strategic planning process. Allow 1 hour 30 munutes for completion.

A case study providing a framework and practice for facilitator’s when deciding how best to approach facilitating a group. Allow 1 hour 15 minutes for completion.

A case study intended to help less experienced facilitators plan an intervention to help another in-house team improve their service. Allow one hour for completion.

Designed as a self-assessment tool for analysing facilitation skills, this diagnostic can be completed by individuals themselves, or they can use it as a means of obtaining feedback from a peer. It will take around 45 minutes to complete.

A short exercise designed to encourage thinking about good practice in facilitation. Allow 30 minutes to complete.

Using a fictional scenario, participants conduct a mock facilitated session to practise the key facilitation skills that they have identified during a workshop. Allow 1 hr 15 minutes to complete.

A group exercise exploring best practice during the different stages of the facilitation process. Allow 35 minutes for completion.

An icebreaker designed to get a group working together quickly while beginning to practise facilitation skills. Allow up to 30 minutes for completion.

An exercise exploring how to approach the planning of a facilitation event. Allow 40 minutes for completion.

This exercise encourages participants to think about their personal feelings, needs and expectations, as well as those of others, in relation to the facilitated session they are about to participate in. It aims to break down inhibitions and create an open environment. Allow 40 minutes for completion.

This exercise helps a group to formulate a set of basic principles and standards for working together in order to create an open, honest and supportive environment and facilitate productive discussion.

An example of a typical facilitation tool designed to help those new to facilitation understand the process of action planning. Allow 45 minutes for completion.

This objective-setting and reviewing exercise allows self-reflection time away from discussion in order to add variety, recharge batteries and therefore stimulate more effective discussion. Allow 30 minutes for completion.

A role-play expanding on the case study, enabling participants to apply the approach and practise the skills discussed. Allow around one hour for completion.