Overview

The role of Leaders within organisations is changing to accommodate the sophisticated needs of today’s demanding workforce. The traditional ‘push’ style of Management is being replaced by a ‘pull’ approach to Leadership. Equally, organisations expect an increased level of engagement and proactivity from individuals and teams. How can Managers encourage such behaviours and juggle the demands of the organisation and it’s customers?

This Facilitation, Problem Solving and Appreciative Inquiry Skills training course will provide a range of practical tools and techniques to enable Managers to enlist the full support of their teams in overcoming obstacles to achieve their business goals.

The course comprises four sections

• Facilitation Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Appreciative Inquiry
• Action Planning & Resources

Format

The course is highly interactive and contains a broad variety of scenarios, practical group exercises with personal reflection and action planning.

Course Materials

Participants will receive a course workbook packed with practical ideas, techniques and tools they can use to develop their training course learning to deliver real results back in the workplace.

Key Benefits of the Course

• Managers learn that they do not have to do everything themselves. Constant ‘fire-fighting’ is exhausting for everyone. The Leader’s role in Organisational Development is to smooth the way to engage and enable the team to achieve more
• Clarifies when and how to Facilitate
• Enables participants to deal with difficult individuals and use appropriate interventions to cater for a variety of team dynamics
• Provides tools and techniques to enhance personal and team development through ownership of real workplace issues
• Views problems as opportunities
• Transfers cynicism into practical output
• Identifies a robust Problem Solving Process
• Clarifies what the problem is, and what it is not
• Managers practice a range of Problem Solving tools and techniques with generic workplace problems
• Adopts a practical approach to Appreciative Inquiry to improve situations
• Identifies the benefits to Leaders, Individuals, Teams and to Organisations
• Helps build Learning Organisations

  

Course Content

Welcome

• Course structure, purpose & objectives

Session 1 – Facilitation Skills

• Definition of Facilitation – What it is and what it is not
• Qualities, Roles & Responsibilities of a good facilitator – Listening & Questioning Skills etc
• How teams develop and how the facilitator can intervene to smooth the transition process
• Dealing with difficult characters
• Facilitation in practice

Session 2 – Problem Solving

• Identify a robust Problem Solving Process
• Where do blockages occur? Use creativity to overcome ‘We’ve always done it this way’ attitudes
• Practice six Problem Solving techniques – Negation, De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats, Problem Statements, Ishikawa Fishbone Diagram,  Metaplan & Benefits & Consequences
• Discuss Brainstorming, SWOT Analysis, Mind Maps, Half/Double Resources, Offers & Needs, Responsibilities & Requirements

Session 3 – Appreciative Inquiry

• When and why Leaders should use Appreciative Inquiry
• Definition of Appreciative Inquiry & how it differs from Problem Solving
• Theory and practice of Appreciative Inquiry
• Using metaphors in Appreciative Inquiry

Session 4 – Benefits, Action Planning

• Identify benefits of these techniques for Leaders, Individuals, Teams and Organisations
  Personal reflection & Action Planning