Facilitation Skills OVERVIEW: At the conclusion of this program component, participants will have an understanding of the core elements of effective facilitation. Participants will explore the role of facilitator as an agent of learning and change. The skills of facilitation will be examined and experienced. Participants will learn to distinguish between problem-focused and solution-focused facilitation and the appropriate use of each strategy. As facilitators, individuals will learn to create a learning experience for another, encourage reflection subsequent to the learning experience, integrate the reflective learning experience and continue the integrated changes. These steps will be directly experienced by workshop participants as a design methodology of this overall training program. Transfer and integration of learning and skill will be of paramount importance as a definable measure of successful facilitation. DURATION: Half-day, full day or extended multiple-day workshops LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Understand the essential elements of facilitation. Facilitate individual development. Learn to implement the positive synergistic cycle. Employ strategies for reflection, integration and continuation. Understand the role of gatekeeper of the discussion. Develop problem-solving & decision-making strategies. Differentiate between problem-focused and solution-focused facilitation. Implement transfer skills from the learning environment to the workplace. Deal with difficulties and problematic behavior. FORMAT: This workshop is designed to be highly participatory and interactive. Certain key concepts, which will be used through the workshop experience, will be presented and discussed initially. Using a "practice and feedback" loop approach, participants will gain an understanding of the processes of effective communication, and how these components can be modified for maximum results. Facilitation Skills