Course Category Team Building and Leadership Visioning and Problem Solving Strategic Work Online Course now available via Teachable Platform – Chairing Meetings Learn at your own pace… lots of text and video support Description Meetings can be dreadful and bad chairing makes them worse. On this day we look at transformational person centred approaches to approaching the chairing of meetings. We provide deeper insights into the psychological processes that make this role challenging. ‘Best Saves’ for those really difficult moments when chairing meetings are creatively explored. We provide a practical, skill based and creative approach best delivered over 2 days. Testimonials “One of the most valuable things I have come across in the whole year” Learning Objectives To identify characteristics of meetings that matter- what excellent chairing looks like To strengthen person centred dimensions to chairing meetings To clarify the meetings we never want to be part of To create a visual graphic and words that uniquely illuminate what great meetings and chairing looks like To explore the various hats that group members and chairs can wear For participants to improve their chairing skills by receiving feedback To explore how to bring creativity into stuck meetings To Explore psychodynamic processes of resistance, projection, splitting and transference- as well as how to process these dynamics Who Is It For? Anyone who has to chair meetings Course Content Setting a Good tone/Exploring the ‘whole elephant’ – story so far of experience in chairing meetings – good and bad meetings – graphiced timeline and highs and lows of story so far Meetings I do not want – negative chairing…. Thinking Hats and Values – linked to role of chair – where are hats when things are going well and where are they when things are not? Our shared vision for great meetings and excellent chairing? Personal planning for future chairing – what do I need to get better at – what should I manage? Specific skill teaching – re when things go wrong – eg tears, personal attacks, talking in side conversations, silent members, lack of contribution, anger and so on…‘best saves’ explored with group – using live role play – with one chair Solution Circle demonstration – chairing skills/problem solving modelled – approach when teams stuck… Emotional elements of chairing – ‘its not personal’ – splitting, projection, transference explored and ‘handling projections’ activity Vision and Road Blocks – small groups chaired and minuted – creative problem solving – Blocks to vision of great meetings creatively removed or worked around
Meetings are a traditional and essential component of local government. For both elected members and officers, meetings serve as a forum for discussion and agreement, planning and monitoring, communication and leadership, and decision-making. Used appropriately, meetings can challenge, inspire, illuminate and inform. And while they are not the only meetings that elected members will be asked to attend, committee meetings, in particular, are a mainstay of the political management process. Effective chairing is important because it can provide clear leadership and direction, ensure that debates are focused and balanced, enable decisions to be reached and ensure that resources are used to best effect. This two-hour 'masterclass'-style workshop will help elected members to understand their role, offer some approaches and ideas that will help to tackle typical challenges, and help to generally improve their effectiveness as a chair. To understand the skills and qualities of a good chair To learn ideas and approaches for chairing a successful meeting that is on time and achieves its outcomes To understand the protocols and boundaries for appropriate meeting etiquette and the chair's role in managing this effectively To appreciate how to manage yourself and others appropriately To take away personal actions to apply to your role 1 Welcome and introductions Objectives What's the challenge for you? 2 We can't go on meeting like this Common meeting challenges for chairs and why they succeed or fail Consequences and impact for the Council What's the context? 3 Roles and responsibilities of an effective chair Activities and input that explore the role, skills and qualities needed Role of the chair: what is it and how to do it well 4 Chairing for success - ideas and approaches to meet the challenges Managing time and boundaries Preparation and planning Creating the right environment Self-management Challenging personalities and good meeting behaviour 5 Final plenary session What's your plan? Take away actions
Facilitating Effective Meetings: In-House Training Billions of dollars and exorbitant amounts of time are wasted annually across the globe because of organizations' meeting practices. This contributes to serious performance problems for both organizations and employees, and it has a serious impact on culture and morale. But despite the costs and consequences, every-day people in any role have the ability to change that. They can reduce cost, improve productivity, and enhance their workplace cultures by improving their meeting facilitation skills. And that is because facilitation skills start in the planning stage, not in the live meeting stage. In this course, participants will learn that their responsibility as a facilitator is to be a steward of time, money, relationships, and performance. To do that, they will learn to estimate costs of meetings and practice a variety of strategic thinking and analysis tasks to effectively plan results-aligned meetings. They will also apply several techniques and strategies to proactively prevent and deal with conflict in meetings, as well as give objective, constructive feedback to others in order to create behavior change during meetings. Participants must bring laptops with them and have internet access during the course (both virtual classroom and traditional classroom). The laptops are needed for specific activities. Also note that this course pairs well with IIL's Conflict Resolution Skills and Decision Making and Problem Solving courses, which go much deeper into related skills and tools that support effective meeting facilitation. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Estimate the financial and time costs of attendance for real-world meetings Use a performance formula to define the purpose of meetings Describe the responsibilities and qualities of an effective facilitator Analyze situations to determine when a meeting is necessary Articulate performance-driven meeting goals and results Align meeting goals and results Strategize to invite, involve, and exclude appropriate attendees Explain research-based best practices for meeting decisions and agenda development Create an effective agenda for a results-driven meeting Apply proactive tools and strategies for relationship-building dealing with meeting conflict Give constructive behavioral feedback using the Situation-Behavior-Impact® technique The Business Case for Effective Facilitation Embracing the research on meetings Estimating the real costs of meetings Determining a meeting's performance value Clarifying the meeting facilitator's role Facilitating the Meeting Plan Determining if a meeting is necessary Aligning meeting goals with meeting types Identifying the right attendees Creating a strategically effective agenda Facilitating the Live Meeting Building relationships from the start Dealing with conflict proactively Giving feedback on unproductive behavior
Facilitating Effective Meetings (Virtual) Billions of dollars and exorbitant amounts of time are wasted annually across the globe because of organizations' meeting practices. This contributes to serious performance problems for both organizations and employees, and it has a serious impact on culture and morale. But despite the costs and consequences, every-day people in any role have the ability to change that. They can reduce cost, improve productivity, and enhance their workplace cultures by improving their meeting facilitation skills. And that is because facilitation skills start in the planning stage, not in the live meeting stage. In this course, participants will learn that their responsibility as a facilitator is to be a steward of time, money, relationships, and performance. To do that, they will learn to estimate costs of meetings and practice a variety of strategic thinking and analysis tasks to effectively plan results-aligned meetings. They will also apply several techniques and strategies to proactively prevent and deal with conflict in meetings, as well as give objective, constructive feedback to others in order to create behavior change during meetings. Participants must bring laptops with them and have internet access during the course (both virtual classroom and traditional classroom). The laptops are needed for specific activities. Also note that this course pairs well with IIL's Conflict Resolution Skills and Decision Making and Problem Solving courses, which go much deeper into related skills and tools that support effective meeting facilitation. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Estimate the financial and time costs of attendance for real-world meetings Use a performance formula to define the purpose of meetings Describe the responsibilities and qualities of an effective facilitator Analyze situations to determine when a meeting is necessary Articulate performance-driven meeting goals and results Align meeting goals and results Strategize to invite, involve, and exclude appropriate attendees Explain research-based best practices for meeting decisions and agenda development Create an effective agenda for a results-driven meeting Apply proactive tools and strategies for relationship-building dealing with meeting conflict Give constructive behavioral feedback using the Situation-Behavior-Impact® technique Getting Started The Business Case for Effective Facilitation Embracing the research on meetings Estimating the real costs of meetings Determining a meeting's performance value Clarifying the meeting facilitator's role Facilitating the Meeting Plan Determining if a meeting is necessary Aligning meeting goals with meeting types Identifying the right attendees Creating a strategically effective agenda Facilitating the Live Meeting Building relationships from the start Dealing with conflict proactively Giving feedback on unproductive behavior Summary and Next Steps
How to be a Great Executive Sponsor: Virtual In-House Training This three-hour course provides key tips and techniques for becoming an actively engaged, and impactful, Executive Sponsor of projects and programs. It will explain not just what your role is, but the very specific actions you can, and must, take to increase your project's probability of success. This three-hour course provides key tips and techniques for becoming an actively engaged, and impactful, Executive Sponsor of projects and programs. It will explain not just what your role is, but the very specific actions you can, and must, take to increase your project's probability of success. And, it will highlight the key personality and other traits that are found in successful Sponsors. Regardless if you're sponsoring an Agile software development project, a construction megaproject, or any other type of project in between, this course will help get you 'hit the ground running' and being an 'impact player' on day one. Various activities and discussions will acquaint you with this important role and what you need to do to become a great executive sponsor. What you Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Define project success so everyone is 'singing from the same sheet of music' Immediately apply the ten key attributes of a great sponsor on your project Recognize great sponsorship and determine if you're the right fit for the role Practice Sponsorship over the course of the project life cycle by engaging in very specific actions and activities Be a better investment manager by analyzing the behaviors of successful activist investors Foundation Concepts The quantifiable benefits of being an actively engaged Sponsor Sponsor defined Clarence Kelly Johnson and the SR-71 Blackbird: An example of the power of Sponsorship Defining Project Success Project success: More than meeting the triple constraints Benefits management: The Sponsor's focus The Investment - Life-cycle vs. the Project Life-cycle The three questions Sponsors need to ask to define project success 10 Key Attributes of a Great Sponsor 10 Key Attributes of a Great Sponsor The Makings of a Great Sponsor The most important skills and competencies of an executive sponsor What great Sponsors do and when Four Things a Great Sponsor Can Learn from an Activist Investor The story of Outerwall, Inc. and Glen Welling of Engaged Capital, LLC Sponsors and Activist Investors Sponsorship of the 2nd Avenue Subway in Manhattan: A classic textbook example
Duration 1 Days 6 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is designed for managers, supervisors, team leaders, or anyone who leads meetings as part of their job and wants to learn how to become a more effective meeting facilitator. Overview Build a foundation for a successful meeting. Prepare for a meeting. Set the stage for a meeting. Facilitate a meeting. Facilitate a specialized meeting Effective facilitators know how to take charge of meetings and lead groups toward successfully completing their work objectives. In this course, you will strategically plan meetings and create formal agendas, lead groups to generate new ideas through brainstorming events, and help people work through facilitated difficult sessions. You will also further develop your facilitation skills by leading virtual meetings and even moderating international sessions. Private classes on this topic are available. We can address your organization?s issues, time constraints, and save you money, too. Contact us to find out how. Lesson 1: Building a Foundation for Successful Meetings Topic A: Identify Types of Meetings Topic B: Identify Attributes of Strong Meeting Leaders Lesson 2: Preparing for a Meeting Topic A: Clarify the Purpose of the Meeting Topic B: Identify Participants Topic C: Plan Meeting Logistics Topic D: Create an Agenda Lesson 3: Setting the Stage for a Meeting Topic A: Establish a Meeting Climate Topic B: Resolve Challenging Situations Lesson 4: Facilitating a Meeting Topic A: Lead a Meeting Topic B: Make Sound Decisions Topic C: Publish Meeting Minutes Topic D: Close a Meeting Lesson 5: Facilitating Specialized Meetings Topic A: Manage a Brainstorming Session Topic B: Manage a Virtual Meeting Topic C: Manage an International Meeting
Taking minutes is a much under-rated skill. It can be challenging at the best of times. So how do you do it for virtual meetings? This trainer-led session will help. It's a very practical programme which explores the issues specific to minuting on-line meetings and gives solutions to some of the trickier problems. Full of useful tips, the session will enable participants to: Identify how to adapt their current minute-taking skills to on-line meetings Plan and prepare for a meeting Follow a line of discussion Work in partnership with a remote Chair Deal confidently with minute-taking challenges. 1 Welcome Programme objectives Personal introductions 2 Adapting minute-taking to virtual meetings How is it different? What changes in approach are needed? 3 Preparation Preparing for the meeting Technology and equipment Dress and personal presentation Liaising with the Chair Practical preparation tips 4 Minuting tips Managing the 'techie' elements, eg. poor sound/visual quality Knowing who is speaking Following a line of discussion What if I don't hear or understand? Tips for producing a set of minutes 5 Session review Summary, key learning points, feedback and close
Meetings are a fact of working life - both virtual and physical meetings. Recording the key points from meetings is critical to making sure that accurate information is captured, and action points are clearly identified and allocated. This virtual training session will support members of staff to develop their skills in recording the key points from meetings and discussions. This course will help participants: Describe the different levels of note taking and pick the appropriate style for the meeting Prepare to take minutes in the virtual and the physical environment Liaise and work in partnership with the meeting Chair Use a template to enable the capturing of key points Set up the room ready for the meeting Identify key points to record, versus what not to record Interrupt the meeting confidently to check key points Take neutral, accurate and concise records Produce a well-laid out set of minutes. 1 Introduction Objectives and overview Introductions and personal aims 2 An introduction to minutes Purpose and use Different levels of notetaking 3 Preparing to take minutes Identifying the purpose of the meeting Working with the Chair Tips and techniques to prepare effectively Case studies, review and discussion The physical environment: setting up for a meeting 4 Listening and recording Tips and techniques to make the process easier How to interrupt a meeting What to record; what to leave out Recording in short-form using playscript and bullet-points Listening neutrally Activity: Minuting a Meeting The tricky ones and how to overcome problems in the meeting 5 Preparing the minutes Producing a set of draft minutes Tips on grammar, punctuation and layout Stylistic variation Managing feedback from the Chair 6 Review Summary of key learning points Action planning