Lights, Camera, Action - Mastering the Art of Virtual Facilitation

Facilitation is a communication skill that is constantly growing, evolving, and developing!  

There has been a growing realization that we have to pay attention to the process elements of meetings if we want them to be effective. With its focus on asking rather than telling and listening to build consensus, facilitation is the new leadership ideal, the core competency everybody needs. Managers and supervisors are often asked to facilitate rather than manage their meetings and training sessions. 

How can you facilitate, rather than control, group decision-making and team interaction? With no formal training, people may find it difficult to make the transition from instructors or managers to facilitators. 

This course has been created to make core facilitation skills better understood and readily available to your organization. Participants will learn, engage, and practice using our three-step virtual facilitation model. It represents materials and ideas that have been tested and refined over years of active facilitation in all types of settings. 

Section 1: Set the Tone 

Start each meeting or session with a purpose and hook that engage the group, followed by the art of developing a mutually agreed-upon agenda with an outcome. 

Section 2: Building Trust When Starting a Virtual Meeting, Workshop, or Webinar 

The group will discuss ways to start meetings in order to build trust, reduce stress, and have staff open up.  

Section 3: Establishing Ground Rules  

Participants will discuss ground rules and why they are so important in this new world of virtual meetings. They will also work together to generate a list of ground rules for the remainder of the workshop. 

Section 4: Facilitators’ Skill Sets to Guide the Experience 

Next, participants will explore key facilitation skills, levels of facilitation, facilitation language, and things to do to ensure facilitation success. 

Section 5: Communication Skills 

This session will explore the building blocks of good communication: active listening, questioning skills, probing techniques, and managing your body language. 

Section 6: Active Listening 

Participants will test their active listening skills in a unique and fun way – by listening to a fairy tale. Their levels of judgement and assumptions will be examined during this exercise. 

Section 7: Handling Controversial Issues 

In this session, participants will learn how to handle controversial issues in a neutral and professional way. 

Section 8: Dealing with Difficult Dynamics 

Participants will complete a mix and match exercise to identify possible difficult behaviours and ways to manage them.  

Section 9: Lights, Camera, Virtual 

Virtual is not live. Don’t try to recreate it. Participants will receive the tools to bring out their best in a virtual setting. 

Section 10: Course Wrap-Up 

At the end of the course, students will have an opportunity to ask questions.