“I came away with increased knowledge and skills in architecting and planning better meetings. The course also provided me with useful frameworks and tools to be able to engage clients more proactively in planning as well as to improve participation and outcomes. The learning experience was a good mix of theory, sharing of real-life experiences and hands-on application” -  Heather Worosz, MBA, MSLS & CPCC, Executive Coach & Consultant

This course is scheduled in partnership with ICA Associates Inc. of Canada and ICA:UK, the participation & development charity.  I shall be joined by Bill Staples of ICA Associates as guest trainer. 

Bill Staples is one of the founders of ICA's Technology of Participation, a principal partner of ICA Associates Inc. of Canada, and one of the designers of Meetings That Work. Bill is happy to bring Meetings That Work to London for the first time (and Brussels on 14-15 September), and will make the course come alive will illustrations from many fields.

Bill has worked around the world with many organization and is well known in the field of facilitation. He is the author of “Transformational Strategy: Facilitating ToP Participatory Planning, and is the publishing editor of the IAF Journal Group Facilitation. Bill is also a founding member of IAF, and was among the first facilitators to be inducted into the IAF Hall of Fame.

Who this course is for

This course is for anyone who leads or attends lots of meetings, and all those who want to lead meetings with a clear purpose and great outcomes - including team leaders and managers within organisations, those working with Boards, management teams, partnerships and external stakeholders, youth and community workers and independent facilitators.

The course has no pre-requisite, and is recommended to newcomers to facilitation.

This course and Group Facilitation Methods (immediately following on 20-21 September with ICA:UK) are two of three modules of the ICA Associates Professional Facilitator Program endorsed by the International Association of Facilitators for those preparing to become an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF). This course alone covers many of the competencies required by the IAF.

Questions this course answers

“How can I turn meetings into “events” that people want to attend? How can I increase participation, and get the best input and results from everyone?  How can I increase commitment to action, and handle difficult or controversial items?”

What you will gain

This course will provide you with tips, templates and practical tools from professional facilitators that will enable you to get more from meetings than you ever thought possible.

Design and run great meetings:

• Create engaging agendas
• Construct meaningful processes
• Increase group participation and productivity
• Make group decision making more effective

Create a Participatory Environment:

• Use diversity to make everything interesting
• Deal with difficult situations
• Get the very best results
• Develop teamwork and follow-through

Gain Confidence as a Facilitative Leader:

• Learn best practice tools and techniques
• Enhance meaningful participation
• Communicate more effectively in groups

What is included

How to plan, prepare for and facilitate productive meetings with best professional tools and approaches available:

• Dialogue approach
• Ladder of participation
• Effective flipcharting
• Product oriented agenda design

How to play the role of meeting facilitator more effectively, and get results that generate confidence and motivation in the whole team:

• Process and its elements
• Tips for effective communication
• Event design and orchestration
• STEPS model

Throughout the course there are valuable tools, contexts and guidelines that will deepen your capacities as a leader, facilitator and coach:

• 72 facilitation tools
• Seven intelligences
• Working with difficult behaviours.

Download the ICA Associates course brochure (pdf).