Facilitation Skills: The Core Skill of Great Team Leaders from Udemy

What's inside

Learning objectives

1. to gain an understanding of the essential skills and behavior of effective team leaders.
2. to practice those behaviors that lead to optimum participation and commitment to action by team members.
3. to learn the critical listening skills that are essential to all personal communications and to team leadership.

4. to understand when and how to use each of three decision-making styles: command, consultative and consensus.
5. to learn how to both give and receive feedback, or “straight-talk”, in a manner that leads of learning and continuous improvement.
6. to learn the critical skills of effective leading virtual teams to effective performance.

1. to gain an understanding of the essential skills and behavior of effective team leaders.
2. to practice those behaviors that lead to optimum participation and commitment to action by team members.
3. to learn the critical listening skills that are essential to all personal communications and to team leadership.
4. to understand when and how to use each of three decision-making styles: command, consultative and consensus.
5. to learn how to both give and receive feedback, or “straight-talk”, in a manner that leads of learning and continuous improvement.
6. to learn the critical skills of effective leading virtual teams to effective performance.

Syllabus

Introduction

This lecture is an introduction to this course. I review the purpose, objectives and outline.

Purpose:

The purpose of this course is to enable you to bring out the best from your team; to harvest the collective wisdom of your team members; and to lead team meetings in which all participants feel heard, decision based on the wisdom of the team; and action plans are developed and followed to results.

This lecture is not a comprehensive definition of facilitation (the entire course does that), but it does point to some particularly important attitudes and sensitivities that are at the heart of facilitation.

To Facilitate:

§…is to enable others, all, to make their contribution.

§…is to be aware of one’s own behavior and how it affects the behavior of others.

§…is to be sensitive to the diverse needs of individuals and to value their contribution.

Introduction to the Resources

Resources

Assignment #1: Behavior Observation and Reinforcement

The Eight Essential Facilitation Skills

The Eight Skills - Organizing

The Eight Skills - Clarifying

The Eight Skills - Reflecting

Motivating:

Being “attentive” to the person speaking. Eye contact, nodding your head in approval.
“That’s a very good point.”
“I know this is a difficult topic, but I feel like we have made good progress.”
“Harold, I think you probably have some good insights on this subject.”

Comforting:

Expressing Empathy:
- “I can understand that… (the reason for their concern)….may cause you to feel.(a word like ‘worried’, or ‘upset’)”
- “It must be … (feeling work like “difficult, or painful”)…when … (the circumstance causing the difficulty).
Ask for temperature taking: “How are others feeling about this.” “Jane, are you OK with this discussion?”
Take a break.

Controlling – Playing the “Cop”

Calling “time-out”
Call for gaining perspective
Call for more data
Call for others to participate

Essential Skills 1

Keys to Concluding a topic of meeting:

The Agenda and Time limits
The Skill of Summarizing
Asking for Consensus
Reviewing Decisions and Gaining Agreement
Do Goods – Do Better
Next Meeting Agenda

Assignment # 2: Facilitation Skills Practice

Resolving Conflicts within the Team

Resolving Conflicts 2

Assignment #3: Practice Resolving Conflicts

Essential Skills 2

How to Choose A Decision Making Style

It is critical that team members know which decisions they make individually, in consultation, and as true consensus decisions. This lecture presents a definition of each style of criteria for choosing which style to use.

•Command

Command decisions are those made by an individual. Speed and expert knowledge are two reasons for command to be the preferred decision style.

•Consultative or Shared

Consultative decisions involve selective involvement by those who know, care, or must act.

•Consensus

Consensus decisions are true team decisions where you turn over the decision to the group.

How to Reach Consensus

Decision Making Styles

Dialogue: Learning to Think Together Rather than Alone

Dialogue versus Debate

Dialogue: Behavioral Characteristics

Assignment #4: Are You in Dialogue or Debate

Effective Listening Skills

Body Language

Asking Open-ended Questions

Reflective Listening

Expressing Empathy

Acknowledging and Using Silence

Assignment #5: Coaching Effective Listening Skills

Giving and Receiving Feedback - "Straight Talk"

"Straight Talk" - A Model for Giving Feedback

"Straight Talk" - A Model for Receiving Feedback

Assignment #6: Practice Giving and Receiving Feedback

Virtual Team Facilitation

Facilitating Virtual Meetings - Pre and Post Work

This lectures gives very concrete steps you can take to improve the engagement of team members when conducting virtual meetings:

1.Bring Energy: Make it purposeful

2.Visualize the agenda

3.Visualize notes and decisions

4.Let them know in advance that you will be asking them questions, asking for their participation and feed back.

5.Give responsibility to another person or group to ask questions following a presentation.

6.Ask questions to someone specifically, rather than “Does anyone…?”

7.Share the facilitator role.

8.If not one responds, call on…after 5sec

9.Summarize and visualize decisions.

10.Do goods-do better

11.Immediately send out minutes and backup material.

Summary of Team Facilitation and Communication

Course Summary:

Recommend a coach
How this connects with the other TK courses
1. Motivating yourself and others
2. Problem solving made easy
3. Value-stream mapping and process management
4. Forming to Performing: Bringing a Team to maturity
Team Meeting observation and effectiveness form
Go through the exercise of defining decision styles
Practice listening skills
Take the 11 tips for virtual meetings and introduce them toyour team, evaluate your

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Provides practical skills that enable learners to lead teams effectively

Can help learners in any domain become more effective team leaders

Develops leadership skills that are critical for anyone working with others

Covers the essential skills for effective team leadership

Taught by an experienced instructor who has a proven track record of success in team leadership

Leverages a variety of learning formats, such as videos, discussions, and hands-on exercises

Reviews summary

Team leadership core skill: facilitation

According to students, Facilitation Skills: The Core Skill of Great Team Leaders is a good course for those looking to improve their facilitation skills. Students say that the course covers a variety of topics, including how to communicate effectively, how to manage conflict, and how to build consensus. They also say that the course is well-organized and that the instructor is knowledgeable and supportive.

Career center

Learners who complete Facilitation Skills: The Core Skill of Great Team Leaders will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Facilitator

The Facilitation Skills course helps learners to develop skills for building a strong foundation as a facilitator. The course will teach learners how to enable others to make their contribution, be sensitive to the diverse needs of individuals and to value their contribution. Whether leading a meeting or resolving conflicts, the course will help facilitators to conclude a topic effectively. Additionally, the course will help learners to ask open-ended questions, use reflective listening, express empathy, and acknowledge and use silence.

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Team Facilitator

The Facilitation Skills course discusses the essential skills of creating unity of energy and effort on a team; bringing the team to consensus; and conducting virtual team meetings. The course will help learners to contribute to their success as a manager by becoming a great team facilitator. The course helps learners to enable their team to bring out the best from their team; to harvest the collective wisdom of team members; and to lead team meetings in which all participants feel heard, decision based on the wisdom of the team; and action plans are developed and followed to results.

See salaries and explore the career path for Team Facilitator

Team Development Specialist

The Facilitation Skills course is a key for success as a team development specialist. Such specialists often facilitate meetings and conversations in order to help teams achieve goals and objectives. The course will provide the skills specialists need to motivate and comfort their teams, as well as control and conclude meetings effectively and to satisfaction. This course will be especially helpful to a team development specialist as it will aid them in resolving conflicts within their teams.

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Leadership Coach

The Facilitation Skills course is a key for success as a leadership coach. Leadership coaches facilitate conversations in order to help leaders achieve goals and reach their full potential. The course will provide the skills coaches need to motivate and support their clients, as well as help them to set goals and develop action plans. This course will be especially helpful to a leadership coach as it will aid them in resolving conflicts and providing feedback to their clients. Additionally, the course provides the knowledge and skills that will be essential to one's capability as a leader.

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Team Leader

The Facilitation Skills course is a key for success as a team leader. A team leader may facilitate meetings and conversations in order to achieve team goals and objectives. The course will provide the skills leaders need to motivate and comfort their teams, as well as control and conclude meetings effectively and to satisfaction. This course may help team leaders to resolve conflicts within their teams. The course will help leaders to gain insight into the essential skills and behavior of effective team leaders.

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Organizational Development Manager

The Facilitation Skills course is a key for success as an organizational development manager. These managers facilitate meetings and conversations in order to help teams and organizations achieve goals and objectives. The course will provide the skills managers need to motivate and comfort their teams, as well as control and conclude meetings effectively and to satisfaction. This course will be especially helpful to an organizational development manager as it will aid them in resolving conflicts within their teams.

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Training and Development Manager

The Facilitation Skills course is a key for success as a training and development manager. Training and development managers facilitate learning and development programs for employees. The course will provide the skills managers need to motivate and support learners, as well as help them to set goals and develop action plans. Additionally, the course provides the knowledge and skills that will be essential to one's capability as a leader.

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Consultant

The Facilitation Skills course provides the knowledge and skills that will be essential to one's capability as a consultant providing leadership and guidance. The course will help build a foundation for success by providing skills for bringing out the best from a team; harvesting the collective wisdom of team members; and leading team meetings in which all participants feel heard, decision based on the wisdom of the team; and action plans are developed and followed to results.

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Change Management Consultant

The Facilitation Skills course may be useful for a change management consultant who needs to lead teams through change initiatives. The course can help one to gain insights into the essential skills and behavior of effective team leaders. The course will also help change management consultants to understand when and how to use each of three decision-making styles: command, consultative and consensus.

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Communication Manager

The Facilitation Skills course may be useful for a communications manager who needs to lead and facilitate effective team meetings. This course will teach the skills to create unity of energy and effort on a team; bring the team to consensus; and conduct virtual team meetings in which all participants feel heard, decisions based on the wisdom of the team; and action plans are developed and followed to results. Additionally, the course focuses on critical listening skills that are essential to all personal communications.

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Instructional Designer

The Facilitation Skills course may be useful for an instructional designer who needs to create and deliver effective learning experiences. The course can help one to gain insights into the essential skills and behavior of effective team leaders. The course will also help instructional designers to develop skills in listening, communication, and feedback that are critical to their success.

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Project Manager

The Facilitation Skills course may be useful for a project manager who needs to lead a team. The course can help one to gain insights into the essential skills and behavior of effective team leaders. The course will also help project managers to practice those behaviors that lead to optimum participation and commitment to action by team members.

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HR Business Partner

The Facilitation Skills course may be useful for a HR business partner who needs to work with teams to improve employee performance and engagement. The course can help one to gain insights into the essential skills and behavior of effective team leaders. The course will also help HR business partners to practice those behaviors that lead to optimum participation and commitment to action by team members.

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Business Analyst

The Facilitation Skills course may be useful for a business analyst who needs to work with teams to understand and improve business processes. The course can help one to gain insights into the essential skills and behavior of effective team leaders. The course will also help business analysts to develop skills in listening and communication that are critical to their success.

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Human Resources Manager

The Facilitation Skills course may be useful for a human resources manager who needs to build strong teams within their organization. The course can help one to gain insights into the essential skills and behavior of effective team leaders; and practice those behaviors that lead to optimum participation and commitment to action by team members. Additionally, the course provides the knowledge and skills that will be essential to one's capability as a leader.

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