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Facilitating by Heart

Facilitating by heart implies that one has all the tools and skills that are needed to facilitate with comfort and proficiency, from memory or "by heart." It also means that the facilitator brings a strong sense of integrity and authenticity to the situation; paying mindful attention to the work of the heart. Someone who facilitates by heart not only cares about getting the task accomplished, s/he also cares about how the work gets done. A facilitator by heart is able to "read the pulse" of the group to sense what individuals need and what the group needs as a whole in order to work productively and collaboratively.

The series will support you in learning how to:

  • Create inclusive environments that encourage multiple perspectives and full participation of all group members.
  • Understand and capitalize on group members' learning patterns.
  • Use centering to find the mental/emotional clarity to respond effectively to group process.
  • Listen without judgment to understand others' perspectives.
  • Ask questions that foster shared understanding.
  • Work successfully with conflict to achieve more innovative, sustainable solutions.
  • Use practical tools for effective agenda-setting, decision-making, and managing data.

Our approach to training is to create a safe, collaborative learning community where you can bring your full self to the learning experience. We use process-oriented, interactive facilitation methods that address all learning styles. Our teaching methods include dialogue, self-reflection, experiential activities, theory, case studies, modeling, coaching, practice using the skills and tools, and fun. Attendance in the series is limited to 25 participants so we can create a learning environment where you feel comfortable participating and where we can attend specifically to your needs by offering individual feedback and support.

[See a detailed description of each session offered at UW-Madison]

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How to Design and Teach a Successful Workshop
A One-Day Workshop

Are you in a position of having to conduct a worskhop but you’ve never had any training on adult education? Have you been doing the same old workshop for months and are looking for some ways to liven it up a bit? Are you tired of doing all the talking in your workshops and want to find ways to get your audience more involved?

Glean some kernels of wisdom from a seasoned trainer who has worked with audiences ranging from doctors and tradeswomen to 5th grade peer helpers. Kathy has offered educational experiences from one hour workshops to ten day institutes.

Participants will:

  1. Learn basic elements of workshop design including:
    • assessing learners’ needs
    • developing learning objectives
    • choosing appropriate teaching methods
    • sequencing activities
  2. Learn methods for creating a safe learning environment.
  3. Become familiar with experiential learning theory.
  4. Discover the parallels between the stages of group development and the stages of a workshop.
  5. Receive written materials on training including checklists for organizing a workshop.
  6. Receive feedback on one of their workshop designs

© 2002 Kathy Germann Consulting.

[See when this workshop is offered through UW-Madison]

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The Joy of Meetings: Recipes for Success

Is your diet full of too many meetings that are flat as a pancake? As a facilitator do you feel like you’re in a pressure cooker managing everything, while some group members stir the pot and others just feel fried?

Many meetings lack focus. There is confusion about what the decision is and/or who is making it, and follow-through is lackluster. Effective meetings begin with a tried-and-true recipe. Outcome-based agendas with multi-modal processes use people’s time well, focus energy, and support group members working in more productive and creative ways before, during, and after meetings.

Many of us have experienced the "Groan Zone" -- the tension between closure and further exploration and/or the different understandings of what consensus is and how to use it. Establishing a decision-making rule can address that tension. You can then assess the gradients of agreement, and facilitate decisions that last like a favorite recipe passed down over the generations.

Transform your meetings from a food fight to a culinary delight

  • Develop and apply group agreements to create safe, inclusive meetings.
  • Design outcome-based agendas that foster effective task accomplishment and honor multiple learning styles.
  • Assess the pros/cons of different decision-making rules.
  • Learn a tool to clarify the degree of agreement in a group.
  • Use meeting evaluations to help maintain effective group process.

 

[See when this workshop is offered through UW-Madison]

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