Creative Facilitation Skills and the Psychology of Groups Training Course

Why select this training course?

Individual and self-paced learning has limitations and is not the best tool for widely adopting skills or knowledge. However, the peer-enforced form of learning that comes with group training helps rapidly spread knowledge more appreciably. This Rcademy course in Creative Facilitation Skills and the Psychology of Groups Training Course is designed to develop the capacity of facilitators to coordinate group learning effectively.

What are the benefits of group facilitation?

In the general context, facilitation is the process whereby a neutral person who is termed the facilitator helps a group come together and solve a common problem or assist them in working more efficiently. The role of facilitators is dynamic depending on the group context or the set objectives. A facilitator can either be an internal or external agent.

The number one benefit often attributed to group facilitation is the motivation it provides to group members to produce better results. In addition, facilitation enables group members to harness individual strength and work holistically to achieve more goals than mere individual effort.

What are the guiding principles for facilitators?

The main reason why facilitation is crucial when having a group of people come together is to maintain coordination. It is often quite difficult to organize or control a large group. Therefore, the first principle guiding a facilitator is to get the group members to know each other and work in cooperation or dispel any form of suspicion. This sets the tone of the meeting and how effective and coordinated the group will be at the end of the day.

There are also certain skills a good facilitator needs to possess to be efficient at group facilitation. Effective communication and active listening are at the top of the list of these skills. Aside from the ability of the facilitator to communicate the objectives of the group meeting, the facilitator should also be able to actively listen to the group’s needs and requirements.

The Creative Facilitation Skills and the Psychology of Groups Training Course by Rcademy is essential for projects whose design mode requires bringing together people of different backgrounds and knowledge to work together in solving a problem, either in a formal or informal setting.

Who should attend?

The Rcademy course in Creative Facilitation Skills and the Psychology of Groups Training Course cuts across different professionals and sectors where group training is commonly used. The course is recommended for the following set of professionals.

• HR professionals who map out the strength of the employees and also facilitate group sessions to enhance coordination and collaboration
• Project management professionals who handle projects, especially those that involve large teams and need to work cohesively
• Training, research, and development staff who conducts regular training for professionals on best approaches and practices
• Line managers and senior managers oversee the operation and effectiveness of personnel off and off the field
• Community leaders who manage projects that involve community members and work to keep them all in check
• Focal persons for different group facilitation exercise or that represents the organization
• Is any other professional interested in learning about facilitating group meetings and discussion

What are the course objectives?

The course covers the essentials of group psychology and facilitation training. At the end of the training course, the participants are expected to be able to achieve the following objectives:

• Have a deepened understanding of the roles of a facilitator and how to work group processes
• Be able to handle small group sessions by gaining insight into their needs and overall objectives of the meeting
• Possess the required skills needed in directing and guiding both small and large groups
• Gain an insight into the psychology of groups while infusing team spirit into the discussion
• Create flexible strategies that will work in groups with diverse cultural and historical backgrounds
• Be able to identify potential barriers towards working in a group and devise means of overcoming the barriers
• Possess the ability to comprehend the group’s context and address peculiar issues
• Be able to effectively capture the proceedings from group discussion and summarise the dissemination

How will this course be presented?

Rcademy courses are delivered using tested and trusted learning approaches. The training course embraces the use of a practical mode of lesson delivery to ensure that the core information of the course is not lost. The course participants are exposed to a hands-on learning experience that captures the learners’ attention. In addition, participants can interact with the lessons using audio-visual aids, case studies, scenarios, etc.

This Rcademy course is also taught by professionals and experts who are well versed in facilitating discussions and understanding group psychology. Learners are exposed to the best form of information with the aid of well-curated modules taught by professionals.

What are the topics covered in this course?

Module 1: Essentials of Facilitation  

• Introduction to facilitation
• Role of facilitator
• Values of groups
  – Democracy
  – Cooperation
  – Responsibility
  – Honesty
• Code of conduct/responsibilities
  – Ethics for facilitators
• Guiding Principles for Facilitators

Module 2: Group Dynamic

• Overview of groups
• Setting up groups
  – Selection method
  – Criteria
• Purpose of group
• Constituting group entities
• Stages of group development
• Understanding group dynamics

Module 3: Dynamics of Group Facilitation

• Overview of group facilitation
• Facilitation of learning activities
  – Underlying principles
• Dimensions of facilitation
• Structuring facilitation exercises
• Issues/barriers to facilitation
• Responding to barriers

Module 4: Skills Required for Effective Facilitation  

• Facilitation mindset
• Advanced Preparation
• Effective communication
• Active listening
• Time management
• Safe and enabling environment
• Neutrality

Module 5: Facilitation Technique  

• Consideration of group setup
• Planning and structuring
• Specialist facilitation techniques
  – World Café method
• Introduction to the World Café method
  – Advantages of the method
  – Disadvantages of the method
• Collective creativity

Module 6: Dealing with Group Disruption  

• Overview of group disruptions
• Preventing disruptions
• Staying in the facilitation role
• Group intervention
• Ground rules
• Group support

Module 7: Functions of Groups

• Providing and imparting information
• Acquisition of skills
• Setting SMART objectives
• The actualization of group objectives
• Scouting members

Module 8: Planning Group Sessions

• Identifying relevant content
• Logical order of materials
• Time management
• Pace of group
• Infusion of methods
• Timeline

Module 9: Psychology of Group Processes    

• Overview of group processes
• Clarifying roles
  – Demystifying the facilitator’s role
  – Recorder
  – Participants
  – Alternating roles
• Group cycles
  – Social interaction
  – Information seeking
  – Establishing structure
  – Constructive work
  – Completion

Module 10: Special Techniques of Group Facilitation   

• Thinking as a group
  – Brainstorming
  – Nominal group technique
• Team facilitation techniques
  – Facilitator – recorder
  – Process – content role division
  – Active – passive
• Conflict resolution
  – Diagnosis
  – Dealing with conflicts
• Crisis intervention

Module 11: Evaluation of Facilitation  

• Introduction to facilitation intervention
  – Definition
  – Function
• Handling evaluation
  – Time and duration for evaluation
  – Conducting evaluation
• Improving facilitation through evaluation
• Identification of patterns