Now more than ever, virtual meetings and training workshops are an absolute necessity for geographically dispersed teams who need to collaborate, drive projects, solve problems and exchange critical information. Ineffectively lead sessions, however, can be complete time wasters, undermining the group’s productivity and buy-in.
The reality is that virtual sessions require even more rigour and understanding of facilitative techniques than in-person meetings. Virtual facilitators are competing against distractions, multi-tasking, and potentially more passive participants.
Facilitation First has adapted our most popular and proven workshops into highly interactive virtual learning sessions. Participants will learn core facilitation best practices while experiencing and practicing highly practical strategies and techniques that will engage virtual meeting participants.
Looking for quick bursts of learning? Facilitation First has developed a wide array of highly interactive 60-90 minute micro-workshops allowing organizations to create a custom program to suit the unique needs of your learners.
For a listing of the Virtual Facilitator Micro-Workshops, click the orange PDF below.
With many teams working remotely for the foreseeable future, the skills needed to structure, engage and guide a group through critical virtual meetings has never been more important. Whether you’re new to facilitation or have years of experience, this workshop provides a unique opportunity to enhance your mastery of any group situation. Learn essential skills from certified, veteran trainers who have taught meeting facilitation skills for years. Experience a dynamic and totally interactive learning environment.
The Learning Opportunity:
This one-day workshop can be delivered in one full day session or two half day modules.
Everything we know about work is changing – where it’s done, how it’s done and who does it. Most conversations are not going to be face-to-face, and we need skilled facilitators to broker dialogue between a widening range of stakeholders.
As facilitators, we work to create conditions where vital collaboration occurs and flourishes. Many of us already know a range of tools and materials to unleash a team’s potential. But, as the circumstances of work evolve, so too must our mastery of new venues for facilitation. This workshop is focused on helping you to attain that mastery of virtual meetings.
Workshop Purpose:
To ensure participants have the foundational tools and confidence to engage in facilitating most types of virtual meetings.
Workshop Outcomes:
You will leave this workshop with…
This half day workshop can be delivered in two 90 minute modules or one 3.5 hour session.
Learning Outcomes:
For more information about this workshop and upcoming dates, follow this LINK
This workshop is designed to equip participants with the foundational skills and knowledge necessary to conduct active, engaging virtual learning events with confidence. Participants will engage in two highly interactive half-day sessions with many opportunities to practice new skills and receive coaching and peer feedback in a safe environment
Workshop Purpose: To enable subject-matter experts, internal trainers and managers to feel more confident and competent in being more ‘facilitative’ when leading virtual training sessions
Workshop Outcomes:
By the end of this workshop participants will:
This workshop provides participants with specialized skills and knowledge necessary to design active, engaging virtual learning events with confidence. Participants will engage in two highly interactive half-day sessions with many opportunities to practice new skills and receive coaching and peer feedback in a safe environment. This workshop focuses on designing content that results in highly interactive workshops.
Workshop Purpose: To enable training designers, managers and subject-matter experts to create virtual training materials that are guaranteed to engage learners.
Workshop Outcomes:
By the end of this workshop participants will:
Facilitation First has designed a series of highly interactive micro-workshops that will be delivered via Zoom or your organization’s preferred video conferencing platform
How It Works …
Select one module or build a customized series. Each 90-minute workshop is scheduled as follows:
The Virtual Facilitator Primer – Learn how to effectively prepare for and structure any virtual meeting. A great micro- workshop to pair with any other. Learning outcomes include:
How to Launch A Successful Virtual Meeting – Learn effective virtual meeting start techniques such as how to set context, set participation expectations, get buy-in on meeting Purpose, Outcome and Process and getting buy-in on meeting norms.
Learning outcomes include:
Managing and Engaging Participants in Virtual Meetings – Dealing with low participation, setting expectations, utilizing virtual tools for maximizing engagement, virtual warm-ups, handling power issues, etc
Learning outcomes include:
Virtual Brainstorming Techniques – Learn and experience fun and engaging group virtual brainstorming techniques that promote great generative ideas! Learning outcomes include:
Virtual Techniques for Achieving Consensus – Learn simple, yet powerful processes for helping a group/team come to consensus, overcome polarization and gain buy-in. Learning outcomes include:
Facilitating Through Resistance to Achieve Buy-In– Learn various methods for achieving quick and sustainable buy-in when leading change related group meetings.
Learning outcomes include:
Facilitating Virtual Problem-Solving Meetings – Get armed with practical, easy-to-apply processes that help groups/teams move from problem identification to problem resolution in a virtual meeting.
Learning outcomes include:
Facilitating Highly Productive Remote Teams – Team, Project and Program Leaders will learn effective tips and techniques for forming (or re-forming) their teams to accelerate performance.
Learning outcomes include:
Facilitating Your Remote Team Through the Storm – Team, Project and Program Leaders will be equipped with tools for managing challenging behaviours, resentments and conflict within teams.
Learning outcomes include:
Facilitating Through Challenging Behaviors – Learn when and how to intervene when conflict or challenging participant behaviours risk taking you and the group off track.
Learning outcomes include:
Zoom Meeting Host Training for Facilitators (Basic) – Lead Zoom meetings like a pro.
Learning outcome include:
Zoom Meeting Host Training for Facilitators (Advanced) – For Facilitators or trainers who want to leverage Zoom’s interactive features.
Learning outcomes include:
When facilitating virtual meetings or training workshops, session leaders often find their greatest challenges to be in engaging participants and balancing participation so that everyone has an opportunity to be heard.
How do you transform a group of passive virtual session attendees/participants into highly engaged collaborators?
At Facilitation First, our go-to Zoom features are breakouts and polling! Where appropriate, we break
the group up into pairs or smaller groups to increase intimacy, a sense of ‘safety’ and quality of input. We use polling as a way to gauge interest, take a pulse and keep content dynamic.
We have developed this program to build confidence and competence in creating, launching and leveraging Zoom Breakouts and Polling. Delivered by a professional meeting facilitator and trainer, learners will also understand the ‘when and why’ you would use these features, as well as the how!
Workshop Outcomes:
You will leave the session by mastering breakout rooms and polling with a comprehensive understanding of the following …
Workshop Design:
As a facilitator, you own the meeting process design – a set of deliberately sequenced activities intended to lead to achieving an outcome(s). Yet one of the most challenging skills for a developing facilitator is learning which process tools or activities to use for a particular meeting and in what order. How do you create a natural flow to the dialogue, build trust and fully leverage the expertise in the room?
In this two half-day workshop participants will explore the critical elements of great meeting design and expand their “toolkits” by learning and working with highly engaging, proven process tools and techniques. Based on class needs, we will delve into problem solving, consultative feedback, ideation or decision-making processes that can be applied in your very next meeting. This workshop has been designed to utilize a curated collection of some of our favorite techniques!
Please note: Participants must have completed the two-day Facilitating Meetings with Ease (or comparable program) to attend.
The Learning Opportunity:
Ask meeting facilitators what they fear most when leading discussions and they’ll tell you – conflict. Yet healthy disagreement helps groups see problems from new perspectives, make better decisions, and build trust. So how can we harness the strengths of conflict while limiting damage such as not achieving meeting outcomes, damaging rapport, and shutting down conversations prematurely?
This program directly addresses the sources of conflict – including you – and provides methods to prevent or facilitate through them. Explore your conflict behavioral style, learn how to mitigate client sabotage, and practice using tools and techniques to deploy when conflict erupts amongst group members.
Participants will build on the learning from their foundational facilitation skills course(s) by taking a deeper dive into proactive and reactive techniques for managing specific disruptive behaviors.
Please note: Participants must have completed either the one-day Facilitating Meetings That Work or the two-day Facilitating Meetings with Ease (or comparable) workshop to enroll in this course
The Learning Opportunity:
Our Virtual Strategic Planning Workshop delves into a proven, seven step strategic planning process and hones the facilitation skills required to collaboratively create and successfully implement strategies that will have the power to shape the future of your organization.
The overall focus of this workshop is to learn how to facilitate the development of a strategic plan and a process for operationalizing the plan for implementation.
The Learning Opportunity
The format of this workshop incorporates a highly interactive lecture style and an applied learning environment that includes group work, case studies, as well as using a variety of strategic planning tools and techniques.
At the end of this workshop, participants will learn to:
With most Committee meetings taking place virtually, it is even more important for Chairs to understand their role as meeting leader, how to actively engage the members and be more collaborative in their decision- making discussions. There is an art and science to effective meetings and we provide highly practical tips and techniques that can be applied in their very next meeting. Whether you’re new to facilitation or have years of experience, this workshop provides a unique opportunity to align your Chairs and staff on a standard approach to collaborative Committee meetings. Learn essential skills from certified, master facilitators who have taught meeting facilitation skills for years. Experience a dynamic and totally interactive learning environment.
Workshop Purpose
To enhance the Chair’s, Vice-Chair’s and/or Support Staff’s ability to be more facilitative in designing and/or leading their meetings
Workshop Outcomes
Participants will leave with:
High Impact presentations combine well selected content, an audience-focused structure, and an engaging delivery that includes the actively involves the audience in your presentation. Make presentations that inform and influence in virtual meetings by learning and practicing key skills, methods and tools.
Participants will engage in two highly interactive half-day sessions with many opportunities to practice new skills and receive coaching and peer feedback in a safe environment. Pre-work and back-at-work assignments support blended learning.
Workshop Outcomes: By the end of this workshop:
Participants will improve their presentation preparation and design by …
Pre-Work and Practicum
Participants will have approximately 60 minutes of pre-work and a 1 – 2 hour practicum between sessions.
We regularly conduct public classes that are open to individuals or groups. Complete this form to register.
Register For Micro-Workshop
Note About Payments
We do not offer the ability to pay online so that we can ensure you are granted any discounts you or your organization may be eligible for. You will have the option to secure your spot in the class by paying with either a credit card or by Interac e-Transfer.
Public Workshop Participant Cancellation Policy (In-person classrooms only)
If you cancel more than 20 business days before the start of a workshop, you will be eligible for a full refund.
If you cancel 15-20 business days before the start of a workshop, Facilitation First will allow one courtesy transfer to be used in a future public workshop of equal or lesser value. This must be used within 12 months. A $150 per participant administration fee will apply for the courtesy transfer and will be charged at the time of the cancellation. For cancellations received less than 15 days before the start of a workshop or if you fail to attend, neither a refund nor a courtesy transfer will be issued.
Public Workshop Participant Cancellation Policy (Virtual classrooms only)
If you cancel more than 5 business days before the start of a workshop, Facilitation First will allow one courtesy transfer to be used in a future virtual public workshop of equal or lesser value. This must be used within 12 months. If you cancel less than 5 business days or fail to attend, neither a transfer nor a refund will be issued.