Cohousing-L Mailing List: Cohousing Facilitation Training Workshop

[Kevin Wolf (kjwolf]

MAKE YOUR MEETINGS WORK
A One Day, Hands-on Intensive Training at Southside Cohousing
Sacramento CA
May 15, 1998   
By: Kevin Wolf, kjwolf [at] dcn.davis.ca.us  (530-758-4211)

NOTE:   This workshop models an all day meeting.  With each section comes
explanation and discussion of this part of the meeting process.  Throughout
the workshop, participants are encouraged to provide their own insights and
specific questions.  If it isn't appropriate to answer them at this time,
as in real meetings, the issue will be recorded in the "bin" and answered
later.   Also, as in regular meetings, participants are encouraged to use
the Agenda Review period to add additional objectives to the workshop agenda.

Cost:  $60 per person, lunch and manual included.
RSVP to Kevin for a reservation and final details.

Workshop Objectives:
*Gain the basic skills and theory of good facilitation.
        Facilitator's role(s) - Tasks, responsibilities, and ethics.
        Basic "tricks" and specific tasks. 
        Role and tasks of co-facilitator, recorder.
        Advanced questions as time allows.
*Learn how to craft strategic agendas for any type of meeting.
        Theory and practical aspects of standard meeting agenda items.
        Theory and practice of making strategic agendas.  
                How to create and prioritize meeting "objectives."
                How to allocate time to agenda items.
        Brainstorming, categorizing, condensing, weighing exercises.
*Learn how to handle problem people, situations, issues, .      
*Learn the theory and practice of consensus including specific techniques
*Answer top priority questions of individual students.

Workshop Agenda 
8:45    Coffee and pre-workshop discussion

9 am    Welcome - Kevin

9:05    Introductions  

9:20    Ground rules (my basics plus groundrules others like to use)

9:40    Agenda review (basics). 
                Clarify definitions.  
                How to make effective use of Agenda Review.
                Agree to training objectives.  
                What do participants individually want to learn?

10 am   Tricks of a Good Facilitator (the basics) - Brainstorm and clarify

10:20   Break

10:30   Meeting:  Decide what is the biggest factor in meeting failures
        5 min           Agenda review  (Kevin)
        5 min           Brainstorm (student1 )
        15 min  Categorize, condense/combine, discuss
        5 min           "Vote" (weighing exercise)
        15 min  Seek consensus (student 2)

11:15   Evaluation of students and exercise (positives/negatives-improvements) 
        Student 3

11:30   Discussion on consensus

noon    Lunch

12:45   Steps toward crafting agendas.  Kevin
        15 min  Understand goals and objectives, tasks and strategies.
        15 min  How to develop meeting objectives.

1:15    Decide the topic(s) of the breakout session's Exercise Agenda           
        5 min           Agenda review
        10 min  BS possible real agendas  (student 4)
        10 min  Discuss
        5 min           Explain "consensus" process (Kevin)
        10 min  Consensus  (student 5)
        5 min           Evaluate exercise/facilitators (students 6)

2 pm    Clarify parameters and directions for Exercise Agenda. - Kevin

2:10    Break

2:20    Exercise.  Break into 4-5 person groups.  (students 7-10, 11-14) 
                Create an agenda for the designated meeting.

3:15    Evaluation of exercise (student 15)

3:30     Weighing exercise  2 - What to cover in last 40 minutes  (student 16)
                Review "Bin" and initial list of student objectives. 

3:40    Student evaluation - student 17)

3:45    Open session covering priority issues - Kevin
                                
4:20    Workshop Evaluation - (student 18)

4:30    Adjourn