As facilitators, we enter every meeting with a certain level of uncertainty. We can do our research, create an agenda, and equip our toolbox, but we never quite know what is going to happen. Most of the time, we can work our magic and help our participants reach their goals without many problems. Sometimes though, we hit a wall. For whatever reason – participant behaviors, unclear direction, changing circumstances – we get off track, lose our cool, or get stuck. In this peer-learning event, we will explore participant’s darkest facilitation moments and brainstorm ideas and approaches that could help others navigate similar situations in the future.
Participants will:
- Share their most challenging or distressing facilitation moment, or share a dilemma they are confronting in a planned meeting.
- Explore how they handled or are handling the situation.
- Get feedback from fellow facilitators about tools and techniques for how to handle these types of situations in the future.
Based on the discussions, MAFN will produce a short toolbox documenting key challenges and describing potential tools and techniques for addressing these challenges. Participants will walk away with:
- A better understanding of key facilitation challenges.
- Tools and techniques to address a variety of facilitation challenges.
- Specific advice or guidance to address challenges they may be facing.
About the Presenters
Laura Lazar Holbrook is a versatile facilitator who has extensive experience designing and leading engaging team building retreats for a wide variety of non-profit, association, federal, and for-profit organizations. She has worked with teams to address such issues as: making the transition to new leadership; developing an appreciation of communication styles; examining barriers to individual/team effectiveness; and identifying leadership opportunities in times of change and transition.
In some situations, Laura steps back from her role as a facilitator to provide highly customized, interactive training sessions. (She has 25 years of training experience in the areas of leadership skills, performance management, and a variety of professional development topics.)
Laura is an MBTI® Master Practitioner and is on the Board of Directors of the Mid-Atlantic Facilitators Network, where she is an active member of the Professional Development Committee. She earned the Training Specialist Certificate from Georgetown University’s School for Professional Development and is currently enjoying exploring Liberating Structures and ToPs facilitation strategies.
Blll Yoder has over 30 years of experience providing high-end consulting, facilitation, and coaching services. He specializes in helping diverse groups with conflicting perspectives solve complicated problems He has planned and facilitated hundreds of decision-making workshops, training sessions, and change management programs across many industrial sectors and for many corporations, organizations, and government agencies. Over the past several years, Bill’s work has focused on developing and delivering strategic plans, process improvement, knowledge management, and leadership development programs for for nonprofits, nationwide associations, emerging corporations, and educational institutions.
If registrant pays for an individual MAFN workshop session and contacts info@mafn.org to cancel before the registration deadline, MAFN will either credit the full registration fee towards a future workshop or process a refund, less a processing fee of $10. No refunds after registration deadline has passed.
