What is the key attribute that separates great training from good training? Is it that the content provides real world applicability? Is it that the training is interactive? Is it that the trainer is engaging? Or is it something else? In this workshop, Michael Wilkinson, the author of The Secrets of Facilitation and the…
Michael Wilkinson
25 Strategies for Maximizing Engagement in Meetings
Most facilitators are armed with the three or four techniques they routinely use to get a group talking. Some like brainstorming, others prefer small group break-out, still others mix it up alternating between open group discussion and structured round-robins. But are there other techniques? And what do you do if you are going to…
We Have to STOP Meeting Like This! Strategies for Transforming the Way Your Organization Meets
For many, meetings are viewed as a dreaded evil to be avoided at all costs; for little gets accomplished, much of the discussion is unfocused and unproductive; a lot of time is wasted. And yet, for some managers 50-75% of their workday is spent in meetings. This workshop is designed to significantly raise the…
Why Most Strategic Plans Fail and How to Prevent It
Why do so many strategic plans end up on a bookshelf with few, if any, of the key initiatives implemented? In this dynamic, highly interactive session, the Managing Director of the largest facilitation company in the nation outlines for you the Drivers Model, a comprehensive and elegantly simple process for taking your team through…
The Secrets to Facilitating Strategy
How do you facilitate your team through a series of discussions to arrive at a strategic plan that the entire team understands and is committed to? How do you lead them through the creation of their mission statement? How do you guide them in selecting measurable targets? What steps can you take them through…
What Every Leader Should Know About Strategic Planning
How do you get a group of diverse leaders focused on developing a clear and inspiring, yet measurable and actionable, strategic direction? All too often strategic plans are lofty, feel-good visions which sit on a shelf and are never implemented. In this workshop, you will learn the secrets to preparing, developing, implementing and monitoring…
Strategic Thinking: The Drivers Model
When leaders have a strategic vision, they can influence the organization to make decisions along the way that bring that vision into reality. However, strategic thinking skills should not be limited to the top people in an organization. Facilitative leaders understand the importance of spreading strategic thinking to all levels. They recognize that the…
The Secret of the Starting Question
As a facilitator, you know that your participants have the answers. They know the content and they know what will work in their environment. But while the participants have the answers, facilitators must bring the questions. Having the right questions and presenting them in the right way is essential to a facilitator helping a…
The Seven Separators of Great Facilitation
What is it that separates great facilitators from good ones? Sure, every facilitator needs to know about establishing ground rules, using the appropriate tools and maintaining a safe environment. But are there a set of skills that seem to distinguish the best facilitators from the rest of the pack? We say, “Yes!” As facilitator…
The Secrets of Facilitation
Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a ride! In this session, the dynamic author of The Secrets of Facilitation will guide you through a preview of this comprehensive methodology for facilitating groups, task forces, strategy teams and other sessions that require groups to come together to achieve a common end. “I had no…