How to Be an Effective Facilitator

By definition, a facilitator is a person who makes things easy. But if you sometimes find the role to be tough—mainly because you're a manager, not a professional facilitator—this targeted course will certainly help. It teaches you the skills needed to keep a person, group, or team on track, and it shows you how to work well with diverse personalities. Designed for general managers whose time is at a premium, the course presents a six-step process and tools that you can apply in any situation—whether you're facilitating a short-term problem-solving session or a multi-year strategic planning project.

Learn how to:

• Build commitment and foster a "we" approach
• Develop effective, time-saving agendas
• Deal with equipment and logistics, such as room setup and flip chart techniques
• Understand different types of questioning techniques
• Become an active listener
• Give better feedback
• Use tools such as brainstorming and storyboarding
• Avoid groupthink

About the Author

Charles M. Cadwell is the president of Training Systems +, based in Mulvane, Kansas, which specializes in training system design and development. He has more than 20 years of experience in the training field. Prior to starting Training Systems + in 1986, he held positions as Director of Field Training for Pizza Hut, Inc. and Director of Training for Popingo Video, Inc.

Cadwell's clients have included Fortune 500 companies as well as a number of small- and medium-sized service, retail, and manufacturing businesses. In addition to developing training materials, he frequently facilitates classroom training sessions on topics such as customer service, presentation skills, and leadership.

His first book, New Employee Orientation, was published by Crisp Publications in 1988. Since then he has written three audio-cassette programs for the American Management Association on the subjects of recruiting and selection, orientation and training, and leadership skills. He has also written four issues of the Trainer's Workshop for the American Management Association. His most recent books are First-line Supervision (AMA, 1994) and Training That Works (American Media, Incorporated, 1995).