Facilitation Skills for an Online World

Over the coming months, most of our pre-lockdown working practises will slowly return. But it is also a fair bet that some things about working life will have changed for ever. There will be more home working. And the amount of work that we share online, using platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, is certain to increase.

To help you transition to this new way of working, Civicos Training has developed a half-day training session, Facilitation Skills for an Online World

Good facilitation skills are vital if any meeting or project is to achieve a successful outcome. A good facilitator ensures that all voices are heard, that key messages are understood and that there is commitment by every person involved.

We begin this online session, therefore, by looking at how really good facilitators get the best from a meeting or a team. We outline the core behaviours of an effective facilitator, gain an understanding of the role, and examine the key characteristics of groups and group dynamics.

We then look at the challenges that are unique to online facilitation. What are the main differences with face to face contact and online contact? How do we ensure everyone gets an input? How do we keep everyone engaged? Do group dynamics change with online contact? How do we reach a consensus decision?

The session finishes by looking at the various tools that you can bring through online collaboration, such as file-sharing, virtual breakout rooms, flagging and using facilitator notes.

Delivered online as one session of 3.5 hours .

Course Tutor: Brian McNee, Director of Training at Civicos Training and Communications. Brian has been a qualified trainer since 2010. He was in-house trainer at BAA from 2010 to 2013, before joining the training department at Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector until 2016, when he co-founded Civicos Training. He delivers courses in personal safety, personal development, human psychology, management and business skills.

This course is being delivered online, using the video conferencing service ZOOM. See more about Zoom, and how we will use it, below. f

Using Zoom

Zoom is an online application that allows us to make video calls and host online meetings. It is fairly intuitive to use, and most users are comfortable with it within five or ten minutes.

Taking part in Zoom training

As with classroom training, the trainer can share slides and other documents, and talk to everyone at once. Participants are also able to contribute, by signalling that they wish to talk, and then doing so.

Normally, all participants can also see each other, in head-and-shoulders screen shots.

The trainer will use the first five minutes of the training to show you a coupe of Zoom features (such as how too indicate that you wish to contribute by raising a little hand emoji). They will also set some simple ground rules over letting others get their say, etc.

We wiill also build in breaks every hour, as concenttration levels definitely dip more with oduring meetings.

What you need to use Zoom

All you need to participate in this course is a device that has audio and video capability – such as the vast majority of modern laptops, tablets, phones and computers. You should also have a quiet space, in your office or house, where you are reasonably sure you will not be interrupted during the course.

You do not need to install Zoom on your device. We will send you an invitation link, and when you click on it, Zoom will do the rest.

Getting a Zoom practise

If you are unsure of Zoom, or would simply like to practise using it before the course, we will be very happy to set up a short Zoom session between yourself and one of our staff. We will take you through the basic Zoom functions, let you test your camera and audio work ok, etc etc.

More details on how to access this service will be sent with your booking acknowledgement.

OTHER FAQS ABOUT THE COURSE

Do I have to book using Eventbrite?

No. You can simply contact us at training@civicostraining.org with your name, organisation, billing address and a note of any access issues. We will issue an invoice in advance of your attendance.

Is my registration/ticket transferrable?

If you want to transfer to another training course, please contact us with five or more days’ notice at training@civicostraining.org

What is the refund policy?

Civicos Training requires five working days' notice of cancellation. We will always attempt to place you on a later version of the same course, or transfer your booking to another course at no extra cost. However, if you cancel with less than the required notice, we do reserve the right to charge for the full cost of the course