Facilitation Techniques for Consultants

Ingrid Bens is a Certified Professional Facilitator with over 25 years experience as a freelance consultant in both the private and the public sectors. She is the author of several best selling books on facilitation and the only validated certification test for facilitators.

Consultants spend years developing their expertise in their respective fields, but most never learn to how to facilitate. This is a major skill gap when you consider just how much time expert consultants spend in client meetings.This book aims to close that skill gap by describing the essential facilitation techniques that all expert consultants need to know. This book:describes the core practices and tools used by facilitatorsoffers guidelines about effective questioningprovides a bank of the key questions that consultants typically askexplains five different methods for helping groups make decisionsprovides instructions for using seven key conflict resolution toolsoutlines practical ways to ensure that every meeting is truly effectiveIn addition, this book outlines the essential conversations that all expert consultants need to be able to facilitate. Having a clear step-by-step process takes the stress out of large group meetings and makes them look orderly and well planned.Each of the essential conversations described features instructions for structuring the dialogue and arriving at decisions that everyone can live with. These structured conversations include:DiscoveryEnvironmental ScanningProject KickoffVision and MissionWork Planning, Roles and ResponsibilitiesRisk AssessmentStakeholder AnalysisCommunication PlanningStatus Update MeetingCreative ThinkingMid-point CheckSystematic Problem SolvingConstructive ControversySurvey FeedbackInterpersonal Issue ResolutionOvercoming ResistanceProject RetrospectiveProject Adjournment