Detailed Agenda of The Facilitative Leader Workshop

Day 1

Introductions, Expectations, Workshop Overview, and Working Together
The workshop begins with you, your co-participants and instructors introducing yourselves, sharing your expectations for the workshop, reviewing (and modifying if necessary) the fit between your expectations and the workshop design, and reaching agreements on how we will work together in the workshop.

What Makes Work Groups Effective
In this section, you’ll learn three criteria for assessing whether a group is effective and learn the elements necessary for developing effective group process, group structure, and maintaining a supportive organizational context. You’ll practice using the group effectiveness model to diagnose strengths and weaknesses of groups you have led or been a member of.

The Facilitative Leader in Action
In this section, an instructor plays a facilitative leader having a brief problem solving meeting with his or her team members (role played by a few workshop members). You’ll observe the role play and identify and discuss specific behaviors of the facilitative leader approach and the principles underlying them.

What is The Facilitative Leader Approach
Here you’ll explore the elements of The Facilitative Leader Approach:
- Operating from a set of core values and ground rules;
- Thinking and acting systemically;
- Increasing group member responsibility and reducing unnecessary dependence; and
- Creating conditions for mutual learning.

You’ll learn the five core values (transparency, curiosity, accountability, informed choice and compassion) that underlie effective The Facilitative Leader Approach. You’ll learn how the facilitative leader's role is similar to and different from other roles such as traditional leader and facilitator.

The Facilitative Leader Challenge - Understanding Mindset
Mindset is a term that includes the values and beliefs that guide peoples' behavior, especially in difficult situations. Through an exercise, we help you see how your mindset may lead you to create the very situations you are trying to avoid--mistrust, defensive behavior, poor problem solving, and limited group learning. To do this, you’ll write a case study (known as a left-hand column case) of a difficult conversation you’ve had, in which you include the thoughts and feelings you had during the conversation. We’ll analyze your case study prior to the workshop, give you written and verbal feedback, and you’ll explore it using exercises.

Using Ground Rules to Develop Effective Groups
Here we discuss and practice using the ground rules that stem from the core values and that lead to effective Facilitative Leader behavior and group behavior. The ground rules include: state views and ask genuine questions; share all relevant information; use specific examples; explain your reasoning and intent; test assumptions and inferences; and discuss undiscussable issues. Through discussion and exercises using your own left-hand-column cases, you and your co-participants will learn why, when, and how to use each of the ground rules, and how they lead to effective group behavior.

Self-Critique
At the end of each day we conduct a self-critique to get feedback about the day. We’ll discuss what went well and what to improve.

Analyzing and Changing Your Mindset
In small groups with instructors, you’ll use your left-hand column case to analyze how you have acted consistently or inconsistently with the core values and ground rules of The Facilitative Leader approach. You’ll then practice redesigning your thinking and behavior consistent with The Facilitative Leader Approach.

Diagnosing Behavior in Groups
You’ll learn to identify functional and dysfunctional behavior using the group effectiveness model, core values, and ground rules. You’ll also learn a simple six-step mutual learning cycle to guide your diagnosis and intervention.

Intervening in Groups
You’ll learn how to intervene in a group to improve its process, including what to say, how to say it, when to say it, who to say it to, and why. You’ll practice designing interventions, and get real-time feedback from us and your co-participants.

Facilitative Leader Practice
In small groups, you’ll spend a full day practicing all of your Facilitative Leader skills using realistic role plays, including ones you have developed. We’ll provide specific feedback after each role play and you and your co-participants will receive an audio recording of your role plays and feedback.

Introducing The Facilitative Leader Approach in Your Organization
You’ll learn strategies and specific techniques to address the challenges you face when introducing The Facilitative Leader approach in your organization. We give you materials and information to support you in introducing this new approach to leadership to others.

Integrating The Facilitative Leader Approach with other Approaches
You’ll identify how The Facilitative Leader approach reinforces, complements, or conflicts with other management approaches and training programs currently used in your organization. You’ll also consider what changes, if any, are needed to create more consistency among these management approaches and training programs.

Developing Your Skills
Becoming a Facilitative Leader takes more than several days. Therefore, during this session we discuss ways you can continue to develop your knowledge and skills within your organization.