Transforming project managers into superb facilitators

Problem/Solution: A fast-growing energy consortium headquartered in Boston needed to hone the facilitation skills of a cadre of 22 project team leaders and client managers. While some had basic facilitation skills and a bit of experience, others had never facilitated a meeting outside of their own small group. Most people were charged with leading both face-to-face and virtual meetings, including both internal and external participants.

Solution: We modified our two-day Facilitation: From Good to Great workshop based on needs expressed in early interviews. Through a series of experiential large-group and small-group activities, we provided tools, tips and guidance for effectively designing, planning and leading a variety of conversations, both face-to-face and virtual.

The result: Participants were well-positioned to design realistic agendas, prepare participants by setting clear expectations, and lead productive conversations for all types of meetings. Our client sponsor was thrilled with the level of confidence and competence his team demonstrated as a result of the workshop.

"We hired Guided Insights to run a customized version of Facilitation: From Good to Great to sharpen meeting planning and facilitation skills across our organization. Nancy delivered what she promised—an action-packed two days with a range of activities to engage everyone. The participant guide included references, tools and templates for immediate use. Nancy invested the up-front time to understand our culture, participant needs, and scenarios for which facilitation skills were most needed. She is a true collaborator, communicating frequently to make sure that all details were nailed down. Nancy was a real joy to work with."-- Karen Keefe, MathWorks Organization Development Manager