Facilitating Productive Conversations

Our Facilitating Productive Conversations  (FPC) program develops an individual’s ability to lead discussions, meetings, planning and engagement interventions in focused, meaningful and productive ways

About the Program

Organisations and groups face the challenges of time and structures for planning, making decisions, managing projects and moving forward together in Focused, Meaningful and Productive ways.

Facilitation/Co-creation is an increasingly valuable skill-set for exploring issues, tapping the breadth and depth of thinking, and building shared purpose and commitment.

The Facilitating Productive Conversations program is a collection of the foundational facilitation methods, part of the Technology of Participation (ToP™) approach. The ToP™ approach was pioneered by the Institute of Cultural Affairs, an international network focused on the development and application of social innovation methods for community and organisational development around the world.

ToP™ offers a widely proven set of tools and principles for maximising the value of time spent in group processes, and outcomes that are shared by all participants, with the enduring value of strengthened relationships and mutual learning.

Learning Outcomes

Participants develop the capability to facilitate effective conversations, meetings, planning and engagement interventions (e.g. project planning, business planning, values conversations, etc.). This learning is delivered through components that address:

  • ToP™ group facilitation skills – methods and session design structures
  • Integration and adoption of ToP™ with other facilitation methods and processes.
E

Ideally For

Facilitators, L&OD Professionals, First-time Managers

E

Faculty

Kevin Balm with Core Team Members and Associates

Session Details

Classroom sessions: In-person 3 full day sessions.

Online session: 6 sessions for 4 hours, delivered over 2 weeks.

The faculty to participant ratio for this program is 1:8.

Session 1

Introduction to ToP™ Focused Conversation and Consensus Workshop Methods (FCM & CWM)

Session 2

Introduction to ToP™ Focused Conversation and Consensus Workshop Methods (FCM and CWM)

Session 3

Design and practice in applying the two methods to multiple topics

Session 4

Introduction and practice of Divergence, Emergence and Convergence Tools

Session 5

Understanding ToP™ Design Thinking and Experiential introduction to variations on FCM and CWM (H-Technique, Nominal Group, Historical Scan and Wave Analysis)

Session 6

Planning for in-role / on-the-job application

“ToP™ is a step-by-step approach on facilitation methodologies to manage both individual and group conversations and consensus. The unique and most impressive aspect of this program is that it is woven to provide hands-on experience and I found myself adequately skilled and enabled in the processes to apply it in my work context. It has also helped me to design appropriate frameworks for my business HR consulting solutions. The ToP™ teams’ wealth of experience adds to the value of the program and provides adequate directive as to how it can be leveraged in business critical processes.”

Chandana Ghosh

Founder & CEO, 4Front Talent Solutions

To download our brochure, please submit your details in the contact form.

Our programs bring time-tested learning tools and principles that work effectively in both social and corporate settings. The learning approach incorporates:

  • Blended (experiential/social/instructor led) learning
  • Opportunities to reflect, practice and deepen understanding thereby building competence and confidence to apply tools and principles
  • Application in work roles and projects

If you have any queries, please submit your details via the contact form, and we will reach out to you. You may also write to us on [email protected] for more information.