
Strategic Planning and Facilitation
As a facilitator, UConnect provides direction and support for the organizer, so everyone can fully participate and put into place actionable plans. UConnect encourages full participation and collaboration between all parties to ensure workable outcomes that can be implemented immediately.
Whether you are coordinating relations between two companies, finalizing current programs, exploring new opportunities, working through roadblocks, doing long-term planning or any number of topics – a third party facilitator can quickly and easily bring resolution to the plan.
STRATEGIC PLANNING OF THE SESSION
The Organizer and UConnect will work together to formulate the agenda and meeting structure. Topics reviewed and implemented are as follows (these are examples only-more are added or deleted as needed):
- Agenda-Flow of agenda with action items
- Meeting structure – In person session or online
- Format of meeting
- Topics and order of topics
- Timing for each topic and overall meeting
- Summary/expectations of each topic/outcome
- Handouts
- Room arrangements/supplies/resources
DURING THE SESSION – FACILITATION
- Set the Ground Rules
- Set the stage – Introduce meeting objectives and the agenda
- Help the group collaboratively move forward to create a working plan
- Monitor timing to ensure all topics are covered
- Facilitate conversations to maximize the groups resources through individual participation, communication and problem solving
- Help the group think-outside-the-box, eliminate roadblocks and achieve long-term visions and plans
- Keep the focus of the conversation on the situation or issue
- Control distractions, including distracting participants
- Ask open-ended questions to provoke thought
- Facilitate the summary of decisions during the session and help to transition to the next topics in a timely manner
RECORD AND ACTION STEPS
Unless the Organizer has their own recorder than UConnect will provide this service as well.
- Ensure that all decisions and actions are recorded. UConnect provides a scribe to ensure the facilitator is focused on facilitating not scribing.
- Recording of decisions and actionable items, bringing these together, sharing them, and making sure they are actioned with timelines
- As decisions and actions are recorded, the organizer and UConnect will review with the group to ensure information being recorded is a fair and accurate reflection of what’s been discussed
- We will remind the group of actions discussed and keep them focused and moving forward
Conclusion
After the event, UConnect will follow up to ensure outstanding actions and issues are acted upon, and that the topic was brought to a successful conclusion.
Visit Leadership Training, Sales Training, and Exceptional Customer Experience to learn more about our training programs.
To learn more, including fees and to schedule a Free Business Training Area consultation:
Contact Holly Katko at holly.katko@uconnectsolutions.com